Angling reads...Must haves.

Neneman Nick · Nov 23, 2009

I wouldn`t say i have the best selection/collection of angling literature in the world.I have the usual assortment of books,magazines and annuals picked up at car bootsales etc....
A recent foray into my loft a few weeks ago turfed up a copy of Prof Barrie Rickards book on big tench fishing,i didn`t know i had and a couple of Richard Walker books as well.
By the way,i picked up a copy of Mr Crabtree goes fishing at a car bootsale a few ago for the princely sum of 10p !
I found it at the bottom of a tatty old fishing basket i was rummaging through.I don`t think the stall holder knew the significance of the book.

This morning i have stumbled upon a website that reviews angling books and have decided to purchase one or two books that have tickled my fancy.
I was wondering though if you could reccomend lets say three must have angling books,that should be part of any collection and why.

Sean Meeghan · Nov 23, 2009

You've put me off doing my VAT return!!

Well after half an hour picking through my bookcase:

Big Fish Angling, by Tony Miles. A book wich opened my eyes to the challenges of targetting big fish.

Carp Fever, by Kevin Maddocks. The book that defines carp fishing in the 80's. Here is the hair rig, HNV baits and the early years of travelling to France. There are many editions spanning the whole decade. My copy is the 10th edition. This is carp fishing before puddles.

The Longest Silence, by Thomas McGuane. Most of the books that really last in angling are either autobiographical or anecdotal. Here is a book that defines angling to me. The fact that it's about trout fishing and fishing the florida flats matters not a jot - it's brilliant!

dezza · Nov 23, 2009

"My Fishing Days and Fishing Ways" - JW Martin - 1906

"Coarse Fishing" -HT Sheringham - 1912

"Drop Me A Line" - Maurice Ingham and Richard Walker - 1953

"My Way With Trout" - Arthur Cove - 1981

"The Trout and The Fly" - John Goddard & Brian Clarke - 1981

"Fishing for Big Pike" - Ray Webb & Barrie Rickards - 1971

All classics.

Ray Roberts · Nov 23, 2009

The Joy of Sex....................I saw Ron's post and was amazed to see that it didn't have any ****s in it, so I thought I would create a bit of balance.

Stealph Viper · Nov 23, 2009

What, No mention of "The Compleat Angler" by Izaak Walton and Charles Cotton.

I am surprised.

I haven't read it myself, but, i would love to sometime.

Casting at the Sun by Chris Yates.

Mr. Crabtree Goes fishing by Bernard Venables

dezza · Nov 23, 2009

Walton was a plagiarist and a miserable old sourpuss.

Venables wasn't much better who got most of his ideas from Hugh Tempest Sheringham.

I much prefer to read original material.

Rickrod · Nov 23, 2009

A few books i like Nick are fishing for big pike Webb and Rickards

pike fishing the practice and the passion Mick Brown

How to fish Chris Yates

Mega pike Eddie Turner

Alan Tyler · Nov 23, 2009

Bit harsh on ol' Izaak, what?
He didn't mean to write a text-book on angling, but a diversion for anglers - his half of a good chat over an ale with you, the reader, after a day on the Lea. Hence all the songs, and a chapter headed "Of Nothing, or of Nothing Worth." And hence the frequent additions to editions as new tit-bits reached or occurred to him - hardly "sour"?
His work is liberally sprinkled with acknowledgements to those he's quoted - hardly plagiarism. Name-dropping, perhaps, but he must have been one of the best-connected ironmongers ever.
No longer a "must read", but, with a suitable tipple to hand, good for what it was intended as - a diversion for a wet evening.

Peter Jacobs · Nov 23, 2009

Ron The Hat Clay said:
Venables wasn't much better who got most of his ideas from Hugh Tempest Sheringham

Nurse, nurse, He's out of bed again . . . . . . .

Now, seriously, while all of the above are very good 'reads' and I own most if not all of them; how about a few more modern 'classics?

My recommendations would be:

Casting at the Sun, by Chris Yates

A Brush with the Avon, by John Searl

and 50 Years on the Ouse, by Tony Miles

Oh, while you are about it: Pole Fishing, by you know who and who . . . . . .

Alan Tyler · Nov 23, 2009

Three, eh?
"Stillwater Angling", Richard Walker - illuminates the thought-processes of one of the Greats.

"The Carp Strikes Back", Rod Hutchinson - er, ditto.

Mix yourself a Pimms and have an Edwardian afternoon with "At the Tail of the Weir" by Patrick R. Chalmers.

Michael Townsend 3 · Nov 23, 2009

Roach; The Gentle Giants by John Baily.

This book gets me all nostalgic and frustrated at how our roach fishing has changed in a very short time.

Peter Jacobs · Nov 23, 2009

Michael Townsend 3 said:
Roach; The Gentle Giants by John Baily.

This book gets me all nostalgic and frustrated at how our roach fishing has changed in a very short time.

In which case you will be interested in seeing John Searl's new book: "Roach from the Chalk Stream" I'd imagine.

I was due to go to the launch of the new book last Saturday but the Upf*ck Gods weaved their magic once again and I missed it!

I have ordered two copies and will do a report as soon as I get them.

Xplorer1 · Nov 23, 2009

Peter Jacobs said:
Now, seriously, while all of the above are very good 'reads' and I own most if not all of them; how about a few more modern 'classics?

My recommendations would be:

Casting at the Sun, by Chris Yates

A Brush with the Avon, by John Searl

and 50 Years on the Ouse, by Tony Miles .

I have to say I found 50 Years on the Ouse tedious. Little more than a list of trips, conditions, baits and catches. Chris Yates is in a different league altogether.

dezza · Nov 23, 2009

Peter Jacobs said:
Nurse, nurse, He's out of bed again . . . . . . .

Now, seriously, while all of the above are very good 'reads' and I own most if not all of them; how about a few more modern 'classics?

My recommendations would be:

Casting at the Sun, by Chris Yates

A Brush with the Avon, by John Searl

and 50 Years on the Ouse, by Tony Miles

Oh, while you are about it: Pole Fishing, by you know who and who . . . . . .

It is only when you really start to examine Venables writings that ultimately you must conclude that he wasn't all he was made out to be.

Take "Mr. Crabtree Goes Fishing", for example. The only chapter I ever found made sense was that on pike. Even Walker admitted that Venables understood pike.

The rest.....? well take for example the load of tripe Venables wrote about the fixed spool reel. He gave me the impression that if one used a FS reel, one could not be classified as an angler. And his description of playing a fish using such a reel was flawed beyond belief.

And the chapter on carp:

"A carp sometimes bites very deliberately, and plenty of time should be given to him before one strikes, The rod is never held in the hand, and as a rule, 2 or 3 yards of line are pulled off the reel and coiled on the ground, so that if a fish goes off with the bait he may feel no suspicious check. When the slack line is nearly drawn through the rings, the angler picks up the rod and strikes."

Sounds familiar doesn't it?

But no, the above wasn't written by Venables, it was penned by non other than Hugh Tempest Sheringham in 1912.

Barrie Rickards goes on to relate how Fred Buller and **** Walker had quite independently come to the conclusion that Venables' flowery writing style was based on that of the well known poet - Edmund Blunden. I must admit that after reading some of Blunden's prose, the similarity is striking.

I could go on about Venables, but the only final bit I will say about him was that at times he was capable of writing the most unqualified nonsense.

For example in his autobiography "A Stream of Life", Venables says of Walker: "He was not intelligent, but was almost boundlessly innovative".

---------- Post added at 10:42 ---------- Previous post was at 10:37 ----------

Oh and there is the description of the Wallis cast. Surely Venables was having a joke!

jcp01 · Nov 23, 2009

Roach Fishing - A Complete Manual Of The Art Of Angling For Roach by 'Faddist', for it's breezy, cheerful manner and clear cut style, just the thing to lift the spirits after yet another big roach blank!

And New Compleat Angler by Downes and Knoweldon for its tremendous colour plates of paintings of freshwater fish and the really amazing technical information about the fish and their physical make up and capabilities

Any Chris Yates...

dezza · Nov 23, 2009

rufus said:
Roach Fishing - A Complete Manual Of The Art Of Angling For Roach by 'Faddist', for it's breezy, cheerful manner and clear cut style, just the thing to lift the spirits after yet another big roach blank!

And New Compleat Angler by Downes and Knoweldon for its tremendous colour plates of paintings of freshwater fish and the really amazing technical information about the fish and their physical make up and capabilities

Any Chris Yates...

Edward Ensom's (Faddist) book and articles on angling for roach were of the first order. Clearly Ensom was a fine angler as well as a good clear writer.

Chris Hammond ( RSPB ACA PAC} · Nov 23, 2009

BB - The Little Grey Men

Eric Morecambe - On Fishing

Chris Yates - Casting At The Sun

dezza · Nov 23, 2009

As I get older, I am coming to appreciate Chris Yates more and more. I find his eccentricity and Webbish obsession with decrepid tackle quite delightful.

Yates is a much better writer than Venables ever was, he is also a much better angler.

---------- Post added at 11:18 ---------- Previous post was at 11:12 ----------

I am glad you mentioned BB Chris. Although not a book on angling, "Little Grey Men" won BB (Denys Watkins-Pitchford) a Carnegie medal. BB was one of the greatest childreds writers of all time and even JRR Tolkien never achieved what BB did.

I would love to see "Little Grey Men" made into a movie along the same lines as "Lord of the Rings."

Mark Hewitt · Nov 23, 2009

The 'Stone Walker letters' is my personal favourite,

but I agree with Mike - John Bailey's 'gental giants' depicts a mouth watering time for big roach.........

Nobby C (ACA) · Nov 23, 2009

Going fishing-Negley Farson

I know a good place-Clive Gammon

Quest for carp-Jack Hilton

Angling reads...Must haves.

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