Tracking Down An Old Fishing Book

D

David Dalton

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Messages
146
Reaction score
0
I wonder if anyone can help me? Years ago, I used to borrow books from the local library in Ringwood, and I can remember reading one that was about the Hampshire Avon, with most of the content about the Severals Fishery at Ringwood.

I can't remember the author or title, but I has a feeling after doing some research on the internet that it might have been the Hampshire Avon, from the fishing famous rivers series, by Kenneth W. Clower.

I ordered a second hand copy, but although some of the text seemed familiar, it wasn't the book I had read before. There was nothing about the Severals, and I think the library book was a hardback, and had some maps of the river.

Does anybody know if this book came out in more than one edition? Or might I have read a quite different book years a go?
 
J

jack sprat

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
237
Reaction score
1
Location
Oxford
There aren't many books on the Avon at all, especially not from the 1950s/60s/70s. One general topological one that has very little fishing in it, the Ken Clower one mentioned and 'This Fishing' by Capt Len Parker that is more about Downton and Bicton with no mention of The Several Fishery (Its correct name, from the fishing rights being severed from the land- the lazy habit in RDAA of calling it 'Severals' is beyond help - they haven't yet renamed The Royalty Fishery 'Royalties' but give it time). A book by H Claypoole also has Avon reflections by mostly around Fordingbridge. Another option is a book by a Ferndown angler who I believe wrote under 'Silver Doctor' with one book that may have had something about this fishery but it's not a book I've ever seen.
 
P

peterjg

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Messages
1,819
Reaction score
1,569
'Abebooks' has already been mentioned - try Bookfinder.com - it might be of use?
 
D

David Dalton

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Messages
146
Reaction score
0
Many thanks for the help guys. Jack Sprat - I had often wondered how the Several Fishery got it's name, I've fished it many times over the years.

It's interesting to hear of the other books mentioned. I don't think it was the book by the Silver Doctor, from the internet pictures that looks like a fairly substantial book, and the one I am after was a very slim hardback.

Fred - thanks for that link, but the book it shows there was the one I ordered, I have next to me as I write.

I've looked in the Ringwood Library online catalogue, and they do still have a hardback copy of the K. Clower book. Next time I am in Ringwood I'll have to drop by and have a look at it. My suspicion remains that the book I am after is an expanded/later edition of the original K. Clower paperback.

BTW, does anybody know if Kenneth Clower is still alive and around these days?
 
G

goonch

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 13, 2011
Messages
132
Reaction score
1
What kind of era are we talking about David? Also, what was the content, mostly game? coarse? Any memories of what it looked like? Dust-wrapper etc.
 
chav professor

chav professor

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Messages
2,992
Reaction score
5
Location
Ipswich, Suffolk
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv1VQ7uSC-s]1983 - Yellow Pages JR Hartley - YouTube[/ame]

Well, its got to be worth a go..... the 80's, a great vintage.... Didn't read much on fishing in those days. Most of my reading material needed to be hidden from my Mum.... Mainly because it was very embarrasing to have your collection of Razzle, Parade and May Fair neatly piled on the end of the bed due to mum dusting the room whilst I was at school. Yea right! More like a prison cell shake down.... the hiding places were quite creative!
 
Last edited:
D

David Dalton

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Messages
146
Reaction score
0
Goonch - I'm sure it was written sometime in the sixties. It was exclusively about coarse fishing in the Hampshire Avon, with particular emphasis on the Several Fishery at Ringwood.

I'm sure it contained a map of the Several Fishery (the paperback K. Clower book I have does not), and I recall that it mentioned the various swims on the Severals by the names they had then - the "bubbles pool" sticks in my memory for some obscure reason.

The book itself was a slim green hardback, athough it may of course have had a dust jacket originally.

Sorry not to be more specific, but it was in the late eighties when I last read it!

Chav - that's a good idea about Coch-y-Bonduu books, I've bought a number of fairly obscure titles from them in the past.
 
Last edited:
J

jack sprat

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
237
Reaction score
1
Location
Oxford
What did sometimes happen in the past was that an author would write a book, get it typed up and bound into a book and there would be literally one or two copies, one of which would end up in the local library. This happened with a small book about the Isle of Purbeck clay railways. There was and still is a copy in Wareham library. It was written in the 50s (from memory) but its commercial value was such that it was never worth publishing. I know of other similar books. What this means is that although the book existed all right the chance of finding it now are very slight. In the case of the railways a local author who published many local books did use the original for his research on a bigger book that was published.
 
G

goonch

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 13, 2011
Messages
132
Reaction score
1
Sorry David not ringing any bells with me and nothing is jumping off the bookshelf.
 
J

jack sprat

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
237
Reaction score
1
Location
Oxford
One book it might have been is Colonel Crow's (the keeper at Ibsley) 'Hampshire Avon Salmon'?
 
G

goonch

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 13, 2011
Messages
132
Reaction score
1
It might be worth looking at the books published by the Angling Times. They published loads during the late 50s and 60s, mostly coarse angling, and the majority were rather good. So well worth a read even if they are not what you're after. The description does sound like it could quite easily be one of them.

They are generally slim green hardbacks (with dust-wrappers) with a small silver-gilt kingfisher design to the upper board. I can't think of one specifically about the Avon though.
 
D

David Dalton

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Messages
146
Reaction score
0
Again, thanks for the help. Jack - your idea about it having been written by a local author, with a very limited print run, could well be right. That would fit it with it being mainly written about one stretch of the Avon, and with the fact that I have not been able to find any mention of the book on the internet.

It may possibly have been written by Colonel Crowe, but I would have thought that as he was the river keeper there, he would have written about the Avon on the Somerley Estate, rather than the Severals.

Goonch - it was actually the list of books on the back of my copy of Bream And Barbel, by Peter Stone, that gave me the idea to look at the K. Clower book - both were Angling Times books. I'll try to find out what else was included in that series.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top