Transient Towpath Trudging - Pt.86 (Canal Zander)

Now recently Henley-in-Arden Railway Station reopened with a new brewery and community bar. Yes you heard right, a new pub actually opening, not closing which seems to be the norm over the last number of years, and it's nice having a bar in a local railway station that seems to be the norm in London.

Having been empty since the 1990's, Friends of Henley Railway Station (FHRS) has spent the past few years working to take over the building and bring it back into use, and if you look at the above facebook link you will see what a great space it now is.

The group, which started life tending to the flowers and planting on the platform, first started negotiating for the lease from Network Rail in 2020, before being granted planning permission for the project last year.

Funding was secured for a variety of sources, including £250,000 from the Department for Transport and £150,000 from the Railway Heritage Trust.

A great thing about it is that the building has space for the The Henley Mile Brewery which is being run by local brewers, with their products being served in the bar alongside other local beers, local wines, soft drinks and snacks. I took this picture from the bar side so and it doesn't really show the space off that well to be honest, it's far bigger than it look in this picture, but yeah a microbrewery. 👌

All income and profits from the bar and community space will be invested back into the building, facilities and station area and we've visited it a few times since launch where 'Twice Hung' was gone in a few days when it first opened over the weekend and that was something like 700 pints apparently.😀 There was some in last Saturday and what a nice pint it is too, a proper beer !!!

( Copied from the brewery page ) William Booth was born at Hall End Farm in Beaudesert in 1776.

Booth was accused of murdering his brother John while revisiting Hall End on 19 February 1808, but was acquitted for lack of evidence. 

After the Napoleonic Wars, Booth converted the top floor of his farmhouse into a fortified workshop where he produced forgeries of banknotes, coins, and other material of monetary value.

Once his activities came to light, he was arrested, charged and found guilty on all counts and sentenced to hang. Booth's public execution in 1812 was bungled, and he fell through the scaffolds' trap door to the floor. 

Within two hours, he was hanged again and died. He is buried in St Mary Church in Handsworth, but following a change of county boundary, his body was disinterred and reburied.

He was ’Twice tried, twice hung, and twice buried.

Imagine if you were a shoplifter back then, you certainly wouldn't get away with a slap on the wrist or scott-free like you would do now, to the pillory forthwith. A significant haul and being caught red-handed, the hangman's noose I would suggest. Did you know the last hanging in the UK was in 1964 ? well you do now. 

Talking of supermarkets I was in Morrisons in Coventry the other day and someone (Mae I assume) had taken pride in displaying the carp they had for sale. £14.99 a KG apparently, you can see they are stolen for the table and the reason why the otters are not queing up in your local supermarket with their wallets out. Pricey that is isn't it, there are far easier ways to come by carp if that is your thing !! 👀

Which is why with itchy feet with the like-minded fishing whilst I was working I fancied a most convenient area to try and catch a canal Zander, because there are carp here too, well from time to time. I'd not seen them for ages however with the weather mild (15.6 degrees as I type this) I fancied seeing if I could catch a Zander but also to see if I could spot any carp milling about.

Only a couple of hours but enough time to try and winkle out a fish or two along this usually thick section of cover. They tend to mingle up here ready for spawning time come at the sounding of the air horn but that is a little way off I suggest. 

Zander spawn in spring, typically April to June, when water temperatures are above 12ºC. I'd measure the temp anyway when I remember because I didn't today, it would be rude not to, but I don't think it is quite there yet. But you never know especially when this canal is shallower. 

Anyway 3 fish caught in two hours roving sections of cover with the best going 5lb and 8oz, a lovely long fish that had plenty of time to develop and get bigger. I missed a few bites as well with fish dropping off and one swim was the height of activity. Anyway not rocket science this canal zander lark but it helps I've countless hours and hours walking miles miles and miles of towpath.

Those decent areas will always remain on my radar because of that and this areas is one of those. It is not for the lazy catching the larger specimens and in my experience >5lb is a decent fish, so a good result considering I was 50 / 50 in even going fishing.