The London Specimen Hunters Club was one of the
earliest specimen hunting groups founded by Peter Butler in 1954.
The London Specimen Hunter Groups was one of the first of such groups ever formed.
Members:-
Ken Stabler
Pete Ivory
Tony Galloway
Ken Galloway
Peter Green
Herbie Green
Peter Putler
Ernie Kaine
Dave Wilson
Peter Grundle
Dick Brown
Peter Mead
Ray Taylor
Ray Taylor was the last member to join the London Specimen Hunter Group
And said that The London Specimen Hunters Group Meetings were held in Green Lanes, Wood Green and he thinks they were in a pub called the Green Dragon.
Len Arbery added:-
I met Peter Mead & Herbie Green when we were fishing Wrasbury 1 at the same time. This would have been around the mid-1960's. The late Bill Quinlan once told me that members of the London SHG. also fished the Throop and Royalty fisheries at Christchurch on a fairly regular basis around this time, too.
​Mark Byfield wrote:-
When I was a boy and mad keen on fishing, my dad thrilled me with the stories of his friend Pete Mead. After work on Friday, he used to pack his car and head off for Penton Hook on the Thames to fish for barbel for the whole weekend, returning to work on Monday covered in mud with stories of monster barbel and of course always the one that got away! My dad said he was a barbel fanatic!
Between the two of them they made a landing net for Pete out of a 26 inch wheel rim from an old bike that Pete had found. (They were both welders for the same firm in Peckham)
Pete had his own swim at Penton Hook that he made using long lengths of heavy angle iron, driving it deep into the bank, I think some of it may still there today?
It must be near the weir l because he used to talk to my dad of the big barbel that he caught in the fast waters of that part of the river.
My dad never did fish with him and nor did I. I have never met him and I’ve never seen a photograph of him but I really would like to see one just to put a face to a name that was so familiar to me when I was a boy.
My mum who is 83 now met him on a couple of occasions, I would think if Pete was still alive now it would be at least 93, but sadly he died a good few years ago.
The Angling Heritage
archive contains a few letters between Peter Butler of the LSHG and Charles Kirkham of the
Bucks Specimen Hunters group. This was in 1965 and also included letters about
forming what turned out to be the National Association of Specimen Groups
(NASG) of which both groups became founder members. There are also about 30
photographs donated by Peter Butler of the members and some of their impressive
catches of fish from roach to crucian carp.
We would welcome more information as always, but you are welcome to view the archive by contacting us through the website.