Well ! where do i begin ?
In 1975 the club was formed, i believe about March/April time and names like John Dayman , Bob Seger. Richard (Dick) Austin also helped form the club and is close friend - i have not seen for years ! I believe the name of the club was because the originator Bob Seger lived on the Greenhill road at Coalville so it became GREENHILL ANGLING CLUB. It was announced that with the formation of the club would be complemented by the acquisition of part of the River Soar at Rothley.
This part of the Soar was owned by a lovely couple who's names escape me but they eventually moved to the Isle of Man. I used to receive a XMAS card from them. It was later that the property was purchased by David and Alan Carpenter family who built the ROWENA NURSERIES. This was later sold in 2000 to a larger garden centre concern. You notice it is stated that the club started in 1976 but that might count as the first full season however there is conjecture that it could have actually started in theory in 1974 , but it does not matter as the important fact the club is 50 years (approx) old.
Richard 'Dick' Austin
The route to this club water was never easy as cars would be parked at the back of a barn then we would walk down the hill to the bottom field where the river was situated . Then we would walk the outside of the field up to the first peg near the fence. I would estimate by then you would have walked about 300-400 metres . Then if you got the end peg you could add another 200 metres. After the match the walk back was uphill (Cardiac Hill as named) however in those days we would be traveling light with basket or plastic box , single rod holdall maybe containing 2 rods , bank sticks and landing net pole then a keep net bag with landing net and all your bait and a bite to eat with maybe a flask of tea.
The right hand bank and now the anglers prepare for Cardiac Hill - look at the gear we carried
The CAR PARK
Back in the day we parked next to the barn.
Back row L - R
Tony Metcalfe - Dave Shipton - Ant Green - Phil Green - Pete Towle - Bill Webb - Dick Austin - Colin Saunders? - Joe Green - Jim Winkless - ? - ? - ? - ? - Graham Walis
Front Row L - R
Martin Garrod - Tony Potter - John Wilson - ? - ? - Paul Graves? - Greg Gammage - Wayne Gammage
RIP Phil Green and Dad Joe Green , Graham Walis and Greg Gammage that i know of.
I believe the first year we started with 16 anglers that soon became 23 anglers in its first year. Membership doubled the year after. As the years went by through the late 70's and through the 80's the river fishing was a huge apprenticeship for many anglers like myself where i learned the art of stick float fishing . It was rare to see a waggler fished or even a feeder rod. It was in the 80's that i started to use a 6m whip. Into the late 80's and 90's poles started to appear.
I am unsure about the exact year the club gave up the section of the Soar as i was contracting work away in Sweden. I believe it was that period the club relinquished the water as river fishing became less inviting with the increase of commercial water fishing plus the club had its own still waters with Carp .
It was in the 90s that the GAC acquired the river section to the right and an alternative access happened . The owners name escapes me but he did have a small lake that we were able to fish for a couple of years. There was controversy as the former LEICESTER AMALGAMATED use to control this section but since the club in theory was not around anymore then a trust controlled it. But the owner of that field (containing the famous sewerage outlet ) allowed us to take the stretch on and dismissed the LEICESTER AMALGAMATED as they never paid rent but then we did !
Courtesy of George Pratt who was the Match Secretary to use his recent pictures from a recent 50th Aniversary of Greenhill AC
Look at the admission and payouts prices and that was in 1995
The seasons winners on all the matches
I notice my two daughters gained 10th and 11th positions that year .
I first met Mick in a drawing office at GEC / AEI Elliot Automation back in 1971 . I was assigned to the Printed circuit board section which included Mick as well as Alan Sayers and James Winkless in a team of about 10 engineers . The next 3 years made me as I grew up with these great people who taught me many things as well as match fishing . We also shared many social evenings like Birthday and Christmas party’s . I actually sometimes was the disco for those evenings .
During my time at GEC we fished many times on the Nene and Trent in practice for the Nationals . I remember one time we fished Dunham Bridge and I knew nothing about this water and nobody told me anything ! Well . on this day we practiced and I was placed end peg downstream . It was about half way through the match with a down stream heavy wind that I had kept my back to the conditions but as I tried to keep a float steady in the water I was literally washed away by a trail wave from a boat . My gear on the bank got swept away with most of my bait much to the enjoyment of others !
That was part of the fun , Mick said .
When I left GEC I went contracting elsewhere but still kept in contact with them and they all joined the GREENHILL AC who at the time had 150 yard bank at Rothley which was regularly fished by all . We also had a fishery at Thurlaston which then had Carp which in the early 80’s was the new thing in angling . Again Mick became a master of the lake and won many yearly trophies repeatedly .
During the 80’s and 90’ Mick fished the Trent with Alan Sayers in a few organized GAC matches but in the mid 90’s we had 6 teams of 6 in the mighty Courtaulds championships which were held on the Cuttlebrooke , Barrow Village , Metal Works Lane , John Thompson , Stumps , Power station . There Mick gained notable section wins and I was captain of the team that won it twice in 6 years , with two of our other teams winning outright also.
As the years grew on Mick he fished less which was sad but I never stopped trying to keep in contact with him. He became a LCFC season ticket holder and we met for the last time in 2014 as I attended the match for a rare time . We still maintained contact through Email and kept in touch through my Blog so we were never far away.
Recently very good friend Alan Sayers had contacted me about Mick leaving us , I was distraught as straight the way I just thought of the good times and I can never handle sadness as I just allow my emotions to flood out .
Mick was just your typical great mate , he was kind , thoughtful and enjoyed a laugh (I used to impersonate Norman Wisdom ) and I cracked him up many times. Mick and Maureen are beautiful people , Mick has not gone he is just in the next room . xxxxxxx
Roy Harris
Gary Woods
MOAT
Great days catching Tench Roach Rudd Chub Ide and odd Carp
Every year a AGM and Trophy presentation with some sponsorship from MIDLANDS ANGLING SUPPLIES - in the 80/90/2000 there used to be loads more attending and i believe one year it reached 98 !
