Editor’s Note:

My plan was for the next newsletter to come out in March, however there has been so much going on within the Barbel Society that we felt a February newsletter was appropriate to keep everyone up to date and well informed.

Andy Degville

Marsh Pratley

It’s both sad and good news regarding Marsh. Those of you who watched ‘Des Taylor Live’ last week, 9th Feb, will be aware of the very sad turn in health of Marsh Pratley. The Society has great pleasure in announcing the news that Marsh Pratley has accepted our invitation to become an Honorary Vice President. Marsh is very well known in the angling world, especially among carp anglers as he is the owner of Orchid Lakes in Oxford. Prior to that Marsh was one of the leading all round specimen anglers in the country and when the Barbel Society was formed Marsh was the General Secretary of the National Association of Specialist Anglers ( NASA). Marsh played an integral part in the early days of the Society and has remained a firm supporter ever since. It was Marsh who brought Peter Stone to the meeting where the Society was formed and there is no doubt that Peter’s presence was a key reason for the success of the Barbel Society and we will forever owe a debt of thanks to Marsh. He joins an illustrious list of names and we are extremely proud and honoured to include Marsh alongside them.

Through recent contact with Marsh he has requested that we auction, on his behalf, his ‘Fred Crouch Barbel Perfection’ split cane rod. Unused, this is number one, of a limited edition of 25 rods, complete with certificate of authenticity signed by Fred […]