• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

Best fishing books?

I can't say I'm well read in classic angling literature, but I got Tony Miles 50 years on the Ouse for Christmas, and have to say like Chasing Dreams it is an excellent read, he has a habit of putting you there when you read, which isn't an easy thing to do - I read Terry Lampards First Cast but I just couldn't really get into it.
 
I agree on Tony Miles' books, he has that knack. I think a lot of it is the ease with which he relates failure as well as success and, even though he is a top specimen hunter he manages to keep a sense of perspective and humour in his work.
 
Last edited:
I think I`ve mentioned it on here before but a brilliant read if you get the chance is "Fishing around the world" by Leander J McCormick. A fascinating look at a time long past when the world was a treasure trove of as yet undiscovered angling thrills.

"Battles with Giant Fish" by F.W. Mitchell Hedges although not angling in the truest sense is also a great read, btw F.W.Mitchell Hedges was the inspiration for Indiana Jones and got several mentions in the last movie.

Mic
 
Hello again Mike,

Danger my ally
Yes I`ve had a copy of that too, then lent it out never to be seen again. He certainly knew how to write an adventure.

One thing that puzzles me I wasn`t too sure what the deal was with Lady Brown in "Battles", she seemed to be the source of his funds but I couldn`t quite work out what she got out of the relationship.

I`m currently trying to find a "decent" copy of it again. Lots of the Pan edition but most a bit dog eared.

Mic
 
Last edited:
Hi Mic

Lady Richmond Brown F.L.S.,F.R.G.S.,F.Z.S. was his benefactor [and Mistress ??], looking for adventure. And she found it and danger too. Remember too it was his 'adopted' daughter Sammy who is reported found the Scull of Doom. She wrote her own book called 'Unknown Tribes Uncharted Seas"

A few books I enjoyed/dip into frequently

Angling In The News Ken Sutton [stories leading up to and forming the Angling Times]
Angling Diversions A.Courtney Williams
Fishermans Bedside book BB [Denys Watkins Pitchford]
Trout Of the Thames A.E.Hobbs
Big Fish from Salt Water John Goddard
Piscatorial Society 1836-1936
Trout Flies of Stillwater John Goddard
To Catch a Fisherman Jamie Maxtone Graham [private / limited publication]
this last book lists all the angling patents and is a mine of information for me as of course is Angling Diversions

Mike

Mike
 
Fine minds at work: R.C. Bridgett, G.E.M. Skues, F.W. Hills.

Crackling writing about often groundbreaking fly fishing and flytying in the late 19th and first decades of the 20th Century. Hill's A Summer on The Test gets an annual reading from me, its elegant but practical writing style drawing me to the banks of streams that were then very much worth fishing. His two South American dorado books, which I bought for pence and read many years ago, made me swing over that way and check the fish out in the 1990s. Bridgett, the astonishing innovator... As for Skues ... well, much has already been written about that best of flyfishers with a razor-sharp lawyer's mind by others.

All three men mentioned above great writers of great book in their different ways.
 
Last edited:
Agree Paul, by the way Happy New Year.

Another vote for Skues, love his little book "Itchen Memories" [1951] and of course Plunket Greene who incidently was one of Dick's favourites. Perhaps it was the opera.

Take care

Mike
 
Anyone read " The Big Fish Scene " by Frank Guttfield.
Cracking book, all chapters on different species by the likes of Wilson, Bailey, Marsden, Head, Rickards, to name a few.
I think it was first published in the late seventies, still a great read.
 
Conrad Farlow said:
I hope this isn't considered off topic. I have the Kindle software on my iPhone and I love it. Reading a book on it is not the fiddly rubbish experience that I thought it would be, in fact for novels it is fantastic.

So are there any decent fishing books on Kindle that people know of? I suppose not but I thought it worth asking, my intention would be to read them and if I like a book I would probably buy it for my collection as I do prefer the real thing.

Conrad

Conrad
Click to expand...

Certainly number 1 in the kindle collection of fishing books ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Complete-Angler-1653/dp/B000JQV38S/ref=pd_cp_kinc_1
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top