Veteran match fisherman Arthur Jackson is in line for yet another title – that of being the oldest regular angler in the region.
At 95, he still coarse fishes up to twice a week and is pictured enjoying a morning’s sport at Far View Fishing Lakes, off Lee Lane, Cottingley , on Friday.
Retired police officer Steven Littlewood, who takes Mr Jackson on fishing trips, says he can still reel them in with the best of them.
“For a fellow of his age, he does remarkably well to catch anything, never mind the amount of fish that he gets,” he said.
Mr Jackson, who lives in Haworth , hails from Lancashire and began fishing in Foulridge Reservoir when he was a boy in 1927.
Brought up in Barrowford, he moved to Keighley to work as a farm labourer for many years before taking up a job as a stone waller with Yorkshire Water .
Mr Littlewood, who ran Keighley Police Angling Club, first met Mr Jackson when both were angling at a reservoir at Cullingworth .
Mr Littlewood asked Mr Jackson to join the club’s matches.
Their friendship was cemented when Mr Littlewood, then one of Haworth’s village police officers, began calling in regularly at the home of Mr Jackson and his wife Audrey for cups of tea on his beat.
In his heyday, Mr Jackson fished with well known Bradford anglers Billy Illingworth and Les Stanley.
“He outlived them all. Last week, we set off for a fishing trip at 6.30am and did not get back until 4.30pm – but he did say he was rather tired,” Mr Littlewood said. Mr Jackson, who was widowed 20 years ago, drove himself around in his three-wheeler car until two years ago.
He had “a funny turn” when he was underneath the car trying to mend a puncture.
Illness earlier this year forced him to take a break from angling but he is now back on his fishing box and looking forward to his 96th birthday in December.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article