Pike angling's all time greats?

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binka

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As I drove to the river the other morning on an unusually early 5am start I couldn’t help but notice how much heavier the dew was on the car and for the first time in months the thermometer was once again recording single figure outside temperatures.

Which in turn brought my thinking around to…

Pike!

With only a matter of weeks now before the predator season kicks off in earnest and the deadbaits see the light of day once again I pondered throughout that day’s session as to who the most successful pike angler of all time actually was?

I then decided it was slightly unfair with too many variables and too subjective so instead changed the question to who the most influential pike angler of all time might just be?

Still very subjective and so many big names over the years?

John Bailey and Martin Page’s Predator Becomes the Prey writings were hugely influential in my early days especially for their collective input by so many distinguished pike anglers.

Aside from that you have Fred Buller, Vic Bellars, John Watson, Ed Turner, Barrie Rickards, Gord Burton, Nige Williams and Mick Brown to name but a few and the list goes on and on.

But for me it has to be…

Nev Fickling.

Possibly because he was a very prominent figure during the early eighties when I began cutting my teeth (pardon the pun) with pike and very definitely for his long term record and intimate knowledge of the Broads system which was at the time a pike fishing mecca and something mythical to myself.

There was in fact a chapter in Bailey & Page's aforementioned book on Fickling and at the end of the interview there was a very atmospheric comment about Nev rowing away into the darkness back to his secluded Broadland swim (not verbatim) which to me also summed up his commitment.

As a teenager I’ll still never forget that picture in the Angling Times of that 41lb 6oz fish from the Thurne system…



So then, who’s your all time most influential pike angler and why?
 
thecrow

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binka said:
As I drove to the river the other morning on an unusually early 5am start I couldn’t help but notice how much heavier the dew was on the car and for the first time in months the thermometer was once again recording single figure outside temperatures.

Which in turn brought my thinking around to…

Pike!

With only a matter of weeks now before the predator season kicks off in earnest and the deadbaits see the light of day once again I pondered throughout that day’s session as to who the most successful pike angler of all time actually was?

I then decided it was slightly unfair with too many variables and too subjective so instead changed the question to who the most influential pike angler of all time might just be?

Still very subjective and so many big names over the years?

John Bailey and Martin Page’s Predator Becomes the Prey writings were hugely influential in my early days especially for their collective input by so many distinguished pike anglers.

Aside from that you have Fred Buller, Vic Bellars, John Watson, Ed Turner, Barrie Rickards, Gord Burton, Nige Williams and Mick Brown to name but a few and the list goes on and on.

But for me it has to be…

Nev Fickling.

Possibly because he was a very prominent figure during the early eighties when I began cutting my teeth (pardon the pun) with pike and very definitely for his long term record and intimate knowledge of the Broads system which was at the time a pike fishing mecca and something mythical to myself.

There was in fact a chapter in Bailey & Page's aforementioned book on Fickling and at the end of the interview there was a very atmospheric comment about Nev rowing away into the darkness back to his secluded Broadland swim (not verbatim) which to me also summed up his commitment.

As a teenager I’ll still never forget that picture in the Angling Times of that 41lb 6oz fish from the Thurne system…



So then, who’s your all time most influential pike angler and why?
Click to expand...






For me it has to be Barrie Rickards, why? because he was the thinker of Pike fishers. No not that thinker. and as far as I know he wasn't a stroke puller.

I have a friend that caught that 40 before Nev, only just and quiet a story went with it.
 
thecrow

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Not sure of what the record was at that time, I can if you like send you a pm with some details, I already have sent the story and more info to binka.
 
smudger172

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Getting back to the thread. My vote goes to NF. I met him once at llangdedf.....lllangdqxzq... That welsh ressie that holds the record and found him to be a proper gent. I have also fished with other so called super stars (no names mentioned) who would not give you the time of day..
 
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I think it should be a joint award - Barrie Rickards and Neville Fickling.

They did much to improve the techniques used when pike fishing. And since they were good communicators, their advice and opinions were readily available and influential.

They were (are) excellent writers, I've got a few books by Barrie Rickards. I also have a compilation on pike fishing by Bob Church in which Neville Fickling writes an informative chapter on bait fishing. I'd add that both have a wry sense of humour which makes their articles and books more appealing.
 
Titus

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I only knew them by reputation but the one I whose exploits I enjoyed the most was Gord, The piking pirate, Burton.

A scruffy individual, he came across as a bit of an eccentric maverick character who fished for the sake of the fishing and the personal satisfaction of simply catching.

Although he did do a bit of guiding I don't think personal gain was ever a consideration in his career, if it was his success as a fishing entrepreneur was in inversely proportional to his success as a pike angler.
 
hunters moon

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:):) binka what a good question~one to get the old grey matter turning, binka
I think like you I would put nev on the top of my list but I would also have to-
include paul Gustafson, Stephen harper, james Holgate, bill palmer, barrie rickards, and john sidley.

....I have fished through fishless days that I remember happily without regret.
....Roderick haig-brown.
 
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mick b

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For the sheer act of catching and preserving BIG Pike, none of those mentioned in the first post come close to the few who prefer to keep the light well and truly under a bushel.

For research it has to be Fred Buller, his 'book of dreams' is a classic that will forever continue to enthuse all anglers who read it.

For his exploits and inventive ideas I would vote Alex Jardine, even if, as seems likely, his scales were a little 'off'.

For their book of modern thoughts and ideas on lure fishing, Rickards and Webb lead the bunch of teenagers by a country mile.

For their sheer determination in trying to catch big Pike previously caught by others, you can take your pick from the hundreds of fish chasers.
........


To all Pike anglers who never seek to publicise their catches I thank you.


------ ~ >'))))={

.
 
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