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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
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Fair comment Mark.
It's perhaps that I didn't like the word: "banal".
It's perhaps that I didn't like the word: "banal".
Dicky (Angling Trust PAC)
Senior Member
A fascinating read Ron.
I have to confess I did't know much about Walker's writing as I started fishing the year that his articles finished in 1983.
I note that **** lived in Biggleswade, I don't suppose he would ever have fished the Ouse at nearby Willington? That's where I started as a nipper with a bamboo pole and woolworth hook to nylon...
I have to confess I did't know much about Walker's writing as I started fishing the year that his articles finished in 1983.
I note that **** lived in Biggleswade, I don't suppose he would ever have fished the Ouse at nearby Willington? That's where I started as a nipper with a bamboo pole and woolworth hook to nylon...
GrahamM
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Blam: "Mind you there is also some nonsense about "Graham's A-list group of regular contributors and columnists includes such well known angling writers as Bob Roberts and Gary Knowles" but makes no mention of Ron ????"
That case study was not written by me, if it had been there would have been many other names mentioned, including Ron's, that deserve every ounce of respect and recognition. I, and every visitor to this site, owe all our regular contributors a massive vote of thanks.
Barrie?s biography of Walker is now set to be published in September this year.
That case study was not written by me, if it had been there would have been many other names mentioned, including Ron's, that deserve every ounce of respect and recognition. I, and every visitor to this site, owe all our regular contributors a massive vote of thanks.
Barrie?s biography of Walker is now set to be published in September this year.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
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****y,
Walker knew virtually every inch of the Great Ouse from Huntingdon to Buckingham. He fished a lot at Willington because it was on the rail line from Hitchin.
He caught two chub there, on a backwater just after WW2 on frogs. 6lbs 4oz and 6lbs 14oz in two casts. Read how he caught them in "No Need to Lie".
Walker knew virtually every inch of the Great Ouse from Huntingdon to Buckingham. He fished a lot at Willington because it was on the rail line from Hitchin.
He caught two chub there, on a backwater just after WW2 on frogs. 6lbs 4oz and 6lbs 14oz in two casts. Read how he caught them in "No Need to Lie".
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
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**** lived at three addresses. He was born in Hitchin and lived on Bearton Avenue in his Mother's house. Then he bought his own house in Flitwick - Beds.
He then moved to Ivel Gardens - Biggleswade. You can virtually see his house from the A1 as you pass Biggleswade. It backs onto the River Ivel. Much of his fishing in his final days took place at the bottom of his garden.
He then moved to Ivel Gardens - Biggleswade. You can virtually see his house from the A1 as you pass Biggleswade. It backs onto the River Ivel. Much of his fishing in his final days took place at the bottom of his garden.
Dicky (Angling Trust PAC)
Senior Member
It's lovely to think that the great man fished the same stretch that first inspired my life of fishing.
More articles please Ron
More articles please Ron
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
Guest
Another fascinating thing about Walker's writings. He only actually wrote a few books.
The vast majority of his books were made up from articles he had written in various magazines and of course letters that passed between himself and Maurice Ingham.
His books - written as books were:
"The Flemish Giant Rabbit"
"Rod Bulding for Amateurs"
"Still Water Angling"
"The Way Fish Feed"
"Catching Fish"
"No Need to Lie"
In that order I think. I can't think of any others.
The vast majority of his books were made up from articles he had written in various magazines and of course letters that passed between himself and Maurice Ingham.
His books - written as books were:
"The Flemish Giant Rabbit"
"Rod Bulding for Amateurs"
"Still Water Angling"
"The Way Fish Feed"
"Catching Fish"
"No Need to Lie"
In that order I think. I can't think of any others.
darkuser80
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Ron, a very good article, fascinating reading , as a youngster (1959 model) it was compulsorily to read his books, well in our fishing household it was, my late father & grandfather both fished, I?ve still got their Richard walker collection/s some 17 books, as you say , most are compilations of articles previously printed but still worth reading. Well done Ron.
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Chris Bishop
Guest
<<<<<<< To me, good friends are the most important part of fishing ? I?d rather have a blank day with them, than a big catch in uncongenial company. >>>>>>>>
Spot on, I've always loved the quote where Walker was asked who the best angler he knew was.
It wasn't Peter Stone, Fred J Taylor or Buller, it was old so and so you've never heard of.
When asked why, he said (to paraphrase..): "Because he enjoys his fishing more than anyone else I know."
Spot on, I've always loved the quote where Walker was asked who the best angler he knew was.
It wasn't Peter Stone, Fred J Taylor or Buller, it was old so and so you've never heard of.
When asked why, he said (to paraphrase..): "Because he enjoys his fishing more than anyone else I know."
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Frank "Chubber" Curtis
Guest
Walker was one of the last great angling writers and I fear we shall never see their like again.
Most modern books and articles simply tell you "how to do it" but Walker, Venables, Hargreaves, BB, and the others of that era managed to convey their passion and love for the sport whilst at the same time imparting their knowledge to us lesser mortals.
Perhaps it was because of their ability to use the beauty of the English language and so be able to put their thoughts, innovations and experiences into words that could hold the reader enthralled from beginning to end.
How many of us today would be able to even correspond in the way that Walker did with Ingham and Taylor. Very few I would imagine.
Most modern books and articles simply tell you "how to do it" but Walker, Venables, Hargreaves, BB, and the others of that era managed to convey their passion and love for the sport whilst at the same time imparting their knowledge to us lesser mortals.
Perhaps it was because of their ability to use the beauty of the English language and so be able to put their thoughts, innovations and experiences into words that could hold the reader enthralled from beginning to end.
How many of us today would be able to even correspond in the way that Walker did with Ingham and Taylor. Very few I would imagine.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
Guest
If you study carefully the way Walker put words, sentences and paragraphs together, it doesn't take you long to discover that he had hidden genius.
Not for Walker the long flowery sentences and obscure words that often typify the writings of say Venables. I find that reading Venables can be quite taxing at times.
No - Walker used the simple words of the common man. But he put those words together in such a clever way that you HAD to read what he had said.
Not only that he was able to write in such a manner that not only did he instruct about a fishing technique but he inspired you to go out and try it.
And he could set a scene on a river bank or lakeside.
"And of course as it gets light, every bird in the district begins to sing - and you'll never get tired of hearing that, however many times you go night fishing.
And then the sun comes up."
Not for Walker the long flowery sentences and obscure words that often typify the writings of say Venables. I find that reading Venables can be quite taxing at times.
No - Walker used the simple words of the common man. But he put those words together in such a clever way that you HAD to read what he had said.
Not only that he was able to write in such a manner that not only did he instruct about a fishing technique but he inspired you to go out and try it.
And he could set a scene on a river bank or lakeside.
"And of course as it gets light, every bird in the district begins to sing - and you'll never get tired of hearing that, however many times you go night fishing.
And then the sun comes up."
darkuser80
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But is it not nice to read a bit of flowery prose, as opposed to the instructional mantra some modern writers insist on. With the exception of Chris Yates .
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Nigel Moors.
Guest
Merlot - I agree with Ron. Flowery can appeal nice as an alternative to the more prevalent IYCF type, this is how you do it sort of writing. But halfway through a flowery article it becomes obvious that a good deal of it is padding or filler and that the article doesn't in fact have too much substance to it.
What Mark says about Walker's writing and the touch of banality to some of his or any great writer's features applies to a good deal of todays stuff and dare I say it, it's seen on FM too! There's a vast resource on this site but there are some writers who's stuff gets published on here and it can be a yawn as soon as you start looking at it.
More of the RW's articles reproduced on here would be only too welcome. Let's have more.
What Mark says about Walker's writing and the touch of banality to some of his or any great writer's features applies to a good deal of todays stuff and dare I say it, it's seen on FM too! There's a vast resource on this site but there are some writers who's stuff gets published on here and it can be a yawn as soon as you start looking at it.
More of the RW's articles reproduced on here would be only too welcome. Let's have more.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
Guest
That great angling journalist and old friend of mine - Colin Dyson (RHS), said this of Walker:
"Walker's influence was there, almost as a living presence, whenever I wrote a single line. I am quite sure that neither I, nor any other writer in the 60s and 70s ever wrote anything without wondering what Walker would make of it. He had such high standards with his own work, and he directly influenced the standards of others.
For a while it was a regular ploy for me to write a feature and then try and make it "Walker proof."
There is no doubt that Walker was the "Angling Writer's Writer."
"Walker's influence was there, almost as a living presence, whenever I wrote a single line. I am quite sure that neither I, nor any other writer in the 60s and 70s ever wrote anything without wondering what Walker would make of it. He had such high standards with his own work, and he directly influenced the standards of others.
For a while it was a regular ploy for me to write a feature and then try and make it "Walker proof."
There is no doubt that Walker was the "Angling Writer's Writer."
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Kevin Perkins 3
Guest
Nigel
"There's a vast resource on this site but there are some writers who's stuff gets published on here and it can be a yawn as soon as you start looking at it"
Interesting statement,as Mark said earlier, we contibutors sometimes suffer 'writers block' and I confess I am having one, for this week at least, but that is because I try not to 'pad out' the articles I write (too much!).
That said, anyone who has gone to he trouble of submitting an article to Graham for publication, has, generally, written it to their best standard. Now, they may not be 'professional' contributors, but I don't suspect their intention was to bore people with their offering, and whilst some negative comments might be water off a duck's back to most of us, some others may read that and feel little incentive to
contribute again.
What FM needs to keep it the great site that it is, is more, and certainly varied contributions, some of which may not in themselves be great works of literature, but are certainly an example of the writer expressing themselves in the best way they can, and that should always be encouraged
Rant over!
"There's a vast resource on this site but there are some writers who's stuff gets published on here and it can be a yawn as soon as you start looking at it"
Interesting statement,as Mark said earlier, we contibutors sometimes suffer 'writers block' and I confess I am having one, for this week at least, but that is because I try not to 'pad out' the articles I write (too much!).
That said, anyone who has gone to he trouble of submitting an article to Graham for publication, has, generally, written it to their best standard. Now, they may not be 'professional' contributors, but I don't suspect their intention was to bore people with their offering, and whilst some negative comments might be water off a duck's back to most of us, some others may read that and feel little incentive to
contribute again.
What FM needs to keep it the great site that it is, is more, and certainly varied contributions, some of which may not in themselves be great works of literature, but are certainly an example of the writer expressing themselves in the best way they can, and that should always be encouraged
Rant over!
Mark Wintle
Well-known member
One of the tools that I use when writing is readability stats, found after doing a spell check. You find out whether it is inpenetrable or not. I put Walker's last article in and it scored 65% with 2% passive sentences. That is very readable stuff by any standard. Management speak waffle can score as low as 10%; Harry Potter scores about 75% which is why it is so readable. I vary from 50 to 80%, depending on the subject. Never mind Walker, I try to make it Ron proof!
Personally, I find purple prose hard work. Descriptive writing doesn't have to be that way and Venable's best work was excellent, and Yate's stuff simply takes you to the river bank. This site has to cater for all tastes, so humour, fiction, story telling is equally as valid as how to do it or political rants. That means that some material can seem boring to experienced anglers as it is back to basic stuff.
My challenge to Nigel is - if you can do better....
Personally, I find purple prose hard work. Descriptive writing doesn't have to be that way and Venable's best work was excellent, and Yate's stuff simply takes you to the river bank. This site has to cater for all tastes, so humour, fiction, story telling is equally as valid as how to do it or political rants. That means that some material can seem boring to experienced anglers as it is back to basic stuff.
My challenge to Nigel is - if you can do better....
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
Guest
I wonder what "Blair Speak" gets?
Less than 1% I should imagine.
Less than 1% I should imagine.
Alan Tyler
Well-known member
I used to love the "Conversation Pieces" in which he used to report one half of a dialogue with an imagined pupil - they were both instuctive and hilarious.
Alan Tyler
Well-known member
I used to love the "Conversation Pieces" in which he'd report one half of a dialogue with an imagined pupil - they were both instuctive and hilarious.
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Kevin Perkins 3
Guest
Bloody hell, Mark - I've just scored the 'Donald' book and it came out at 79.3%!! Just because it's readable, doesn't make it popular, I suppose....