Angling Personalities, we do need them.

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dezza

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And I refuse point blank to use the word "celebrities", because it reminds me of that **** awful programme that I once watched.

Never again.

But in my life I have known an awful lot of angling personalities, most of which have been darned nice people who genuinely want to help others catch more fish. The likes of Tag Barnes, Des Taylor, Tony Miles, Ray Webb, **** Clegg, Billy Lane, Benny Ashurst, a host of top Sheffield match anglers, Peter Thomas and his other Hitchin born mate, Fred J Taylor, Ian Howcroft, Peter Wheat, Bob Buteax, Eric Hodson, Barrie Rickards, Kevin Clifford, Steve Parton, Graham Marsden, all of these chaps and more, many with which I have fished with, have been the sole of helpfulness to myself and many others. Of the latter days, Lee Swords is a remarkable angler who only gets to go fishing once a week, but has the most wonderful catches. He's a real inspiration to myself, and you need it whan you start pushing 70!

And angling would be poorer if it didn't have it's personalities.

Sure, many of these people get sponsorships and are paid quite well for appearances and articles, but think what a boring life it would be without them.

And one of the most negative aspects of many angling publications today is that a large majority of the published articles are ghost written or come from the pen of editorial staff. The old Angling Times up to about 1969, was written mainly by freelancers, and that made it all the more interesting

But what do you think?
 
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sam vimes

sam vimes

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Others may need them, I don't. I'm cynical as to why anyone would want it for themselves. I certainly don't believe that all the wannabees or those that make it are getting to the top for any altruistic reason. Good luck to them if that's what they want for themselves, whatever their reasons, but why should I give a toss?
 
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Philip

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I have nothing against them and they can be good role models for people coming into the sport.

What I am not so keen on is the instant experts/celebs who are in the limelight through 1 capture or because they are friends with someone.
 
flightliner

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I dont mind that they exist, they have always been around. The thing these days is that there are so many now that one suspects are simply one trick ponies relying on one method one species, one water, usually on the big fish circuit or are so young as to be relatively inexperienced in comparison to many older guys that they try to impress.
I was in H R Smiths meadowhall yesterday looking at the "comics", in one was a guy described as "The best angler in the country/of all time"/ or some such accolade. In truth I suspect he was a very talented pole angler of which there are many thousands up and down the land who are just as accomplished. Then looking further there were one or two young lads whose ages were twenty or twenty two years old and tho obviously talented and sponsered were still light years away from being the "stars" that the mags implied they were.
Perhaps its me being cynical or the Victor Meldrew bit is starting to kick in but as Ive said before on here I have met many a good angler who I feel it reasonable to assume were every bit as good if not better than some anglers who having written a book have gone down as greats.
I have one or two in mind that I suspect were not as good an angler as they were angling writers or fame seekers.
Bottom line tho (I think) is the press need them more than we do!!
 
shelly

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flightliner said:
Bottom line tho (I think) is the press need them more than we do!!
Click to expand...

Like it or not they must help sell magazines, if they didn’t they wouldn’t be called upon so I’m not sure its true that the press need them more than we do.
 
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dezza

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sam vimes said:
Others may need them, I don't. I'm cynical as to why anyone would want it for themselves. I certainly don't believe that all the wannabees or those that make it are getting to the top for any altruistic reason. Good luck to them if that's what they want for themselves, whatever their reasons, but why should I give a toss?
Click to expand...

Sorry but that is totally wrong and Sam you are being overcynical to the point of rudeness. I have met many angling writers, like Peter Stone and Water rail for example who in later life got far more out of helping a youngster catch a fish than fishing themselves.

I know I will be hated for the following comment but **** Walker was singly the most generous person I have ever met, and that goes for many others who have also known him.

Walker turned down a very lucrative fee from Angling Times for his weekly column and in addition never made a penny out of many of his inventions. The Arlesley Bomb could have made him a millionaire, but he refused royalties.

And no way would he accept money from the tackle trade.

There is the true story of the young angler who asked a certain "personality" at the Birmingham angling show for his autograph. He wouldn't give it until the young angler had spent money on a certain article!

I've seen old **** sign hundreds of books and Angling Times, all for free. If there was a young angler around, **** generally found something to give to him, trout flies were a favourite.

Eric Hodson spent thousands of pounds organising the National Association of Specialist Anglers. He never took a penny in compensation. If certain people couldn't get to a meeting, Eric would often drive the length and breadth of the country picking up people, and he never charged them a penny.

I could go on and on about what some people of the past would do at the drop of a hat. Yet do you know, Eric would receive rude and even threatening anonymous letters regularly, and yes, they were always anonymous!

As I did when I formed my little specimen group in Sheffield.
 
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bennygesserit

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I could be one My show would start as follows

"shot of Benny aka the black Country Bagger turning up at Coppice lane on his bike, carefully he dismounts and then makes a terrific racket getting his gear off the cross bar , drops his metal chair noisily onto the concrete base. He turns and whispers to the camera 'Best to be a little bit quiet when setting up especially when you have a hangover' in the background roughly 20 carp can be seen waiting near the surface with mouths open , one fish appears to be trying to jump into his landing net"

Piece of cake
 
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Philip

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Ron The Hat Clay said:
Sorry but that is totally wrong and Sam you are being overcynical to the point of rudeness. I have met many angling writers, like Peter Stone and Water rail for example who in later life got far more out of helping a youngster catch a fish than fishing themselves.

I know I will be hated for the following comment but **** Walker was singly the most generous person I have ever met, and that goes for many others who have also known him.

Walker turned down a very lucrative fee from Angling Times for his weekly column and in addition never made a penny out of many of his inventions. The Arlesley Bomb could have made him a millionaire, but he refused royalties.

And no way would he accept money from the tackle trade.

There is the true story of the young angler who asked a certain "personality" at the Birmingham angling show for his autograph. He wouldn't give it until the young angler had spent money on a certain article!

I've seen old **** sign hundreds of books and Angling Times, all for free. If there was a young angler around, **** generally found something to give to him, trout flies were a favourite.

Eric Hodson spent thousands of pounds organising the National Association of Specialist Anglers. He never took a penny in compensation. If certain people couldn't get to a meeting, Eric would often drive the length and breadth of the country picking up people, and he never charged them a penny.

I could go on and on about what some people of the past would do at the drop of a hat. Yet do you know, Eric would receive rude and even threatening anonymous letters regularly, and yes, they were always anonymous!

As I did when I formed my little specimen group in Sheffield.
Click to expand...


I suspect there is just as many "nice" people around today but for some reason we seem to prefer in general to put down the modern ones and point out all their faults and hanker back to the ones of yesteryear like they were better. Strange.
 
sam vimes

sam vimes

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Ron The Hat Clay said:
Sorry but that is totally wrong and Sam you are being overcynical to the point of rudeness. I have met many angling writers, like Peter Stone and Water rail for example who in later life got far more out of helping a youngster catch a fish than fishing themselves.

I know I will be hated for the following comment but **** Walker was singly the most generous person I have ever met, and that goes for many others who have also known him.

Walker turned down a very lucrative fee from Angling Times for his weekly column and in addition never made a penny out of many of his inventions. The Arlesley Bomb could have made him a millionaire, but he refused royalties.

And no way would he accept money from the tackle trade.

There is the true story of the young angler who asked a certain "personality" at the Birmingham angling show for his autograph. He wouldn't give it until the young angler had spent money on a certain article!

I've seen old **** sign hundreds of books and Angling Times, all for free. If there was a young angler around, **** generally found something to give to him, trout flies were a favourite.

Eric Hodson spent thousands of pounds organising the National Association of Specialist Anglers. He never took a penny in compensation. If certain people couldn't get to a meeting, Eric would often drive the length and breadth of the country picking up people, and he never charged them a penny.

I could go on and on about what some people of the past would do at the drop of a hat. Yet do you know, Eric would receive rude and even threatening anonymous letters regularly, and yes, they were always anonymous!

As I did when I formed my little specimen group in Sheffield.
Click to expand...

Ron,
where did I say that my cynical thoughts about those that seek angling fame included thinking that they were bad people? I don't think that for one moment and never suggested it. Where did I say anything about financial rewards? You are seeing something in my post that you want to see rather than what I actually typed. Perhaps that's your cynicism coming through.;):p

I'm afraid, whether you think it rude or not, that the bulk of modern anglers seeking fame have an ulterior motive for doing so (not absolutely all though, I'm content that there are some out there that are genuinely altruistic). It often isn't simply to help other people, that can be done quietly without anyone knowing about it. It isn't even about being the best angler in the world. Outside of match fishing, where consistent wins would be reported, a successful angler can be successful without another soul being aware of it. Whether they are seeking financial reward, massaging their ego or simply trying to enjoy themselves with a warm satisfied glow is immaterial, it's for themselves. Even when that is the case it doesn't mean they aren't perfectly decent, generous people.

As I said, why should I care who is, or is not, famous in angling circles? It's something I'd run a mile from and, for good or ill, I'm suspicious of the motives of any angler that develops a taste for angling fame.
 
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