started fishing when l was six with a bit line a hook and some silver paper from a tab packet had my first fish from pilot jetty steps coaly l lived at the law top south shields then we shifted to simonside were a kind old bloke give me my fisrt fishing rod and old wooden reel something like an alvi then got in with a few lads in the erea who went fishing first trip out with then l caught a 7lb cod bigest smile you ever did see the lads used to go to woolworths for there fishing gear and seem to be coming out with a lot more than they paid for after while one day they went in to woolworths came out and said here a prezzy it was my first mutiplyer of cause they didnt pay for it at the time l wasnt bothered l was one of the lads l remember making spoon wieghts thats all we ever used or spark plugs tights filled with sand and big nuts and bolts and we would chip in for a big bottle of pop get mam to make jam sarnies and biscuts thats it off for the day to velva or the pier all these years later still hitting the same old spots and never stoped enjoying it wish you could turn back time love every minute of it :red: