Wigan Album

A smashing find is this Notice. And perhaps it's also the only one of its kind still in existence. I particularly like how the angler ( Not forgetting the all-important Committee members) is surrounded by scroll work - Great stuff.

Patient, in the contest, fought -
Ahead the deepened mock
Yet most had gone the 'Hindley way';
A catch at every 'knock'.
The trophy, later, held on high
Inside the smoke-filled room,
While envy cursed a cloudy 'swim'
And Hindley's yearly-bloom.

Those cloudy streams Phil remind me of the great Glover's pond schism of 1967 concerning ground bait. Weasel and me were proponents of the stuff ,and used to lob in handful after handful turning the pond into a murky Cappucino . Eccy and Finchy on the other hand said it made too much noise and scared the fish. Your little ditty brought a boyhood moment vividly back. Thanks.

I noticed the Presidents name was Blackledge. There was a Mr Blackledge who lived on Darlington Street East near my parents. I know he was a very good and well known match angler. Was this the same man ?

Well spotted, Carolaen: Committee member Mr Blackledge could have resided close to your parents - He could have been related to one of the town's tackle-dealers, as well e.g., Tommy Blackledge.

Wasn't there also a Blackledge's fishing shop in Wigan?

Thomas Aloysius Blackledge did indeed have the fishing tackle shop in The Wiend and I believe invented the "DONKEY TOP" for use in legering on rivers.
Wilf Grange was also Match Secretary and ran the junior Wigan Angling teams in the National Angling Championships. I remember staying in a hotel on the banks of the River Welland and also the River Witham. Wilf gave his time up to oversee these trips

If memory serves me right it could have beeneither the Foster Cup or The Infirmary Cup they were fishing for. although the latter may have bben an individual competition

Remember a fishing competition in the 60s at red Rock my uncle give me some blood worm got a prize but did not win, later blood worm was banned.

Benidormdave, I'd bought an Ernie Stamford swing-tip, and 'Match Fishing with Benny Ashurst' from Tommy Blackledge at his shop in The Wiend. I can't recall what ultimately became of the rod but I still have the book, which is easy to read, and includes those time-honoured 'pen and ink illustrations' - Some of floats most rare, . . . I should think. Owd viewer mentioned bloodworm having been kicked-out by the powers that be; I'm pretty sure that hemp seed had been kicked-out in the past, as well.
I like your mention of the grand-sounding Welland, and Witham, . . . certain other rivers don't have quite the 'ring'.

I bought an Intrepid Elite reel from that shop in the 60's,saved up ages to buy it.Came second once in the schoolboys match at Red Rock and was picked to fish for Wigan schoolboy on the river Witham.The Wiend was a great place,Tom Whalleys pet shop and some sort of toy shop where I bought a gyroscope.

PW - The Intrepid Elite was an excellent reel. I bought an Intrepid Super Twin, the successor to the Elite in 1973. Still got it in my tackle box.

There was also a fishing shop on Millgate, round the corner from Blackledge's. Can't remember the name.

My brother used the Intrepid De-Luxe during the 60/70s. Mitchell reels were also very popular at that time.

Tuddy - the one in Millgate was Ashcroft's

Ashcroft's, that the one.