Sticklebacks to Throwing Sticks by Tom Bankes
Many of you wont know the name Tom Banks but he has been around the Big Carp scene for many years.
Tom has run a number of syndicates in the UK over the last thirty years which has led on to even acquiring a few, and is the current owner of ‘Savay lake’ in the Colne Valley. He has written about this venue and several other old school venues, it should be a cracking read.
The first book, ‘Sticklebacks to Throwing Sticks’ is not species-dedicated; instead, it includes all varieties and methods, beginning with fishing for trout, pole fishing for roach on the canal, finding gravel pit tench, a chapter on pike (which is nearly as big as the Dowdeswell pike itself), along with other experiences at Sparsholt College, working on trout farms and employment in tackle shops. Throughout this time, one species always manages to elude my best efforts by only ever remaining a distant sighting, and this is the carp. The impossibility of ever capturing this majestic creature was when the obsession set in, and a real love for carp fishing was found. This inspired travels to reservoirs in the South-West, fishing syndicate venues in the Cotswolds, floater-fishing on battered club pits, failing massively on vast, windswept gravel pits, a taste of how hard Yateley – the Yateley – could be, before finally finding the path to Savay Lake in North-West London’s Colne Valley. Here, a thirty-year relationship began with a venue whose stories continue throughout all three titles.
Following this brief insight, if you do decide to read my story, I hope that you will find plenty of interest, enthusiasm and inspiration within its pages. All the best – Tom Bankes.
