Was anyone else a member of a Junior Club?

[Zerkalo]

I go on a lot about my Junior Club here but it's because we learnt how to fish properly from a young age. I think sometimes people do not give kids/teenagers the credit they deserve when it comes to angling ability. We were all finesse fishing with bloodworm and joker on the Birmingham Canal network from a young age.

I would not be were I am today without my this club for really ingraining my passion for angling. The people who run the club were incredible.

I know there are a lot of similar clubs around the country as we fished against them in Junior Nationals, and I know people on here came into angling from a variety of backgrounds, but I do not see Junior Clubs mentioned by many other people, so did anyone else fish for one?

 

[Dave]

Leeds ASA Juniors,
Leeds ASA Intermediates, inc National team Captain one year (1978 iirc)

 

[Silverfisher]

Nope I was taught mostly by my grandad and partly by my dad and uncle. Do think they are a great idea though for those that aren't introduced by family or just super keen beyond the hours family can give.

 

[Maesknoll]

I did, great club with a Junior section who had some really genuine people putting their time in to help the kids, run the junior matches, organise the nationals etc. They really started a lot of lads out on their match fishing journey.

 

[Yuccaman]

It wasn't a junior club as such, but had a very active junior arm at the time - Watford Piscators. Nobody else in my family fishes, so I am very much self taught. I owe a huge amount to the club matches that they used to run - a full match on the Grand Union Canal on the first Sunday of each month. There was a Junior Championship which ran alongside the main one, and the juniors were in the same draw. It meant that I spent a few years fishing matches on the Grand Union with some excellent club anglers either side who were normally only too happy to help. I have a vague memory as well of going as a runner on the Div 2 national on the Ouse I think!

 

[chefster]

I fished in an adult club from 12 , there were no junior clubs local

 

[Zerkalo]

One of my best memories, and it was just as I was finding out about more dangerous things in life, was being selected by Mark Downes to fish with Team England for a week. Might not sound much but we stayed on a camp for a week off school and learned to fish with some of the best. I regret having a break from fishing for so many years otherwise I would have progressed straight from club level to fishing opens.

 

[Louis D]

Silver Dace in Bristol, some great support from Eddie Farr, Derek Floyd, Mike Bird...

 

[warrington63]

I was in the junior section of WAA
But was fishing matches with a works club when I was around 13 fishing canals rivers and reservoirs, and we went by coach and had something to eat after the match at a local pub, all subsidised by the works social fund.Times move on and I am still a member of that club, am 66 now, and we just fish commercials around the north west.

 

[Maesknoll]

Silver Dace in Bristol, some great support from Eddie Farr, Derek Floyd, Mike Bird...

Silver Dace for me, Eddie Farr and Jack Bedford. Also Nationals with Bristol and West Federation. I also fished a few matches with Clevedon whose junior section was called Skimmers.
The Bristol clubs were a close amalgamation (Under the umbrella of the Amalagamated Anglers) who controlled most of the lower Avon, apart from the sections that Bathampton had.
Plenty of interclub matches, junior matches, junior entries in senior matches, all without CRB checks and red tape......

 

[emmaemma]

Fishing clubs, no......I was a minor of the ABC and a member of the Butlins Beaver Club. Also, a member of the Cub Scouts, the Methodist Church and the youth club. I remember holding the banner on walking day for the Cub Scouts, pleased as punch marching to the tunes of the Brass bands from the local collieries...... Happy days indeed....

 

[davej1981]

Had very active junior sections of both the clubs i was a member of fished junior nationals with them and had a lot of interclub matches there would be at least fifteen juniors from each club competing. Had several good local anglers take me under their wing over the years and by 16 was competing in division 2 nationals and AT summer and winter leagues. By 18 though i discoved beer and lost all interest which i regret as rumour had it Dorking were looking to take me on. Looking through the club websites now sadly the numbers have fallen and the average junior turnout is now 2-3 and there are no junior team fixtures anymore. I havent been for 20 odd years now (hopefully making my return next weeks), from what ive heard match fishing is slowly dying in this area

 

[Wise Owl]

Leeds ASA Juniors,
Leeds ASA Intermediates, inc National team Captain one year (1978 iirc)

Was that with the Anglers Club mate ? Was Ronnie Fearnley involved ? i know em all down there.

 

[Maverick]

53yrs ago I was a member of a junior club run from a very popular workingmans club. The club rented 2 farm ponds that we could fish. One within walking distance from my house and the other a 30minute push bike ride away.

Many junior matches were organised throughout the years and I was fortunate to win more than my fair share of them.
Prizes I won ranged from a fishing reel, a keepnet, a landing net. tackle box etc.

Presentation night each year was the highlight of the year and when it came to the junior section my legs ached from the number of times I had to go to the stage as my name was called out, and my parents beamed with pride as the table became that full of shields & trophies they had to move their drinks onto another table

Great times with great memories and I'm still in contact with one or two members to this day. My Father, Uncle & Cousins were all members and many trips were organised to to the Trent at various locations, Llandrindod Wells was a popular yearly trip, and Rudgard lake another popular match venue.

Besides the Junior only matches we also went on all the adult matches and there were prizes for the junior winners. An absolutely fantastic club with plenty of members.

 

[Dave]

Was that with the Anglers Club mate ? Was Ronnie Fearnley involved ? i know em all down there.

Yes, but don't know the name, but I'm lousy with names anyway

I fished with Ken Smith, Pete Hardcastle, Dave Thomas, for a while as well

 

[Wise Owl]

Yes, but don't know the name, but I'm lousy with names anyway

I fished with Ken Smith, Pete Hardcastle, Dave Thomas, for a while as well

Ronnie was the first man I saw fishing a match with a pole ?he was a rep with shimano ?

 

[Dave]

I never saw his pole

 

[notAcarpfisherman]

i started fishing when i was 4 but i was taught by my brother and uncle.
And they taught me enough so there was no need for me to join one.

 

[Bulldog]

Albany Social Club Junior Section back in the day used to go with the Seniors same coach god some sights on that coach on a Sunday morning i can tell you.
Think the most juniors we had was five for a couple of seasons , it dropped of to two so we used to fish the senior matches then great times a lot of the anglers who fished back the sadly no longer with us.
I am still a member of the club a life member in fact but like all thinks its moved on not a Working mans club of old, my dad was treasurer for 20 plus years he doesnt use it anymore prefers the spoons opposite
Also was selected as a for the junior national on the Witham didn't make the team though think Coventry finished 2nd or 3rd cant remember but the association paid for those that didn't fish to receive same prize as the team

 

[Zerkalo]

Would not surprise me if a lot of people who fished for this JC would still be fishing somewhere, made some good friends at the time, as used to go out maybe 15 of us every weekend to different places.