Ray Webb

  • Thread starter Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)
  • Start date
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

Guest
One of the reasons I was a bit narked about the Angling Times list of legends was that Ray Webb was not mentioned.

Of anyone in this country who should be on or near the top as an angling legend it should be Ray Webb!

That man was totally unique, and yes his remarkable story is well worth telling.

I feel privilaged that I was one of the few people in this country who really knew him, who fished with him and even lived on the bank with him.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 21, 2001
Messages
31,037
Reaction score
12,219
Location
In God's County: Wiltshire
Ron,

I never got to meet Ray Webb although I've read a fair bit about him, but I wonder if he was really so much of a 'fishing legend' or not more accurately just a very charasmatic and unique character?

I certainly mean no disrespect to Ray, or those who knew him, but simply pose the question.
 
P

paul williams 2

Guest
Peter,
I think you make a very valid point.....but what is a ledgend?....the recent angling times for instance gave us a list of anglers who are well known, not imo legdends.

I have been lucky enough to meet people who have been classed as ledgends in their field and you term "unique character" applies to all of them and personally i believe that is the main ingredient.

All "legdends" have another thing in common imho they are ordinary folk who do extraordinary things........some of their "ordinary" livestyles may clash with our thoughts on "Ledgend" status?
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

Guest
Let's look and the definition of "Legend".

It is a narrative of human actions that are percieved both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that cause people to suspend disbelief. But includes no happenings outside the realm of possibilty.

So in effect no person can be a legend. However he or she can be legendary.

Quite right Brummie, legendary people do extraordinary things. However Ray Webb was not ordinary! He was indeed extremely extraordinary. Anyone who knew him will vouch for that.
 
F

Fred Bonney

Guest
That's the trouble Ron,nobody ever met him!

Well,certainly not Angling times readers,or me.
 
M

Merv Harrison

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2003
Messages
9,979
Reaction score
8
Location
East Yorkshire
By a strange coincidence, the other day, I was in the office going through back issues of Coarse Fisherman, and there was a Profile of Ray Webb by David Hall, (June 1977), the interview took place at the Oxfordshire hospital where he was receiving treatment.

Very very sad, moving, but funny article.

Ron, if you email me your address, i'll send the magazine on to you, would presume you would have been 'out of the Country' at that time.
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

Guest
Will do Merv.

"That's the trouble Ron, nobody ever met him."

I can assure you that many of Britain's most well known and influential anglers met and knew Ray Webb!
 
Graham Whatmore

Graham Whatmore

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2003
Messages
9,147
Reaction score
9
Location
Lydney, in the Forest of Dean
Is a 'character' a legend or vice versa , hmmm, I don't know the answer to that, I suspect a 'legend' in fishing terms is just another title for a 'character'.

Was the likes of Ivan Marks a character or a legend or Chris Yates even, Alan Wilson springs to mind and no doubt there are lots of others too who are known for their slightly eccentric ways and certainly they are or were 'characters'.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 21, 2001
Messages
31,037
Reaction score
12,219
Location
In God's County: Wiltshire
I hate to be pedantic Ron, as you know, but;

Surely a legendary person is an 'ordinary' person who has accomplished extraordinary' things, in which case if someone was 'extraordinary' then they cannot, (by definition) become a legend.

(yeah, yeah, so its a very quiet day in the office, so what do you expect, huh?)

:)


Seriously though, I'd look forward to reading a definitive tome about Ray Webb.
 
F

Fred Bonney

Guest
All three Peter....I think!

" can assure you that many of Britain's most well known and influential anglers met and knew Ray Webb!"
Perhaps, they should have voted then!
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

Guest
Too many pedantics here.

Webby was far from ordinary. Read again what Barrie Rickards says.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 21, 2001
Messages
31,037
Reaction score
12,219
Location
In God's County: Wiltshire
" Too many pedantics here "

Or even too many pedants?

Again Ron, I really mean no disrespect to Ray Webb but all I've managed to find are anectodal references to him, and to listen to some of your accounts, in the flesh so to speak.

It is just that (absent a definitive book) if you would really place Ray Webb in the same class as Walker, Venables or even Chris Yates, and if so, for what reasons?
 
L

Les Clark

Guest
I feel that Ray Webb alongside people like Fred Waggstaffe (Excuse spelling)are both characters and legends.
I know very little about either other than they were very dedicated to their fishing in their own way .
I have heard stories about webby and Fred ,but they are more about the characters and what they got up to while pursuing their fishing rather than their actual fishing .
For me to remember the stories about these guys from back in the late 60`s ,and to stick in my mind ,to me make`s them legends and may they continue to be so .
 
R

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

Guest
Ray Webb co-authored two books, both with Barrie Rickards

"Fishing for Big Pike" which is considered to be a classic and "Fishing for Big Tench" Both were published in the early 70s.
 
B

Bob Roberts

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Messages
2,334
Reaction score
8
With regard to the Wye & Usk Foundation raising ?5M in grant aid it should be borne in mind that the money is spent on habitat improvement not on stocking fish. I may be missing a point here but doesn't habitat improvement benefit the whole riverine ecology, thus offering benefits to coarse and game fish alike? You might also consider whether water and land management projects in the tributaries reduce the likelihood of polution, slow down flooding and reduce siltation throughout the entire watercourse, source to sea.

Consider, too, that the finances are conditional in that the river has to be opened up to all leisure users. This is why you can now enjoy coarse fishing on stretches that were once exclusive salmon beats.

Don't get bogged down in the us and them arguments. River Trusts are the way forward for all.
 
E

ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one)

Guest
What's that got to do with Ray Webb ????
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 21, 2001
Messages
31,037
Reaction score
12,219
Location
In God's County: Wiltshire
Bob says:

"I may be missing a point here"

Well Bob, considering you've contributed to the wrong thread I would say that there exists a distinct possibility that you have, erm, sort of, missed the point ;-)
 
M

Michael Howson

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
787
Reaction score
1
Ron. Not wishing for one moment to put a shadow over this thread but i remember reading many years ago of some of the eccentric if not very strange ways of Ray. I-E he was intent on pursuing his hobby nay obsession at the expense of his own well=being like living rough and sleeping in his clapped out old van with no proper means of looking after himself hence his early demise. Once again i must apologise for my reticence but i find it hard to respect someone who doesnt respect himself.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top