Des Taylor v **** Walker....

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Barrie Rickards make an interesting observation by comparing Taylor with Walker. Knowing Des, one thing I will say is that he has tremendous admiration for Walker and I am sure he would appreciate the old saying "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants".

Certainly Barrie has a point when he suggests that Des has broader angling experience than Walker ever had. For example Walker was never a sea angler and never in his life left the shores of Great Britain.

The other major difference is that Des makes his living out of angling, and because of this most likely has a lot more time to go fishing than Walker never did.

But how can one compare the two of them?

Men of their time?

 

[Merv Harrison]

**** Walker was an angling innovator who moved the barriers forward, Des Taylor is an angler !!!.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Very very true Merv.

Walker's other legacy was that he made anglers think.

But he wasn't right all the time. Neither is Des.

 

[Richard Wilson 3]

If i could go back in time Ron and had a choice who to fish with, either Walker or Taylor i would have to pick Walker. I would imagine **** Walker to be a facinating guy where as i would probably end up being bored in Taylors company.I dont no why its just the impression i get from reading Taylors articles.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

In many ways they are/were two totally different characters.

I have spent time with both and I must say on with reference to both people, the times spent have been stimulating and memorable.

But each in their own ways.

With Des, you have to be able to take the beer!

 

[blankety blank]

I spent a very happy evening last night re-reading some of my collection of "fisherman's handbook", a Marshall Cavendish weekly mag dating back to the 70s. I think I've got the whole set.

There was a terrific article in there by Walker on dapping for chub on rivers. I doubt Des Taylor (or many others for that matter)could have written this article in such an entertaining way. I think Walker is clearly the better writer.

As an aside, there was also a very interesting illustrated article about specimen bream fishing, written by "northener" Graham Marsen (their description not mine...)

Some cracking haircuts on display...

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

I have a lovely photo of our Graham holding not one, but two barbel on the front of an old "Coarse Fisherman".

He looks just like one of those Scouser pop stars!

Without wanting to make too many comparisons, especially in terms of educational qualifications, it must be pointed out that Walker was a product of a privilaged education. He went to private schools and Cambridge. His standard of English was impeccable!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

To compare DT with Richard Walker is, in my opinion, very flattering to Mr Taylor.

Walker was the innovator whilst Taylor started by simply following the trends, and then being controversial for the sake of it, e.g. his piece on Lady Anglers, and his Lets break the Closed Season Rules.

Walker held pride of place in AT for over Thiry Years, and certainly not a 'near the back page' author either, unlike Mr Taylor!
Maybe judgement should be with-held for about another 20 or so years?

When Walker was controversial it was to stimulate educated discussion or argument, with Mr. Taylor it seems to be more akin with attention seeking, or maybe even a case of nothing else to write about.

In many ways Ron I am so glad that you started this thread as I was going to do so last night, but decided to wait and see others' reactions first.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

And he was an only child. Maybe that says something.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

By the way Peter, old **** had a few words to say about lady anglers too. This I am sure was in the days before he married Patricia Marston.

He didn't want women flitting around the bank like "Butterflies in primary colours", or words to that effect.

And although **** liked the idea of a closed season for coarse fish, he thought the dates were all wrong.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Ron,

I don't doubt Walker's comments on lady anglers or the closed season. The one thing that Walker appeared never to be short of was an opinion ;-)

I just have a real problem with Barrie Rickards making that comparison with Mr. Taylor, thats all.

As I said, maybe the time to think about comparing Richard Walker with Mr. Taylor is in about another 20 years time.

After all, lets compare like with like.

 

[Richard Wilson 3]

Its a shame the angling press at the moment want to to take ordinary people of other sports and try and force feed us all that they are great anglers. ( Jimmy Boulviard and Dean Macey). Ive no doubt they are good anglers but there are better ones out there who we probably all no but seek no publicity.It seems to easy nowadays to become famous in angling without doing much.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

There are many truly brilliant anglers about who have hardly ever put a pen to paper and have never bothered reporting their catches.

I can think of two already - Laurie Manns and Cyril Inwood.

 

[Graham Whatmore]

Peter I think you are being a bit hard on old Des. Okay so he is no Richard Walker as regards the printed word but he is a good angler and a very experienced one nevertheless and you must know what they say about believing what they say in papers. Des writes for effect, probably because the paper encourages it but that is nothing to do with Des as a person. He is a black country man with a black country forthrighness about him but a nice guy for all that and very approachable, I reckon he and Walker would have got on quite well.

As for comparisons, two different people from two different worlds but both have a love of angling in common and that is a powerful bond.

 

[BAZ (Angel of the North)]

Ron says;
With Des, you have to be able to take the beer!

what do you have to be able to take if you are with Walker?

Ed??????

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Des and **** did get on very well Graham.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Consider the backgrounds of both Des and ****.

Walker:

A typical Tory upbringing having both land owners and farmers as ancestors. Private schools, Cambridge University - war service as a radar engineer, became a board member of Lloyds & Co in 1954, was General Manager and Technical Director on retirement.

Taylor:

Raised on a council house estate near Dudley in The Black Country and went to a seconary modern school. Became a pipe fitter. Has no formal educational qualification.

Des hasn't done bad at all considering his background.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Oh and I forgot to mention but Walker's parents had very close connections to royalty!

 

[Graham Whatmore]

I never knew they came from Christchurch, eck!

 

[GrahamM]

Des will be pleased he's been compared to Walker but I wouldn't mind betting he fully realises the comparison is ludicrous.

That's no disrespect to Des, because he's a good angler and even better company, but Walker was a giant in angling and, in my view, incomparable.