Bernard Venables passed away peacefully yesterday following ashort illness. He was 94.
Bernard was a founder and editor of Angling Times but is bestknown for his cartoon character Mr Crabtree, a book that inspiredthousands of young and older anglers alike to take up fishing and tocontinue to enjoy it.
Mr Crabtree Goes Fishing was first serialised in the Daily Mirrorand then published in book form in 1953 by that newspaper. It costjust five shillings – 25 pence in today’s money. It sold over 2million copies and a new edition is still selling today.
The adventures of Mr Crabtree and his disciple Jim took place notlong after World War 2, where the pair went on idyllic adventures andnever failed to catch the fish of all our dreams.
Bernard Venables was as accomplished at sketching and painting ashe was at writing and was still contributing to Waterlog magazineright up to the time of his death. As well as Mr Crabtree he was theauthor of 19 books.
In 1994 a book ‘Red Letter Days’ (Crowood Press), in which thisauthor was delighted to contribute, was published and dedicated toBernard as a mark of gratitude and respect for what he had done forangling. All the royalties went to Bernard who had fallen on hardtimes. The book is a compilation of stories about some of the bestday’s fishing some of the country’s best known anglers have enjoyed.It was a fitting tribute to an angling legend.
He will be sadly missed by all anglers, but particularly by thatgeneration of anglers who were greatly influenced by his character,work and philosophy.
