Old Angling Books

[Maceo]

I can't get enough of old fishing books from the library. They have a free ordering service and e-mail you when the book's arrived at your local library and is ready to pick up.

There are plenty of very recent ones too of course and I've borrowed a few of these, but the old ones are even better I think. They really give an insight into what things must have been like at those times and how that generation went about tackling the same problem that we face now - catching fish. When we arrive at the bank we have exactly the same scenery and water in front of us as they did.

Even the books from the 1980s and early 1990s are worth a read - things have changed so much tackle-wise from those times. Every single book, whether it's from the 1990s, 1960s, 1940s or even Victorian times seems to crow about how wonderful the 'modern' new tackle of that time is and how it now meets 'every conceivable possible need and specialisation'! I wonder what they'd say to see bait boats and electronic fish finding echo sounders!

The other seeming constant is a litany of complaints about the terrible state to the rivers/lakes/seas and how they're nowhere near as good as they used to be because of trout farms/extraction/pollution/crayfish/natural disasters/lowering or raising water levels or a whole range of other things that are someone else's fault. Maybe it's just that angers through the ages like a good moan.

The best thing about these old books is that each one of these books always has a couple of nuggets that make you think 'hmmmm.....I could give that a try." It's surprising. Definitely makes them worth reading.

One of the funniest things I've read about fishing in times past is that apparently some Lord of the Manor somewhere liked to catch barbel a lot. So he had his servants tip barrowloads of food into the river every morning at a particular spot for many months.

When it was judged 'ready' for his lordship, he went down to the bank one morning with his entourage and cast in with a bit of whatever it was they'd been feeding on the hook and caught 57 big barbel in an hour and a half or something. No doubt everyone had to say what a great fisherman he was.

The most bizarre thing was that he didn't land ANY of them! Apparently it was considered not the done thing for the gentry to play fish and land them - the angling part only came in hooking the fish.

So once Lord Ponsonby or whatever his name was, had completed his aristocratic strike, he handed the rod over to the manservant who had the job of playing and landing the fish. I expect that while this was happening, a couple of maidens would have dabbed the persperation from his lordship's brow while someone cast his next rod in for him!

Those Victorian times books are excellent. Full of reverend vicars besotted with angling and chaps in blazers punting down the upper Thames and casting for a few roach!

[dovorian]

Intresting read Maceo
I will have to see what Dover library can dig out. I like the idea of reading a victorian angling book.
Cheers.
Jason

[chris.oldgit]

have a look for isaac waltons ' a compleate angler' or 'The Contemplative Mans Recreation', First Published: 1653

[the pyromaniac]

You've hit on one of my obsessions! Since I was 12 or 13 I have read everything I could get my hands on regarding the subject of angling, no matter the species or time of publication. Now I mostly read modern stuff because it's what I can most easily get, but I love the old stuff too. It seems to be very true that anglers throughout the ages complain about the same things and face the same problems, so it's possible to learn from our forefathers if we try.

[Maceo]

Chris - I've heard of that Compleat Angler book. It seems very famous, so it must be worth checking out.

One other thing that you notice from the pictures in these old fishing books is the anglers' wardrobe. The fish they're holding up in front of the camera don't change much, but the human fashions certainly do!

The 1960s to 1980s period seems to have been dominated by over-sized baggy patterned jumpers and excessive facial hair. The older angler's flat cap and pipe combo that was so popular then, seems to have all but disappeared now!

I have to say that some of the authors are quite lunatic too. I mean I quite like fishing, but there's a certain limit. In the book I'm reading at the moment, the author talks about wading through flooded fields in February to try to get to the river bank and then nearly drowning as he stumbled into an unexpected ditch and going down completely under the dark freezing water with his hands full of tackle.

He then rushed back to his car where "I keep a complete change of clothes for just such an incident", getting changed and rushing back to another part of the bank to fish. "I didn't get any bites though".

That's certifiable behaviour!

[chris.oldgit]

it's a bit 'flowery' and 'godly' and sometimes the text is difficult to comprehend, but it does give a 'flavour' to the book.

[Ish The Fish]

Originally Posted by chris.oldgit

have a look for isaac waltons ' a compleate angler' or 'The Contemplative Mans Recreation', First Published: 1653

You still have your signed first print copy?

Speaking as someone returning after a couple of decades away, I'm getting first hand experience of the changes!
Although the core is still the same, the edges have moved a lot.

[chris.oldgit]

lol i wish! what would that be worth ££££££££££

[chazyboi]

cost enuff without an autograph on it lol chris still fishes with whale bone hooks and deer sinue hha innit chris

[chris.oldgit]

naw, new line now 'cat gut' 'get with it man'.