A Love Supreme

'The Intrepid Story' is one that has touched many in Arcadia and you can read it and that of others by asking for the catalogues and pamphlets that are kept 'Under the Counter, Madam' in the lost tackle shop that is also known as my website.

Autumn Colour

This morning across Arcadia ladies and gentlemen are out enjoying the colours of autumn, in particular the cheerful tops of Gazette Style Pike Floats as they sit between gaps in the reeds waiting to go under.

Sunbury

Not even the past assistance of The Thames Angling Preservation Society and a gallon of maggots from Sharps Gentles Factory could prevent myself and the gentlemen known as Mr. Luke Jennings, Master Rafe Jennings and Mr. David Profumo from fishing through the day for a glorious autumn blank for the soul at Sunbury-On-Thames yesterday.

Spitalfields

Found at Spitalfields yesterday on a stall of great taste, a 1962 1st Edition of 'Pugs' (Foyles Handbooks) by celebrated dog author Eric Fitch-Daglish.  Pugs are growing in popularity and it is as common to have your ankles bitten by one at a Car Boot Sale as it is by a terrier.  Pugs know only one song, the popular Arcadian music hall number 'You'll Never Make the Station'.

Sharps Fishing Tackle

Once upon a time in Arcadia, and especially on a Thursday, you may have visited Sharps on Weedington Road in the district of London known as Gospel Oak.  There, whilst getting your wet battery recharged you would have been able to have put some money aside for the Sharps Christmas Club which allowed loyal customers to save up for a prized rod or reel to give later as a Christmas present.

Sharps moved premises in the early 1960's to their current location of 162 Malden Road London NW5 where Bob Sharp dispenses tackle, bait and wisdom every day of the week except Thursdays and Sundays when he is closed.  Should you wish to purchase fishing tackle on a Thursday and hear more about the history of London's fishing tackle shops over a cup of market tea, milk no sugar, you are welcome to join me at my stall in Spitalfields where I sell Vintage Fishing Tackle for the Soul between the hours of a half past seven and three o'clock.   On other days of the week you are recommended to visit Mr. Sharp and marvel at his cardboard Efgeeco sign.

The Efgeeco Anglers' Canvas Bucket

Bought recently from another dealer who is also a borderline Efgeeco Addict a pair of hard-to-come-by but much-sought-after Efgeeco Anglers' Canvas Buckets now for sale to connoisseurs of canvas in the corner of Arcadia online known as 'Old Friends'.

Kempton

A lean morning at Kempton where there was little to sustain the Soul beyond convivial chat, cold tea and continuing rumours as to the whereabouts of existing Maggot Vending Machines.

The Maggot Vending Machine Map

Work in Arcadia continues on plotting the known whereabouts of surviving Maggot Vending Machines for a unique Map that will be published in Issue 2 of An Antidote to Indifference.  Only last Thursday at Spitalfields I was told by another dealer of one situated behind a Petrol Garage in the village of Thaxted which is believed to be in Arcadia Zone 4.  You are welcome to e mail me details, including full map references, of this and other Maggot Vending Machines and their location will be plotted accordingly.

Found

Found on a table at Wimbledon Car Boot Sale yesterday morning a 1968 1st Edition of Mr. Trevor Housby's 'Gravel Pit Fishing' taken from the shelves of Croydon Public Library in the month of January 1972.  The ticket on the inner board states that a 'Mr. Borrowman' paid the Borough Treasurer Ms. Wilson  £0.62 for 'One Lost Book' on the 19th of that month.

 

 

Wimbledon Car Boot Sale

The Open Season of the Bobble Hat continued in earnest this morning from the appointed hour of 04.55hrs when in the darkest and coldest corners of Wimbledon Car Boot Sale the talk was of giants of all shapes and sizes.

Spitalfields

Found at Spitalfields yesterday on the stall of my good friend and arch-dealer Mr. Lucian Myerscough a set of copper plate stencils in the dropped shadow style.  Fitting numbers for the size of the confirmed rumour of a pike discussed at first light.

Pugh Bros. of Holloway Ltd.

Once upon a time in Arcadia and especially on the day of the week known as a Thursday if you wished to purchase some Big Yorkshire Gentles you would have been advised to have travelled to the district of London known as N7 where at numbers 95, 97, 99 and 101 the Holloway Road you would have been able to shop at Pugh Brothers.  Demand for Big Yorkshire Gentles was so high, particularly ahead of the weekend that anglers were advised to telephone on number 2825 North to reserve them by the pint or by the gallon.

Should you awake on a Thursday in the year of Arcadia 2011 and find yourself in need of some Big Yorkshire Gentles do not travel north in search of Pugh Bros. as they are no longer at numbers 95, 97, 99 and 101 the Road.  Instead visit me at my stall in Spitalfields Antiques Market in the district of London known as E1 where the conversation will often turn to the location of the better Maggot Vendors still in business.

Find the Float

In the year 1969 Mr. Terry Andrews of Sheffield won £250 for finding a float.  In the year of Arcadia 2011 such prizes are but dreams, however you may find floats including some splendid Fishing Gazette Floats for sale in the 'Just in, Sir!', wing of my website.

Talisman

Across Arcadia the temperature is beginning to drop and anglers everywhere are commencing the frantic search for the talismanic Bobble Hat which was put away on the morning of March 15th and forgotten about.  Without which the prospects for autumn and winter will not be the same.

Return from District 4

We returned overnight from the area of Arcadia known as District 4, where the weekend was spent in the delightful company of the writers Mr & Mrs. Charles Rangeley-Wilson in pursuit of pints of Wherry, lost Sebaldian manuscripts stuffed down the back of the sofa in the back bar of The Lifeboat Public House, the elusive October bass and other meanings of life.

Homemade Floats

To be found in the unlocked secret drawer on my website that is 'Just in, Sir', a collection of naive Homemade Floats typical of the kind made and used by Unknown Anglers across Arcadia in the decade known as the 1960's.

'Types of Fish I Have Landed' in the Year of Arcadia 1952

Found at Spitalfields on Thursday in the back of a blood spattered copy of 'Luron for Angling' a list by the Unknown Angler of 'Types of Fish I Have Landed' dating to the years of Arcadia 1952-54.

Allcocks "Fishing Gazette" Float

Found on the margins of a Car Boot Sale and for sale as part of the impromptu Festival of the Float at 'Just in, Sir!" a splendid 2 1/4"Allcocks "Fishing Gazette" Float. Rendered in British Racing Green and visible from the outer reaches of Arcadia due to its flourescent yellow top and black on gold transfer.

Telephone Regent 2612

Once Upon a Time in Arcadia, namely in the decade known as the 1950's when angling ideas were under the influence of the America's certain fishing tackle shops produced ranges of tackle dedicated to what were known as "Modern Ideas".  Ogden Smiths, one of the early exponents of this approach can no longer be reached on Telephone Regent 2612, nor will you find anyone answering the door at 62 St James Street who knows anything about Bait Fishing Tackle.

However, on a Thursday should you find yourself in the district of London known as Spitalfields you will be able to talk to me at my stall about Vintage Fishing Tackle for the Soul, "Modern Ideas" and other aspects of life between the hours of a half past seven and three o'clock.

Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou meet Andrews of Arcadia Uptown (Underwater)

All those who read this Scrapbook on anything other than an irregular basis will know that many of the long hours spent on the road in my search for Vintage Fishing Tackle for the Soul have been in the company of Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou whose two long playing records are rarely off the van stereo. In addition to being truly beautiful songwriters and performers Trevor and Hannah also make their own films to accompany their releases and I am humbled and deeply honoured to say that the latest for their new Big Water EP (out now on Heavenly Recordings) features a cameo by someone you may recognise.

The Thames Fishery Research Experiment

Found at Kempton this morning an enamel badge struck by Simpsons of London and awarded exclusively to participants in the City of London Thames Fishery Research Experiment which has been held on the banks of the River Thames every year since its inception in 1969.  I took part in the Experiment in the year 2003 and wrote about it for Waterlog Magazine a couple of years later, a feature which you can read in the archive section of my website.