Fishing magazine writers of the past.

[The bad one]

My reading of mags goes back to the early 1970s, I've still got many of them stored in my office (back bedroom) who were your favourite writers of the past? I'll start it off with the first one, Chris Binyon. Chris hailed I seem to remember from the Midlands and wrote about his and his mates exploits and adventures fishing the River Severn mainly for pike. The fox that would come and steal the bacon from the frying pan and got named Bacon Chops or something like that. Not sure all his tails were true, but they were interesting and so funny it didn’t really matter.

Who were yours?

 

[108831]

I must admit to liking all round anglers,who wrote articles about what they were doing and targeting at the time,chub,bream,tench,barbel,roach,rudd and predators,just admired the variation of it,to be honest it doesn't seem to matter much these days.....

 

[The bad one]

Indeed the variation was great and I don't know about you ,but there were writers you went to first, as soon as the mag dropped through the door. Peter Stone, Nev fickling not everybody's cup of tea, but on Zander, only ever found one better Steve Younger. Then for the same area, Barrie Rickards, always made you think did Barrie even when you met him in person. Never forget the time he caught me doing some cramming for an exam in Ecology, sat in a corner at a NASA bash and said don't you find it, "Ecology," all very theoretical Phil? Was tempted to say no more than Geology Barrie, him being a professor in it and all that! But thought better of it!

 

[Steve King]

Peter Stone was a great angler and writer. I had the pleasure of meeting him once at TC Pit.

 

[Hugh Bailey]

Tony Miles always wrote good articles , and as mentioned Peter Stone was really good too.

 

[no-one in particular]

I have read some books by Peter Stone and I thought he was really good, knows a lot. I cannot remember any authors from my reading the mags and papers from a long time ago. Maybe the good ones should be revived, I expect they would still make interesting reading.

 

[xenon]

Used to enjoy Richard Wade in Coarse Angling, and Ron Lees (one for the teenagers there)

 

[108831]

There was a barbel angler who wrote a lot of articles with an eastern european surname,a builder by trade,always went on about using a gallon of casters and how everyone else should do that if they wanted to catch barbel,I used to like his articles,but sent a letter about the fact that not every angler can afford a gallon of casters for a days fishing,along with the fact not all venues fish well for barbel with them....

Loved Ron Lees,meat angler supreme...

 

[Keith M]

Richard Walker was the first Angler who’s articles and books I used to read avidly not only because he fished only a few miles from where I lived (and fished in some of the running waters that I did) but he also made a lot of sense to me.

Jim Gibbinson was another Angler who seemed to write well and make a lot of sense; NB: a good friend of mine used to fish with Jims brother Ricky back in the early 1970s.

Peter Stone and Barry Rickards were also Angling writers that I used to read avidly back in those days.

Keith

 

[S-Kippy]

There was a barbel angler who wrote a lot of articles with an eastern european surname,a builder by trade,always went on about using a gallon of casters and how everyone else should do that if they wanted to catch barbel,I used to like his articles,but sent a letter about the fact that not every angler can afford a gallon of casters for a days fishing,along with the fact not all venues fish well for barbel with them....

Loved Ron Lees,meat angler supreme...

That was Stef Horak I think.

I can't honestly say that there were any particular writers that I followed. I liked Jim Gibbinson's style and his approach to his fishing. Stoney was good and I liked Dave Steurt's writing too. I'm afraid a lot of the others,particularly the more recent ones' get up my nose somewhat.

 

[chevin4]

My reading of mags goes back to the early 1970s, I've still got many of them stored in my office (back bedroom) who were your favourite writers of the past? I'll start it off with the first one, Chris Binyon. Chris hailed I seem to remember from the Midlands and wrote about his and his mates exploits and adventures fishing the River Severn mainly for pike. The fox that would come and steal the bacon from the frying pan and got named Bacon Chops or something like that. Not sure all his tails were true, but they were interesting and so funny it didn’t really matter.

Who were yours?

Chris Binyon a blast from the past. I remember there was a T shirt doing the rounds circa 1978 with Put Binyon Back

My reading of mags goes back to the early 1970s, I've still got many of them stored in my office (back bedroom) who were your favourite writers of the past? I'll start it off with the first one, Chris Binyon. Chris hailed I seem to remember from the Midlands and wrote about his and his mates exploits and adventures fishing the River Severn mainly for pike. The fox that would come and steal the bacon from the frying pan and got named Bacon Chops or something like that. Not sure all his tails were true, but they were interesting and so funny it didn’t really matter.

Who were yours?

Chris Binyon a blast from the past. I remember some wag wearing a T Shirt "Put Binyon Back" written on the front. I believe this appeared in the Snide Rumours and Downright Lies feature in one of the magazines of the time

 

[Hugh Bailey]

There was a barbel angler who wrote a lot of articles with an eastern european surname,a builder by trade,always went on about using a gallon of casters and how everyone else should do that if they wanted to catch barbel,I used to like his articles,but sent a letter about the fact that not every angler can afford a gallon of casters for a days fishing,along with the fact not all venues fish well for barbel with them....

Loved Ron Lees,meat angler supreme...

I know exactly who you mean but can’t remember his name! Used to love his stuff !

Stef Horak - that’s him!

 

[xenon]

I know exactly who you mean but can’t remember his name! Used to love his stuff !

Stef Horak - that’s him!

His catch record speaks for itself, but as a writer, pedestrian, and that's being polite.

 

[Philip]

If I had to pick one then anything by Tony Miles was always good, he had a great way of getting a point across as part of an anecdotal account whether it be a quest for giant Perch, Chub, Barbel or whatever. I enjoyed all his articles and books.

Peter Stone wrote some really easy to read stuff too while Fred J Taylor wrote great reminisce pieces looking back at times gone by. Jim Gibbinson always had something interesting to say and could be very amusing too in a dry sort of way.

Another one I didnt read too often but always enjoyed was Alan Tomkins. His seris of articles on "Blackwater" in particular is brilliant.

Its easy to pick anglers from an older era for this sort of thing so heres a curve ball, & a more recent one, I suspect I will be alone on this - Keith Jenkins ! (who ? I hear some of you saying…) he has/had a very unique way of writing, it certainly wont be everyones cup of tea but it is different.

 

[The bad one]

Peter Stone was a great angler and writer. I had the pleasure of meeting him once at TC Pit.

Yes Peter was a really nice guy, always had a natter with him at the NASA bashes, but rarely about fishing. We both had a love of Speedway him Oxford me Belle Vue. John Sidley the man who did more for eels, their protection and eel fishing was an interesting read. I never met him but Tony Jolley a mate of mine new him quite well and would tell me stories of the obsession nature John went to to catch his big eels. John was also a very good river pike angler as well. David Carl Forbes was another good angler particularly for roach.

 

[Steve King]

If I had to pick one then anything by Tony Miles was always good, he had a great way of getting a point across as part of an anecdotal account whether it be a quest for giant Perch, Chub, Barbel or whatever. I enjoyed all his articles and books.

Peter Stone wrote some really easy to read stuff too while Fred J Taylor wrote great reminisce pieces looking back at times gone by. Jim Gibbinson always had something interesting to say and could be very amusing too in a dry sort of way.

Another one I didnt read too often but always enjoyed was Alan Tomkins. His seris of articles on "Blackwater" in particular is brilliant.

Its easy to pick anglers from an older era for this sort of thing so heres a curve ball, & a more recent one, I suspect I will be alone on this - Keith Jenkins ! (who ? I hear some of you saying…) he has/had a very unique way of writing, it certainly wont be everyones cup of tea but it is different.

Tony Miles wrote brilliant articles and books, I would have loved to have met him or (even better) had a day on the bank with him.

I was very sad to hear of his passing.

 

[108831]

I remembered Stef Horak whilst waiting for this to load ?

I loved Peter Stone,his confidence was infectious,but Tony Miles wrote brilliant articles,however upon reading a few of his books there is a hint of ruthless determination,which I personally find excessive,sadly having never met the man,it would be unfair to put that label on his character,that said we all have our own level of expectation,I have always tried my hardest to achieve the best I could,so was always keen to improve,particularly during my years match fishing,but after this in learning and tuning old and new techniques....

 

[chevin4]

Always enjoyed articles by Tony Miles Peter Stone FJ and Richard Walker. I always found Stefs articles amusing and enjoyed them more for the humour than the technical content.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Both Peter stone and Tony Miles were prolific writers but both tended to reuse the same material over and over again.

 

[The bad one]

Mark I think that's was quite common back in the day. I posted in the last month about somebody I know very well openly admitted he did that many times over with "resurrection articles."
BTW as you've come on and I know you were a match angler, which I'm not! I match fished in my teens but was just pool fodder. One match angler who's articles I enjoyed reading was the great Ivan Marks. His ability to charm fish out of a wet field was amazing.