freeline-94 - Flipbook - Page 145
DEREK STRITTON
f i s hing in the 1980s and s u gg e s te d th a t wh i l e fa s h i o n s h ad
c h anged s omewhat , they ha d a lways ex i s te d ! W h e n I fi r s t
s t arted carp fishing, the o n ly c l o th i n g ava i la b l e wa s ex- a rmy
s u rplus stuff.
Late 1960s early 19 70 s we re t he “ f ly i ng s u i t ye a rs ! ” T h en
c a me the padded pilot s u i ts , a l so a rmy s u rp l u s . T h os e
c a mouflage trousers still i n us e to d ay we re a l s o a ro u n d ! L ate r
o n in the 1970s came moon b o o t s , th e s av i o ur o f c o l d fe e t wh e n
f i s hing in the winter! But o h , t hey we re n o t b u i l t fo r wa l k i n g
d i stances in! Then there we re “ Kev i n M a dd o c ks j u mp er s ” a n d
D erri boot s, not to mentio n t h o s e d ro o py m o u s t ac h es ! Anyo n e
re member those teddy bear s u i ts ? W ha t a b o u t g re e n a n d b l u e
D artex suits? How many o f yo u re me mb e r t h e “ Fa m o u s F ive ? ”
Ro b could tell you all abo u t t he m ; i n d e ed I h o p e h e d o e s ! I n
t h e years that followed, we al l c o nv i nc e d ou rs e lve s to we a r
ga rish colours, and it mad e n o d i f fe re n ce ! An d n ow we a re
a l l back in camouflage, ho o d i e s an d th e l i ke ! W h e n yo u re a c h
my age, it just all makes yo u s mi l e, b u t to s o me i t ’ s al l a b i t
to o serious! I always allow mys el f a wr y s m i l e wh e n M a g g i e
a n d I are on the ferry to Fra n ce , wh i c h we d o o f te n ea c h ye a r,
d ressed as normal passen g e r s, a n d s ee t he c a rp u n i fo r ms o n
d i splay – n ot intended to b e o f fe n sive by th e way !
I mentioned my lo ng-te rm f r i e n d Fre d W i l to n , i n my l a s t
“ o ld school” piece. He is n o t me n t i o n ed e n o u gh i n to d ay ’ s
a n gling sc ene, but if I can t ake yo u b a c k to t h e 19 7 0s fo r a
while, I’ll tell you a few sto ri e s t ha t m i gh t m a ke t h o s e o f yo u
who were around at the ti m e s mi l e . To b eg i n I ’ l l m ake mys e l f
l o ok stupid! When I first fo u n d o u t a b o u t Fre d ’ s P YM ( d r i e d
ye ast bird food supplemen t b a i t) , I m an a g ed to s o u rc e a l l o f
t h e ingredients required to ma ke i t , exc ep t t h e P Y M! I n s te a d
FR E ELINE 35
