AFTER a short illness local angler Brian Orchard passed away recently at the age of 82 years, writes PETE HOWES.

Brian moved to Basingstoke from West London in the mid 1960s when after a time fishing

for various clubs he joined the town’s top club the now defunct Basingstoke AC.

His match fishing flourished, as he now had access to the Reading and District AA events that regularly catered for three to four hundred anglers on a monthly basis, attracting many top anglers.

Brian won several of these matches including the prestigious annual championships more than once.

When the Western Fuels sponsored match team formed, captained by the late great Barney Barrington.

I was lucky enough to be selected alongside Brian for the final of the Captain Morgan Cup on the River Bann in Northern Ireland.

We were up against England internationals in the various teams, Brian looked around, winked at a nervous me and said: “they don’t look that good to me me old mate.”

Brian much to the chagrin of his team captain would listen intently to team tactics an then completely ignore them, but he still did the business.

Rest in peace Brian local matches will be poorer without you.

Brian is survived by his wife Anne, daughter Nicola and son Paul.

His funeral is on Friday, June 14 at 1.15pm at the Basingstoke Crematorium.