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Best fishing books?

George Maltby

George Maltby

Senior Member
Bit of an odd question here,
I have sort of inherited from my father (even though he hasn't croaked yet!) a huge library of fishing books, 99% of which are fly fishing for salmon and sea trout. Now this is great as i am a lover of the dark art, however, I would like to add some more genres to the collection.
So, for christmas I already have on order a sea bass book (another of my great loves), A gilthead bream book (if I can find one). So that's sea fishing sorted, but now I woul like your opinions on what are the best books for three of my favourite coarse fishing species, roach, perch, and of coarse the barbel. I am already very familliar with the techniques for these fish so am looking for an allround blend of readability, education, and photography.
All suggestions welcome and I already have some ideas of my own.
Oh, and before any of you ask...I already have Mr.Crabtree Goes Fishing!
 
I believe John Bailey has books devoted to each specie. The roach one is suppose to be very good but he also has Perch I believe. Unfortunately I think that they are very rare and very expensive. My friend has the Roach one and I think it can fetch over £100 but unfortunately that book is very tight in his grasp:p
For Barbel I could recommend Chris Yates Deepening Pool. However it has a few other species in it too but mostly Barbel. I think he has written another book more about Barbel. The River Prince?? But I haven't got round to getting a copy yet.
 
Found a link for The Roach one. Little cheaper than I thought. May be able to get it from elsewhere but just thought I would show you which book I mean.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roach-Gentle-Giants-John-Bailey/dp/1852230355/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291208918&sr=1-1

The perch one. Not too bad a price.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perch-Contemporary-Days-John-Bailey/dp/1852231211/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291209025&sr=1-1

Not sure about photography. They may not have any but they are suppose to be excellent reads!
 
Cheers guys,
wow, that is an expensive book!
Perch one looks just the job though.
Has any one any experience of the complete book of the roach by dr.everard?
Am googling up the Tony Miles offering.
Suggestions still welcome.
 
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George
Nick Giles Nature of Barbel is a great book and a bit different,and to be fair not to everyones cup of tea.
I really enjoy any Fred J books and those of David Tipping a Local Yorkshire angler has written a couple of great books covering some classic coarse fishing situations.Small stream fishing by David Carl Forbes is also a good read.If I can remeber where it is?
Ken.
 
Recently ive read a load of barbel fishing books and so far the best!
Tony miles/Trefor wests quest for barbel
Tony miles elite barbel
Trefor wests lifetimes addiction

And i am reading Steve stayner barbel obsession which so far is really good!

cheers jamie
 
George

Couldn't let this post pass without a mention of our very own (as in BFW) authors;

Paul Bootes book on Mahseer fishing in India - Somewhere down the Crazy River

and my mate Jon Berry's - Can of Worms - A History of Barbel Fishing and the men who fished for them.

Both books are must haves for any self respecting anglers fishing library.

Also take a look at the definitive barbel book guide in the review section of this site if you really want to start parting with your cash.

ATB

Les
 
I found this shop in Machynlleth a few years back - a right little goldmine.

cheers
 
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
 
Trefor Wests' book is absolutely full of top information and very readable. I have to say my favourite though is Tony Miles' Elite Barbel. It delves into the Hi-nu-val bait subject in depth and i think he is the best modern author at actually making you feel as if you are on the bank. His relating of the absolutely gruelling effort required to land the colossal Kickles and Adams Mill fish hits home to the reader that great reward is hard earned. A totally absorbing book.
 
The Barbel Catchers Club book(the second one), concerning different English barbel rivers is very readable, think it might a available from this site?

Yates' how to fish concerns perch, not his best (the deepening pool and casting at the sun) but is very readable, not as a how too, but for his elegant and romantic desriptions of the fish, the river and its surroundings.

Jon:)
 
No book collection is complete without Casting at the sun IMO, simply the best recent-ish fishing book there is.
 
Barbel book

A friend lent me Barbel - a Handbook of Techniques (Published by Coarse Angling Today), a compendium of different techniques on different locations by many of the top barbel anglers, very readable and some very good photography. I strongly suggest that you have a look at this.
 
Mark Everard's roach book has its moments but it is intended to be something of a scientific treatsise. His 'Barbel River' has more romance and has some good ideas on behaviour and response changes in the course of a season. The John Bailey roach and perch books are great and I got mine cheaply through Amazon. My Trefor West 'Lifetimes Addiction' is falling apart from constant thumbing and Tony Miles is pretty good too. However Chris Yates is the one. His books are brilliantly written and he is able to convey the spirit of fishing and just being by the river. Finally Terry Lampard's 'First Cast' is a mine of information and source of great fishy envy but also provides a touchstone for putting our obsession into perspective - nobody could work, fish and stay in their relationship if they pursued fish like him!

Best wishes,

Simon
 
Cheers guys, love the sound of casting at the sun, love yates' way of describing things, just makes you want to run to the nearest river.

Quite alot to mull over there, the trefor west books are a recurring theme, out of interest, anyone read the new Martin Bowler offering yet?
 
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