Obituary Death of a Countryman Ivan Scott Duxbury 1940-2006

Throughout my life I have been very fortunate to have met and fished with some great men and ladies. An equal was Ivan Scott Duxbury the river keeper on the Edisford Hall Fisheries who sadly passed away on Tuesday 10th January 2006 Ivan was a countryman with immense knowledge of the aquatic and land based wildlife. He taught me and many others a lot about the rivers Ribble and Hodder.

Ivan stood alongside some of the great river keepers including those of the famous southern chalk streams such as the Test, Itchen and Kennet. You never heard Ivan say a bad word about anyone. Whenever I wanted him as guest on BBC Radio Five or BBC Radio Lancashire he would oblige with many sound words of advice for the listener. A true gentleman.

Ivan was born Brockholes Lancashire on 12 July 1940. Where from an early age he roamed the countryside, and like so many of us, he started off fishing with a small net and jam jar, progressing to rod and line.Then followed ferreting, shooting and a dozen things a country boys did.

Ivan was certainly a very knowledgeable countryman, fly dresser and stick maker. In his roll of river keeper for the Edisford Hall Estate Fishery, he encouraged many people to take up the sport of fly fishing including local children. Many of those youngsters are now adults members of the syndicate.

His cremation in Preston and the wake in the Aspinal Arms was packed with family and friends from the world of angling. Everyone had a story to tell about, this very popular country man and character who will be sadly missed, not just by those of Lancashire but countrywide, including the United States where Ivan had many admirers.

There have been many days when I have been trying to catch a wily old trout, but every time the fly passed over its head, it was ignored. Ivan would turn up "Any luck lad" "No Ivan I've got this trout and it want take anything" He would then give me a non descript fly. Often on the first cast the fish would eat it. Yes Ivan was one of the great river keepers and certainly a great character Rest in peace, dear friend