freeline-104 - Flipbook - Page 181
ASH
KRISGEDEN
FORD
to Dick what was arguably t he p i n n a c le o f h is c a re er a re c o rd
c o mmon carp of 44lbs, Clari s s a a s s h e b e ca m e k n ow n , o n t h e
1 3 t h September 1952.
Almost a year to the day b e fo re D i c k ’ m o m en to u s c a pt u re , I
was born. He was totally u n awa re o f t hi s a t t h e t i m e . L i ke s o
m any befo re me, I started to f i s h a t an e arly a g e . Fo r m e t h i s
was as a three-year-old l e d a nd co ac h ed by my fa t h e r o n a
fa rm pond in Headcorn, Ke n t . A d i et o f m i n n ows , s t i c k l e ba c ks ,
r u dd and perch kindled an d sto ke d th e f i re th a t wa s to b e c o m e
a l ifetime’s obsession. In t h o s e d ays o f n eve r e n d i n g s u m m e rs ,
i t was safe for an ei ght to t we lve -ye ar- o ld to b e a l o n e o n a
r iverbank. From our home i n G i ll i n gh am wh e re my fa t h e r h a d
h i s antique and auction b u s i n e ss , I c o u ld sa fe ly catc h a b u s
to Maidstone and then an o th e r o u t to Te sto n , Wa te ri n gb u ry
o r Yalding on the River M e dway. A s I g o t ol d e r b u t s t i l l a t
p r imary school, I switched to my p u s h b i ke a n d u s e d to m a ke
t h e journeys more indep en d e n tly.
Teenage years were swa ll owe d u p al l to o s o o n by fa mi ly
t ravels to Australia and N ew Z ea l an d wh ere fo c u s was m a i n ly
o n surfing and football, b o th o f wh i c h I wa s q u i te g o o d a t
d e spite a couple of clos e e nc o u n te r s wi t h d e at h o n t h e
s u rfboard. Fishing focus wa s o n ly t ake n c are o f by s a l t wa te r
f i s hing, which by its very n a t ure wa s ma i n ly fo r t h e t a bl e .
1966 saw my return to t h e U K i n So ut h en d , E s s ex . M y h o m e
was opposite Priory Park, wh i c h t he n wa s m o re fa m o us fo r i t s
s p iritual ghosts than the fe w ca r p t h at swa m i n i t s s te w p o n d s .
T he two lakes in Priory we re s ep ara te t he n ; wh a t i s n ow a l o n g
i s l and actually joined the b an k at b o th en d s , a n d we u s e d to
f i s h off it all the time. T he re we re a c o u p le o f l ily p a d s a l o n g
i t s sides, which always we re an a t tra ct i o n fo r f i s hi n g . M y f i rs t
FR E ELINE 51
