Local Tackle Shops of a bygone era

[Dave]

On the back of Nostalgic Tackle Shops - Bennets of Sheffield, can you remember the old tackle shops you used to visit as a youngster ?

In Leeds my local was 'Websters' (no relation) and it was run by ol' Ma Webster at the top of Harehill's Road

It was the smelliest muckiest tiniest tackle shop you could imagine. Ma Webster's personal hygiene also left a bit to be desired but she always greeted you in her apron, fag hanging from her lips, and bronze stained hands and nails. Her greeting wasn't the warmest you could wish for but I tell you something she new how to keep maggots, in fact from memory I don't think she sold much in the way of fishing tackle, just bait.

Further down at the opposite end of the road there was a Pet & Garden Supplies who sold floats and other bits of terminal tackle, just a short bike ride away after getting yer maggies - you wouldn't dare tell Ma Webster where you were going next though

In town was Kendall & Watsons, within the arcade and I bought several rod blanks from there. Kirgate Anglers and Linsley Bros were at the opposite end of town, and if you were feeling posh you always had Gledhills up at the top of the Headrow, although I seldom went there as it catered more for the fluff chuckers.

Out of town was Headingley Angling Supplies, up in Headingley at the time, where I spent many a Saturday working in the back room sorting out the maggots as a young teenager, long gone though now.

In Armley was Armley Angling, and up at Seacroft a little emporium that's still there - J T Rogers


Who were your locals?

 

[oldmanriver]

Ken Austins in West Bromwich. Opposite the Billiard Hall then along side the Billiard Hall then over to Alfred Street (i think) I too remember an old fella with a wood panelled shop who sold little in the way of rods reels etc but had good maggots in sawdust and Kestrel ground bait where I took my round silver bait tin with pressed lid. He was along towards Dartmouth Park (where KA was last situated ). Its the smells that stay in the memory, where as today shops smell too fruity

 

[Neil ofthe nene]

Don's of Edmonton. An absolute paradise that would have been known by any angler in north east London.

 

[Phoenixicus]

In Worcester we had 3 (that I can remember ) tackle shops but also 3 or 4 smaller places that were a mix of everything (petshop,newsagent etc)
Going on from Dave's post the one thing I remember is they all sold maggots and really knew how to prepare/keep them.
Where all these places were getting them from is amazing when you think about it and a hark back to when they were really the only bait.

 

[Wise Owl]

I think remember that shop Dave , was it the one up near the old Dock Green pub ? yer right about the smell, mind you we were going to start the new river season one year and a mate took me to a maggot farm up near Weatherby and got a 2 gallon bucket of maggots by jeez that place stunk. Also the little shop as ya walked down the day ticket side of Boston Spa, that little shop in the bungalow the old lass there was about as welcoming as a fart in a spacesuit.

 

[Chervil]

J. Mitchell, in Kingsland Road in Hackney. I used to get the bus up there from Hoxton on a Friday night to get my maggots, before getting the train to Cheshunt on a Saturday. If fishing the local cut, me and my dad would stop off in the Co Op for some cheddar.
It all seemed so much simpler then.

Tight lines

Chervil

 

[Wise Owl]

Dave This photo was taken September 1950 the tackle shop is behind the woman at the bus stop

 

[jay67]

strood in kent , there was jones' if i remember it right . also woolies on the high st . and cartiers sport and leisure . all gone now . think it was cartiers where i bought matching DAM 10ft leger rods and abu cardinal 555s ( red ones ) . caught many carp , tench and rudd from the delph at Lower Stoke on those in my early teens .

 

[JohnLondon]

I remember Dons of Edmonton well, I used to save my pocket money as a kid & end up blowing it all on fishing tackle. Simpson’s of Turnford was another iconic shop in the Lea Valley. It got bought by Angling Direct & moved to a large warehouse site

 

[groundhog]

On the back of Nostalgic Tackle Shops - Bennets of Sheffield, can you remember the old tackle shops you used to visit as a youngster ?

In Leeds my local was 'Websters' (no relation) and it was run by ol' Ma Webster at the top of Harehill's Road

It was the smelliest muckiest tiniest tackle shop you could imagine. Ma Webster's personal hygiene also left a bit to be desired but she always greeted you in her apron, fag hanging from her lips, and bronze stained hands and nails. Her greeting wasn't the warmest you could wish for but I tell you something she new how to keep maggots, in fact from memory I don't think she sold much in the way of fishing tackle, just bait.

Further down at the opposite end of the road there was a Pet & Garden Supplies who sold floats and other bits of terminal tackle, just a short bike ride away after getting yer maggies - you wouldn't dare tell Ma Webster where you were going next though

In town was Kendall & Watsons, within the arcade and I bought several rod blanks from there. Kirgate Anglers and Linsley Bros were at the opposite end of town, and if you were feeling posh you always had Gledhills up at the top of the Headrow, although I seldom went there as it catered more for the fluff chuckers.

Out of town was Headingley Angling Supplies, up in Headingley at the time, where I spent many a Saturday working in the back room sorting out the maggots as a young teenager, long gone though now.

In Armley was Armley Angling, and up at Seacroft a little emporium that's still there - J T Rogers


Who were your locals?

There were two that stick in my mind, first one was Beddoes's in Wolverhampton, Gordon the owner was a great bloke, as kids if there was any fishing tackle we wanted, he would put it aside for us till we had earned/saved enough pocket money to pay for it,quite often he would knock a bit off the price to help us out, his daughter Jill still runs a tackle shop in wombourne.
The Second one was Doreens in bloxwich wslsall,one of the smallest tackle shops I'd ever seen, it was just the front room of the house,but it was packed solid from floor to ceiling with tackle,she used to keep a selection of cheap but good tackle and floats for the kids, and good quality reasonably priced tackle for Adults, the shop used to be just down s side street and Allens tackle used to be over the road from where they are now, but Doreens was always the better shop, it was a sad day when Doreen and her brother Les said they were retiring and closing the shop for good.

 

[Dave]

Dave This photo was taken September 1950 the tackle shop is behind the woman at the bus stop

That's the one Dave, it's a kebab shop or something now

 

[minkyandbear]

Don's of Edmonton. An absolute paradise that would have been known by any angler in north east London.

Often used to plan my work route around a trip to Don's, Gerry's or Moseley Angling.

 

[cjsid]

Greenways friend managed it so spent a lot of time there

 

[baboboy]

Wotists in Stapleford.

When I wanted to start fishing I poured over the Argos catalogue at the kits. Dad popped into Wotsits and spoke to Frank. His line was buy him a kit if you'd want to keep fishing. Needed up with had picked kit when was the same price as the Argos kit. But it cost a lot more than that in reality.

 

[Wise Owl]

Dave do ya remember the one on Dewsbury road that had a maggot Dispenser outside a bit like the kids ones where ya put in a quid turn the knob and out comes the Gift Or Sweets ?

 

[genesis]

Richmonds Angling, West Park Angling, Westgate Angling. All gone and now we only have Tackle2U

 

[genesis]

Dave do ya remember the one on Dewsbury road that had a maggot Dispenser outside a bit like the kids ones where ya put in a quid turn the knob and out comes the Gift Or Sweets ?

They had one at the old petrol station on the A64 before you turned off to York. Only filled up on a Friday morning, or emptied

 

[richc]

Bristol - remember Veals original shop but I was from the bedminster area so usually bought tackle and bait from Talbots, Stenners petshop and Chris Rolfe's.

 

[Phoenixicus]

Veals were one of the main advertisers back in the day and there were only really a handful then.
Still going I believe

 

[GUCANGLER]

As Chervil said, Mitchells in Dalston, he was a moody sod though, before that Vic's in Essex Rd, Sowerbutts in Commercial Rd,(round the corner from my school) but my favourite allways was Johnny Lee's in Columbia Row, (flower market) then latterly at Stepney. My god, he used to give me some duff info but he was a great bloke, remember his dad standing at the counter picking the dead skins out of his caster maggots. As previously said, simpler times