Aging angling publications, anything to learn?

binka · Jun 18, 2015

I’ve just ordered a copy of Perch: Contemporary Days and Ways by John Bailey and Roger Miller mainly because I just fancied the read, although it was published in 2005 it refers to trips made back in the 80’s so does anyone think there is still something to learn from aging angling publications and more recent publications which are based on the distant past?

Personally I do if only to see things from a different perspective and apart from anything else they tend to stimulate my own mind and get me thinking about things again instead of going through the motions, I also find other peoples understanding of fish behaviour interesting and a skill which is difficult to surpass by time as opposed to the development of tackle and rigs.

What d’ya reckon to aging angling publications in general… Just a good read or something more to offer in terms your own understanding and tactical approach?

Peter Jacobs · Jun 18, 2015

I will readily admit to being an avid angling book reader and collector, and I don't care about how old the books are as I always find them interesting, even if only to discount methods or styles that are described.

That said, many of the older books from the 70's and 80's still have angling gems that are as relevant today as they were when they were written. Len Arberry's Tench book is a brilliant read, as were Walker's and Stone's books.

Some of the more modern books I find very educational, and especially tomes like Mark Wintle's Books of Big Roach . . . . . . .

I tend to discount the weekly or monthly publications (or comics if you prefer) as they seem to regurgitate much of the same information and basically only the colour of the plates that the boilies or pellets are sitting on in the pictures actually change month-on-month . . . . . . . . or the same named fish being paraded before the cameras, usually held at arm's length to maximise the sensation element, as well as to sell more copies . . . . . . which is more often than not entitled with the over use of alliteration, like: Bluebell Banked By Bedford Bivvy-man . . . . .

So, no, not for me I'm afraid, as I say, I far prefer "proper" books . . . . . .

stu_the_blank · Jun 18, 2015

binka said:
What d’ya reckon to aging angling publications in general… Just a good read or something more to offer in terms your own understanding and tactical approach?

A bit of both, really. The trouble with the older books isn't so much that the tactics no longer work (given a similar environment, they probably will) it's more that the waters, and the fish populations in them, have changed dramatically.

You are a trent man, in the 70's, it was chocka with hand sized roach and not much else, now, tremendous range of fish which reach specimen size. The rise of the commercial, the explosion in 'proper' carp waters, the almost surreal rise in the weight of fish, 15lb Tench, 20lb Bream and Barbel etc, were the stuff of fantasy not that many years ago. As the waters have changed, so have the tactics. So whilst some of the old tactics and ruses will still work, others have been overtaken by change and the fantastic array of factory made accessories that are now available, which means that you don't have to 'make your own' anymore.

I was having a disscussion with a very successful Barbel angling friend a while ago about whether mass feeding maggotts would still be as succesful as it was 25-30 years ago. We both agreed that it should be, on rivers with a good head of Barbel, if you could afford to buy them by the gallon. His view was that it wasn't necessary, there were other ways of catching, economics (and and mad cow disease in the case of maggotts!) have also played a part.

No doubt change will continue and tactics will change with it. Zig Rigs?

Some of the older books are still a great read though, the psycology of catching hasn't changed, and never will.

Stu

Peter Jacobs · Jun 18, 2015

stu_the_blank said:
the psycology of catching hasn't changed, and never will.

. . . . Absoultely!

Derek Gibson · Jun 18, 2015

Let me say from the outset, that I haven't bought any of the weekly or monthly angling comics for some years now. I'm dissolutioned with the same old, same old.

Much the same with books too, my most recent purchase dating from fifteen or so years ago. And yet my shelves are laden with many angling books, the vast bulk of which date from the years 1850s-1960s.

Why you may ask, well my facination with angling developments and attitudes is at the very root of this. When you can trace the changes in attitude and approach it's very comforting, ''At least to me''. I could list examples, but feel that would be tedious to the majority.

One thing those,''or at least some of those'', older writers do exemplify is the very spirit of the gentle side of angling and camaraderie.

no-one in particular · Jun 18, 2015

I bought "The Marshall Cavendish" 52 weekly parts in three volumes from a boot fair for next to nothing. They were 30p each a week to buy at the time.; I am not sure the date of publication. They are full of knowledge of just about everything coarse, sea, and game. Lots of descriptions of the fish, a lot more than just tactics and how to, much more. Fabulous stuff really.
An Oxfam book for 50p "Baileys Magazine, Jan-Jun 1910". About duck shooting, cricket, you name it-its in there. A nice chapter on estuary and river fishing for Bass which is why I bought it and it gave me some "new" ideas to think about.
I think there's a lot of gems out there for very little money if you look.
It may be out of date and some it not relevant to today but, a lot of it is. Plus you pick up some things that are forgotten about and out of use, but could be a "new" tactic/bait/method all over again. Also just getting under the skin and the thinking, the styles and attitudes of some of the old anglers can be a refreshing joy; although they do make me hanker for those days a bit..
I had some Osprey books about fishing for selected species, they were nice to look through, Peter Stone and several noted anglers wrote in them, again a old bookshop buy for next to nothing.
Certainly worth the bother especially as they often cost so little and you can always stick them on ebay/amazon and get your money back, plus if your lucky.

Mark Wintle · Jun 18, 2015

John Bailey's perch book was originally published in 1989 hence the 80s fishing sessions. In the mid 2000s Crowood reprinted a couple of John Bailey's book but no updates as such. One of the joys of research for a book is just how much you uncover from the past and there's certainly much more to fishing than magic baits or rigs!

no-one in particular · Jun 18, 2015

Mark Wintle said:
John Bailey's perch book was originally published in 1989 hence the 80s fishing sessions. In the mid 2000s Crowood reprinted a couple of John Bailey's book but no updates as such. One of the joys of research for a book is just how much you uncover from the past and there's certainly much more to fishing than magic baits or rigs!

Well said Mark-Just read "The Lost Diary" of Chris Yates and I liked this Guardian review of it-
"There can be few who have explained so elegantly both the zen-like trance of the serious fisherman and the all-too-active comedy of preparation, expedition and return".

itsfishingnotcatching · Jun 18, 2015

I always check for any "new" stock in my local market stall and have purchased some really informative books for coppers, my favourite is probably Rough River and Small Stream Fishing, David Carl Forbes which cost me the princely sum of two quid.

The bad one · Jun 18, 2015

Why reinvent the wheel if there’s a wheel on the other side of the cart? And so it is with old angling publications, much in them, which has been, lets say borrowed from them and passed off as new.
So keep them long enough, and live long enough, you’ll see what’s written in them come a round again! Then you can smile knowingly at the next angling guru expounding the virtues of his new invention, method.....

peterjg · Jun 18, 2015

I have around 160 fishing books, some of them being quite elderly. I still keep referring to them for "new" ideas!

My favourite being This Fishing by Capt. L A Parker, it's a bit quaint in todays world but still a good read. I have Mark Wintle's two Big Roach books, well researched and very up to date. However; they are a bit light on still water techniques and because of the deteriorating state of our rivers I found myself thoroughly depressed when I finished them!

Bob Hornegold · Jun 18, 2015

Nothing stays the same, tackle changes, methods change and anglers attitudes change.

It depends what you want from your angling, old book were once cutting edge and if it's the first time you read something in an old book it may well be applicable to todays fishing.

There have been some brilliant book out in recent years, Mark Wintle, Chris Turnbull, Barry Rickard and some of the up to date single and multi species books.

But they only carry on from what went before, so you have to read those to judge if the more modern books are better ?

Bob

Derek Gibson · Jun 19, 2015

I share your sentiments Bob, but having a long track record in angling has given us a ''slight'' edge in accessing how angling has evolved in both good and bad respects.

Most of the recent supposed developments can be traced way back. Many of us as youngsters read those old books, ''I still do'', and can see how many aspects develop. As you say, ''progress'', but let us not forget, to make any progress a firm foundation is required. So credit to the old timers standing on the shoulders of giants eh.

theartist · Jun 19, 2015

itsfishingnotcatching said:
I always check for any "new" stock in my local market stall and have purchased some really informative books for coppers,

Informative books for coppers? Is that 'How to apprehend fish thieves' or 'How to say slap on the wrist in Polish'"

Seriously though a lot of books are specimen driven especially nowadays with modern techniques making big fish easier to catch and because of this there's less of the mystique that the old books had. They portrayed real monsters who could break rods in the imagination of the reader or you could be taken in to a romantic world of fishing that was different to today, at least it seems that way when you read them now.

Peter Jacobs · Jun 19, 2015

peterjg said:
My favourite being This Fishing by Capt. L A Parker, it's a bit quaint in todays world but still a good read.

Parker also wrote the "How To" series Roach volume

I think I'm right in saying that Parker lived in Bicton Mill close to the village of Charlton, and spent a lot of time as a river keeeper on the Hampshire Avon.

I'm sure that Mark will correct anyhing I have got wrong . . . . . .

no-one in particular · Jun 19, 2015

itsfishingnotcatching said:
I always check for any "new" stock in my local market stall and have purchased some really informative books for coppers, my favourite is probably Rough River and Small Stream Fishing, David Carl Forbes which cost me the princely sum of two quid.

Had that once, a very good book and the one I bought was hardback in pristine condition still with the cover, unusual in old books which gave it some value.

---------- Post added at 07:41 ---------- Previous post was at 07:33 ----------

theartist said:
Seriously though a lot of books are specimen driven especially nowadays with modern techniques making big fish easier to catch and because of this there's less of the mystique that the old books had. They portrayed real monsters who could break rods in the imagination of the reader or you could be taken in to a romantic world of fishing that was different to today, at least it seems that way when you read them now.

Many of these books were written before the word angst was invented. That word must have been invented by a fisherman circa 1990/2010 - who was fishing on a featureless commercial full of cormorants in the vicinity of a hydro being built with a carbon rod, got electrocuted, had caught nothing on his chemical bait on his chemically sharpened hook, found his electronic alarms had packed up, his bait boat sunk, his helicopter rig didn’t helicopter and got carted off to court by a bailiff because he had forgotten to buy a licence. When he got home his wife had run off because he had neglected her. Sort of gives small stream fishing free-lining a worm with an old rod some appeal.
I am only joking,

Mark Wintle · Jun 19, 2015

Captain Parker ran The Bull at Downton for many years then retired to Bicton just downstream of Fordingbridge.

One of the problems I found with writing about stillwater roach angling was that it has largely evolved into standard 2 or 3 rods with bite alarms, helicopter rigs etc. and long sessions and once you've covered Linch Hill/Lochnaw there's not much more to say and it's not especially interesting. It's not my cup of tea either because I fish much more actively floatfishing in short sessions of 3 or 4 hours. I have been pleasantly surprised to catch 2lb roach from two different stillwaters this year that 5 years ago I would have laughed if someone had even suggested it might be possible. Both fish caught on the drop less than a foot beneath the surface in 3ft of water and partly due to me sharpening up my technique, a bonus from studying Ivan Marks so closely.

Rich P · Jun 19, 2015

markg said:
I bought "The Marshall Cavendish" 52 weekly parts in three volumes from a boot fair for next to nothing. They were 30p each a week to buy at the time.; I am not sure the date of publication. They are full of knowledge of just about everything coarse, sea, and game. Lots of descriptions of the fish, a lot more than just tactics and how to, much more. Fabulous stuff really.
An Oxfam book for 50p "Baileys Magazine, Jan-Jun 1910". About duck shooting, cricket, you name it-its in there. A nice chapter on estuary and river fishing for Bass which is why I bought it and it gave me some "new" ideas to think about.
I think there's a lot of gems out there for very little money if you look.
It may be out of date and some it not relevant to today but, a lot of it is. Plus you pick up some things that are forgotten about and out of use, but could be a "new" tactic/bait/method all over again. Also just getting under the skin and the thinking, the styles and attitudes of some of the old anglers can be a refreshing joy; although they do make me hanker for those days a bit..
I had some Osprey books about fishing for selected species, they were nice to look through, Peter Stone and several noted anglers wrote in them, again a old bookshop buy for next to nothing.
Certainly worth the bother especially as they often cost so little and you can always stick them on ebay/amazon and get your money back, plus if your lucky.

I would think the Marshall Cavendish series was either 1978 or 79. I still have my originals, and an excellent read they are too.

itsfishingnotcatching · Jun 19, 2015

markg said:
the one I bought was hardback in pristine condition still with the cover

Ditto Mark

Peter Jacobs said:
Parker also wrote the "How To" series Roach volume

Got that for a quid as well, Parker also contributed to an Angling Times publication, "Course Fishing with the Experts" (other notable writers included Richard Walker and JW Martin)

terry m · Jun 19, 2015

Most of the older books are 'less relevant' to modern day angling IMHO, however that does not make them bad or poor reads, in many cases the opposite is true.

I think that most of us enjoy the nostalgia aspect of older publications, perhaps taking us back to our younger days when things were always perfect. (Though we know that they were never quite perfect!!!).

Aging angling publications, anything to learn?

binka

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