Walker was Wrong

Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 21, 2001
Messages
31,029
Reaction score
12,199
Location
In God's County: Wiltshire
Another enjoyable and knowledgeable piece Mark, albeit heretical.

So, I'm building the bonfire out of old split cane rods and Ron's bringing the matches - can you be at my place for, say 8.30PM?

;-)

;-)

;-)
 
J

John McLaren

Guest
I guess if FM had been around we may have seen threads to rival Mr Angry and successors! Although I don't recall things getting so personal and nasty.
 
W

Wolfman Woody

Guest
" He was no demi-god "

Never mind waiting for Ron, Peter, it'll take him too long to get down from Rotherham in the Saxo-rocket. I'll bring the matches and the petrol! Fetch the witchhunter pursuivant, the sooner this devil-writer (?) is burnt and rid of the better. As you say, a heretic indeed.

Any chance of a barbeque whilst we're at your place? I'll bring the beers.
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

Guest
It's important to understand Walker's psyche here.

Of course he was wrong on many occasions. He was wrong about bolt rigs. He was wrong about chub tackle, except for his beloved Upper Ouse where nothing less than 6 lbs will land the fish in a mass of lily roots and rushes.

What Walker was trying to do on many occasions was to get people to think. He often slipped in the odd comment that would be sure to start a controversy.

For example he fished the early reservoirs with Arthur Cove on many occasions. Now Arthur used peach coloured fly lines, leaders up to 20 feet long and three flies.

Walker deprecated peach coloured lines and multi-fly leaders on more occasions than I can remember

Walker wrote on many occasions that using this sort of tackle was beyond the skills of the average angler. And that no-one would ever achieve the great skill levels of Arthur Cove.

That was because Walker himself could never reach those levels!

Walker certainly was wrong on many occasions. But I guess, knowing him, that it didn't worry him too much. He was the supreme catalyst between much conflicting angling opinion that made modern angling what is is today.
 
Graham Whatmore

Graham Whatmore

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2003
Messages
9,147
Reaction score
9
Location
Lydney, in the Forest of Dean
Another good article Mark and if you think about it, those very same arguments still go on today, matchman versus specimen hunter, match tackle versus specimen tackle, not to mention tactics though there is a bit of convergence.

The trouble with being such a prolific writer as Walker was, he can only relate his experiences, preferences and ideas and though very far seeing, as he was, it wasn't every anglers idea of what was the best. Some of todays anglers have just as much knowledge as Walker had and some maybe more but he was certainly a very good all round, thinking angler and able to convey this to his readers.
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

Guest
One thing that influenced Walker greatly was the comments on an article he submitted to the Fishing Gazette before WW2

The editor at the time noted certain comments from Walker and wrote back telling hime to re-write the article again and never to offer any opinions outside his own experience.

Walker never forgot that.

He was also only one man who worked 5 days a week as Technical Director for Lloyds of Letchworth, He only had odd summer evenings and occasional weekends in which to fish. In those days you were lucky indeed to get 2 weeks holiday.

Walker also detested travelling, especially to go fishing. The vast majority of his fishing took place within 20 miles radius of his Hitchin Home. The vast majority of his experiences took place on waters in this vicinity.

I think it can be said that Walker never ever fished the Trent in his life, in fact you could count on one hand the days he ever spent north of the Trent. In later years he did spend a great deal of time on the Hant's Avon and the Test.

And I do think that **** never ever left the shores of Great Britain in the whole of his life. The idea of flying he NEVER entertained.
 
W

Wolfman Woody

Guest
Going to a serious part of Mark's (cast out the devil) article though and when we first moved down here I used to take no.1 son fishing on the local Rye. It's a stream cut out almost like a canal, crystal clear, and we could only fish at one end and on one side of that. Still can, but it had some lovely tench in it.

However, only way to catch them was with a float (legers were banned for fear of hitting people on the path opposite) and that on a 6lbs minimum line strength. No groundbait (still a rule) either. The roach would have none of the 6lb line, just too thick.

It was fairly wide and required very large heavy wagglers to get near the other side wher the fish were, stupid really because the public walked on that side. Now with, as Mark says, newer thinner and softer lines, wide spools on reels, carbon rods, and much better designed floats it's dead easy. You can almost get a floating pole across it now.
 
F

Fishing Gimp

Active member
Joined
Feb 3, 2005
Messages
40
Reaction score
0
Location
Matron's Home for Bewildered Gentlefolk.
Ron, he also spent some time at Avington which is where I met him on the odd occasion.

With regard to fly fishing I can vouch for the fact that he practiced what he preached in that he only used one fly at a time on a leader never exceding 12ft. He also ambushed the trout by hiding amongst the rushes and dropping his fly in front of the fish only when one passed by close in. This was because his casting was workmanlike but not elegant. But he still caught his share of the spooky Avington Rainbows by pure guile; a lesson I never forget because my casting could best be described as adequate. I now catch most of my fish by sneaking up on them just as he did!
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

Guest
I had a letter from **** telling me of his 18 1/4 pounder from Avington. He caught it on a short orange partridge and at the time it was the largest rainbow ever caught on rod and line in Britian. But **** never claimed any record knowing full well that the fish had beed reared artificially on pellets.

Even today on quite large waters I like to sit quietly with the line out waiting for something to cast to.

Peter Cockwill catches a lot of his big trout this way too.

**** was more of a casting artisan than a casting artist, to use Bob Church's words.

But he could chuck a line when he wanted to.
 
F

Fishing Gimp

Active member
Joined
Feb 3, 2005
Messages
40
Reaction score
0
Location
Matron's Home for Bewildered Gentlefolk.
Ron, I would agree with your comments regarding **** Walker and it was for the style of fishing he adopted at Avington that he developed the Chomper.

I know Peter Cockwill, our pathes have crossed a number of times over the years, and I would say that he is probably one of the very best small stillwater trout anglers I have ever seen... he's not bad on rivers either.

When he gets bored with the trout he goes to a local Carp water and catches a few on his 'chum mixer'fly; much to the annoyance of the bivvy boys.
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

Guest
Good old Peter.

I first met him in South Africa-1990 I think. He came over as guest of the Federation of South African Fly Fishers (FOSAF) together with Lee and Joan Wulff, Taffy Price, Gary la Fontein and Donald Downs.

I do keep in touch with him and have purchased a few items from his shop.

He used to wear a hat far worse than my effort. He's from Devon originally I think.

It wasn't long after this visit that Lee Wulff died in a plane crash.

He was a great person - very helpful.
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

Guest
One aspect of **** Walker's life that few will understand is how little carp fishing he actually did. Most of his time he spent fly fishing for the trout in local Hertfordshire streams. Prior to fishing Benniworth (Woldale) and Bernithen (Redmire) virtually all his carp fishing was confined to two small lakes within easy bike ride of his home.

However he caught many carp from these waters most of them many times over I guess.

It was only through meeting Watkins Pitchford and Maurice Ingham than he really got interested in catching big ones. This led to the discovery of Redmire of course. And the rest is angling history.

And after catching the record, plus another over 30 lbs, Walker virtually gave up carp fishing. He totally lost interest in them.

He became far more interested in roach, chub and barbel in the 50s and early 60. And when the big reservoirs opened, he turned to still water trout fishing.

The truth of the matter is that Walker spent more of his angling life with a fly rod in his hand than with any other method.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 21, 2001
Messages
31,029
Reaction score
12,199
Location
In God's County: Wiltshire
The correspondence between Walker and Ingham in 'Drop Me A Line' gives a valuable insight to Richard Walker.

His methodical and inovative mind is very evident as he and Ingham struggle with problems that most other anglers of that era didn't even identify, yet alone adress their solutions.

I think it also demonstrates how generous Walker was with both his time and his inventions and modifications.

If anyone is looking for a really good read, then get your hands on a copy. The first time I picked it up was on a fishing break many years ago - and I didn't put it down until it was finished.

I have been very fortunate to have met and fished with some of the very best anglers from England, France, Scandinavia and Italy, but, without any disrespect to any of them, I'd have swaped all of that for just one meeting with Richard Walker.
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

Guest
Yes Peter, "Drop Me A Line" is one of the greatest angling books ever written. It was of course never intended to be written. It was just a compilation of the letters that passed between Walker and Ingham as a result of an article published in Fishing Gazette by Walker under his pen-name at the time which was "Water Rail".

As far as I know, that article was the first Walker had ever written on the subject of carp fishing. It was so far ahead of it's time it attracted all sorts of comments, some of them very derogatory.

And when many of the readers found out that Walker was only a 30 year old whippersnapper when he wrote it, it caused even more furore.

But Maurice Ingham, who was only in his late 20s at the time, was fascinated by the article. He wrote to Walker c/o Fishing Gazette and thereafter came a series of letters between the two that changed the course of angling history.

Ingham of course provided the ideal foil for Walker's intellect and enthusiasm. In the book we learn how to build rods, how to catch not only carp but many other species of fish. And we also learn all about entomology and how to tie flies.

Any angler who has never read this book should do so. Very little is really dated and it provides the perfect insight into the mind of the greatest angling writer and innovator who has ever lived.

But remember one thing about Walker. He was human.
 
J

Jim Gibbinson

New member
Joined
Sep 13, 2004
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
I am grateful that I was one of the generation of anglers who was "brought up on Walker." Yes, he could be arrogant, he wasn't beyond "borrowing" others' ideas and failing to give credit, but he was innovative, charming and generous with his time.

Of course he was sometimes wrong - rather more than "sometimes", actually - but he was without doubt the most influential UK angler of all time.

My admiration for **** Walker was, and remains, unbounded.
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

Guest
I remember Jim quite clearly of a piece by Walker in the Magazine - "Angling", where he tore apart a recent article on perch fishing, written by a top Polish Angler.

And by crikey did he tear into him.

I always thought that **** could be very arrogant, but only ever in print. He also had numerous set-toos with Geoff Bucknall on all sorts of topics. But away from the printed word, Walker was a great personal friend of Bucknall.

Both Peter Stone and Fred Taylor had to endure the most terrible piss taking from Walker when they were in his presence.

And to see Walker, truly in his element, propping up a bar with a couple of G&Ts under his belt embroidering his debate with the most unparliamentry language you can imagine; and in the presence of ladies, was an experience you will never forget.
 
Mark Wintle

Mark Wintle

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2002
Messages
4,479
Reaction score
841
Location
Azide the Stour
By luck I found two of the articles by Tadeusz Andrzejczyk in Angling Oct 71 and Feb 72, and sandwiching them Walker's article in Dec 71. Walker gives TA a hard time alright though TA does explain in his second article why his lakes were different, mainly in size, and did clarify some points. Whether Walker responded to the second article I don't know because I have a gap in '72 of several months. Any offers to help me fill the gaps gratefully received!

Ron,
I thought Walker's first carp fishing article was when he was still in his teens? ie in the thirties. The Courtney More articles "Angling" are in the thirties (I think that they are by Walker). I don't dispute that Walker was writing about carp in the early 50s in FG.
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)

Guest
I certainly would like to read any of Walker's very early articles. Maybe Barrie has managed to source a few for inclusion in his biography.

The two carp waters Walker fished from almost school days were Bearton Pond in Hitchin and another Lake he called "Temple Pool", also very close. There is a picture of that lake in the first edition of "Still Water Angling".

I'm glad you managed to get hold of Tad Andrzejczyk's articles Mark. They were about perch fishing on the Polish lakes if I remember.

T.A. (I am sparing my typing fingers - and Walker said something rather similar and uncomplementary about his name) wrote about catching perch in the huge Polish lakes where the conditions were completely different to those at Arlesley lake from where Walker and his friends had taken many big ones.

By the way, when I was last in Poland I went into the headquarters of the Polish National Angling Association in Warsaw. There were references to the great T.A in articles and photos on the walls.

Apparently T.A. was regarded as some sort of angling hero in Poland.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top