I have managed through devious means

It's a first edition - signed - of Hugh Tempest Sheringham's "Coarse Fishing", published in 1912.

What a superb read this book is, by one of the greatest writers of the last 100 years. I can now see why **** Walker and Denys Watkins-Pitchford loved this man.

From this book, here is a little rhyme that might put in place the modern "results-at-all-costs" and "biggest is best" attitude of modern angling.

"The mountain sheep were sweeter,

But the valley sheep were fatter;

We therefore deemed it meter

To carry off the latter."

Thinks about that one.

I'll be referring to other pearls of wisdom in this book in the future.

I recognise that - it's from the "War-Song of Dinas Vawr", by (had to check) T.L. Peacock.

"Meeter", b.t.w.: more "meet"= fitting.

Lots more verses for he who would a-googling go.

Quite right Alan.

Ron,how right you are;Sheringham,for my money is one of the very best.I was reading a book of hisin Januarywith a chapter entitled 'May day on the Exe'and he made mention of the 'prettiest village in Somerset'where is'The prettiest inn in the world'.However he did not mention any place by name except it was near Dulverton

Via google I managed to discover the place is Winsford(a village with seven bridges and many rivers)and so intrigued was I that decided to book a weeks holiday and I go this coming Friday.I am told that some very old people in the village remember him passing through in the 30's!!(they must be very old!!)

Ihavedone little trout fishing but still he manages to hold my attention with his subtle sense of humour and humble view of his expertise-he is just wonderful!!

I only have one book of his and I envy your success in obtaining such a book-1st addition or not!

How sad that he died without having written another book for many years and only 54years old

There is no doubt that Sheringham, through Walker, influenced a lot of modern angling thought.

But today, a lot of this has been lost along the way. Maybe the true pleasures of angling need highlighting once more. Ifone reads the latest crap in most of the latest publications, one tends to become concerned about the future of our great sport.

I wonderwhat Sheringham would say about the Noddy Puddles of today?

Like so many things in life we seem to have lost our way with this wonderful sport of ours but I suppose everything changes,not always for the better but simply becauseyoung people have new ideas and different ways of measuring success and who's to say they are wrong.....

I suppose we also lived in an age when major changes took place in angling.Who wouldhave dreamed back in the 50's that a 44lb carp existed let alone be caught...at the time many did not believe it and went tosee itbefore they wereconvinced.Even the 12lb line used was really only considered for sea fishing.

I have to say Iwork really hard to stay with the methods Ihave used for years to catch fish for 55years and they still work.NOT that I ignore latest tackle and trends,I don't,but I look long and hard before I make any radical changes;and I suppose that this is what Walker et al taught me with hisbooks and articles-try to thinkeverything outand have a realreason for doing it.

Unfortunately I cannot see anyone around at the moment who willstand the testof time and who's books will be considered classics in 50 years time.It seems that to become an expert these days one only has to catch a fish above a given weight.It may only be a single fish but it comes with stardom even though it may have been caught the week before at 6ozs lighter!!

No,for me it has to be Sheringham because he saw so much and Walker because he made me think.Both,along with a few others,make my dark winter evenings so much more enjoyable because of it.

If I carry one like this I shall cry.....

Without mentioning names, it seems that an angler of today has only to catch a few fish that are big, from a water that he has access to that will produce such fish, and he is held up to be an expert.

In reality he might know less, far less than the angler who has fished all his life in a small area and has got the very best out of the fishing, even though the fish he has caught will never meet the criteria of what the angling press sees as big ones.

There is no doubt that angling is the most unjust sports of all time. Experts are made by either having lots of money or being in a certain time and place to milk the resource they have access to.

And in many cases they can do this without knowing much about what they are doing.

Well said Ron. There are lots of instant 'experts' out there these days. At a lake I fish 30lb carp are caught regularly, sometimes by kids less than 10 years of age. Where do they go then in their angling careers? Every carp under 30lb they catch from now on will be a disappointment! What a waste of youth and a budding angling career. A fish like that should be a fish of a lifetime for the average angler.

Although I have fished for as long as I can remember I was well over 20 before I had my first carp, probably about 5lb, and at the time I thought it was a wonderful fish. I had lost a few small ones before then though.

Many very big fish, like salmon, arecaught by anglers who's money or privilage, compensates for what skill they may possess

I've got a couple of anthologies of fishing writing, both of which contaon passages from Sheringham. One of my favourites is an article on the dangers of fishing, written very much tongue in cheek. His preferred strategies for dealing with an angry bull are hilarious.