1995-2005, The First Ten Years - The Beginning

The Barbel Society will soon be celebrating it’s tenth anniversary, and with so many new members and thosewho have been around a long time having their memories blurred with the passing of the years, I thought nowwould be the opportune time to write a piece outlining everything about the Society from the first thoughts that ledto the formation, right up to the present day.To do a piece like this justice will take more than one article, so I propose to run this over the next three issues of the magazine.I’m ideally placed to put this together, as along with Fred and John, I’ve been around since day one and I don’tthrow anything away so have plenty of archive material to draw from.You would not believe the number of box files, lever arch files, folders and even computer discs that fill a room inmy houseThere are a number of people who have made significant contributions to the Society during this past decadeand while I’ll be doing my best to keep everything objective it would be totally remiss not to express my personalthoughts especially when praising these unsung heroes, I’m sure you will forgive me that small excess.As an introduction, this article will focus on the whys and how’s. By that I mean the reasoning that lay behind theneed to set up an organisation in the first place and the subsequent chain of events

that led to the BarbelSociety going live at the

start of the 1995 season

During 1994

it became very apparent to me and a few close friends that a new barbelorganisation was going to have to be formed to cater for the needs of the many anglers who were discoveringwhat many of us had known for years, namely barbel fishing is great fun and was set to become very popular indeed.I was a member of the Barbel Catchers Club (BCC) at this time, carrying out the role as Regional Organiser for the London Region.The club was made up of a number of regions across the country with an overall membership around the fiftymark.The London Region consisted of Roy Bates, Chris Binge, Phil Buckingham, Fred Crouch, Ray Kent, Chris King,Stan Sear, Ray Wood and myself; all highly experienced anglers who caught many big barbel from a variety of rivers. We met monthly to discuss our exploits.All were to become Founder Members of the Barbel Society.I was also a member of The Association of Barbel Enthusiasts (ABE), an organisation set up by Fred Crouch andPete Henwood, with a membership approaching two hundred that kept in touch with each other by putting piecesonto a cassette tape that was circulated three or four times a year. Steve Smith carried out most of theadministration, but the success of what was a brilliant concept depended on input from the members.Gordon Scott and John Found, both highly accomplished anglers, were also members and Gordon had led theway by organising the ABE socials at Imber Court in Esher, an idea that was to lead to the conferences we enjoytoday.My friendship with Fred Crouch was now well established and it was through this that I was to come into contactwith Mike Ball, a meeting that would eventually lead to the formation of the Barbel Society.I’ll never forget the first time I met Mike; he joined Fred and myself for an overnight session on the Teme.He seemed quiet, unassuming and another nice guy who enjoyed his barbel fishing. He was also the only manI’ve known who took two of everything on a session so you never had to worry if you had left something behind!But I soon found out he was much more than that, a lawyer by profession and Chief Executive of a major council,he turned out to be one of the most intelligent people I have ever been privileged to meet, and we became goodfriends.So becoming more convinced that the existing clubs would be unable to cater for the anticipated future needs,and having received positive feedback from many fishing friends and acquaintances the fateful decision to go for it was made on the banks of the Bristol Avon on a late autumn evening.I can clearly remember standing next to Mike and saying,” the pike anglers have their club, the carp boys havetheir Society, the barbel fisher needs one too, Let’s go for it!”

So Mike started to draw up the highly detailed discussion papers and we spent hours getting it right but over thecourse of the next couple of months we finally came up with a document that we felt was ready for wider distribution.As the New Year dawned, the paper was sent out to many influential anglers, the likes of Andy Orme, JohnBailey, John Wilson for example and by and large the response was positive.The paper was also discussed at the monthly London Regional meetings and with ABE members.I can recall a meeting with Fred, Gordon, John and Ken Coles at Steve Smith’s house and realised that thisstrong relationship with the ABE would ensure success for a BS launch.Likewise, the BCC lent a helping hand; our discussion paper was published in their Barbus magazine.All of this meant that the word was leaking out, creating an air of anticipation in the barbel fraternity, but we stillhad to come up with the goods.Looking back now, it is clear to see the debt we owe to the BCC and ABE.Another important factor was Mike Burdon’s (BCC member) involvement with Andy Orme’s fledgling River group;a group set up to combat the increasing barbel thefts for Stillwater stocking in their area. Laurence Breakspear and Richard Stringfellow were also involved in this initiative.All were excited about the creation of a new vibrant organisation and they wholeheartedly pledged their support.Old acquaintances like Ray Walton, Chris Holley and Guy Robb who had been involved with The Barbel StudyGroup, had heard what was going on and expressed interest, they too would become Founder Members.We were getting very close now, and at the beginning of April, a letter of invitation for the first meeting was sentout to around thirty anglers.The venue for this meeting was the Star Hotel at Upton upon Severn and was to take place on 29th April 1995.We were slightly apprehensive, would everyone turn up, was the support really there.We needn’t have worried, the room was full.Marsh Pratley had picked up Peter Stone, Phil Smith and Trefor West were sitting down at the table, all thoseinvolved with the build up were there, it was time to make it all happen.The meeting went well and although reservations were expressed the positive will and drive ensured that theoutcome would be the actual formation of what was now named, The Barbel Society.

Everyone put ten pounds into the kitty to getthings started

, and I was particularly pleased when Trefor said Peter Stone should bePresident, as I’ve said before, that was probably the moment when I knew for sure that it was going to work.The first committee was put in place.Peter Stone - President, Andy Orme - Chairman, Gordon Scott -Secretary, Phil Buckingham -Treasurer, StevePope - Membership Secretary and Regional Co-Ordinator, Laurence Breakspear - Editor, Fred Crouch - Juniors,Mike Burdon - Research and Conservation, John Found -Assistant Secretary, Mike Ball – Legal Advisor, BrianDowling –Auditor.We left the room on a high, something special had been achieved and we went away to prepare for the next step.Before we could put out a press release another meeting needed to be held and this was set for 20th May.This meeting took place at the same venue and after agreeing such items as Constitution, Logo’s, badges, subs,and all manner of important points for a new organisation, we were just about ready or at least as ready as wewere going to be at the time.Those who had attended the meetings became Founder Members, and in addition to those noted previously theyare, Steve Chell, Brian Dowling, Dave Evans, Andy Field, Chris Norwood, Tony Miles, Stuart Morgan, PeteReading and Jill Orme.Mike Ball put together the finally agreed Barbel Society Prospectus and we prepared lots of copies, full of optimism that barbell anglers would be ready to join up with this new venture.

It’s hard to express the feeling of relief I had at this time, so much time and effort had been put in and at last wewere up and running and ready to go, the hard work was just about to begin.

1995-2000, Approaching the Millenium

So it was all systems go, and with one eye always on the agreed Aims and Objectives we set out with one goal inmind, to make the Society a huge success!The Angling media published a shortened version of our press release, but no matter, it didn’t take us long tolearn how to play the game and before very long the Barbel Society was gaining its fair share of column inches.Where we very fortunate, although it was everyone’s wish that it were not so, there was a subject that unified allbarbel anglers and we quickly established ourselves as the focal point.No prize for guessing what it was as it’s still with us today, the question of Stillwater stocking.We quickly affiliated to the ACA, NASA and SACG.Andy agreed to take up the marketing role, Gordon got to grips with the first newsletter, Fred set about organising junior events, Mike Burdon set out to find interested parties in formulating conservation projects and soon foundlike minds in the shape of Fred, Pete Reading and Roy Bates.Along with everyone else I set about the quest for members and

we rapidly hit theone hundred mark

, most of the ABE guys joining up together with our many friends inthe Barbel Catchers.

By the end of the year* this number hadexceeded two hundred

and we knew we had something going.

(* Year = 2005)

Behind the scenes it was hard work and that’s a massive understatement.A handling code was being put together, the first magazine was proving more difficult than expected and this wascausing some friction.Mike was attending meetings with the NRA trying his very best to make them aware of what was happening withthe stealing and illegal stocking of barbel. Make no mistake, it was rife in the area and our battle to makeeveryone aware and get it stopped was well and truly on. Des Taylor took us to task in his Angling Times columnand for us this was red rag to a bull so we decided to up the ante.With help from the Angling press we managed to stage our first junior events on the Kennet and Teme.Trefor stated his intended aims from the very start by being in attendance at both and I don’t think he has missedout on one to this very day, his commitment has always been appreciated.Vic Homewood along with Ray Wood also helped out, with Vic staying the distance and using his marvellousartistic skills to great effect in our second magazine. Every Christmas without fail, Vic’s is always the first card Ireceive, there’s no mistaking the calligraphy on the envelope, I’m no longer on Ray’s list I’m afraid.While mentioning the press, we received great encouragement from the guys at Carp Talk who just like us werethe new kids on the block; this relationship was cemented some years later as our magazine really started to takeshape. The likes of Chris Ball and Kevin Clifford showing us why they command so much respect in the Anglingworld.As we began to make more impact, opportunities to promote the Society beckoned and I found myself in the BBCstudios being interviewed by Nick Fisher for his Dirty Tackle programme, we were all having to learn new skillsbut because of the overwhelming will to succeed and the support we were getting it was not difficult.The first newsletter came out highlighted with a fine piece from Peter Stone wishing the Society well, and an