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John Bailey vs. John Wilson

S

Steve Lewis

Senior Member
No, this isn't a "who do you like best?" or celebrity death match question.


I've just watched a recent-ish vid on YouTube with John Bailey talking to John Stephenson from Thomas Turner Antiques about his favourite centrepin reels, and at one point Bailey says (verbatim) "John and I did have our issues in later years". He also seems to be a bit annoyed by the existence of the JW Young Wilson Heritage centrepin. I always thought they were good chums, so to hear John Bailey say that and seemingly have an attitude about a genuinely great reel (in my opinion) was a bit of an eyebrow raiser. I've done some Googling and all I can find are a few cryptic mentions of a "love-hate" relationship, and a little memorial that Bailey wrote for the Eastern Daily Press (which begins "My problem is that from the mid-1980s John became everybody's friend.", which is an odd way to begin an otherwise heartfelt article).

Does anyone know what went on there?
 
I think in later years, JW's outspoken opinion on the destructive nature of otters and their impact on fisheries may have had something to do with it. That is ... "You may think those things, you may believe those things, but no way should you voice your opinions on the matter in the press".
JW predicted "Rivers of Blood", and that didn't go down well with the more (let's say) 'conservative' commentators.
 
Thanks Terry.

Bailey's always been (and still is) VERY outspoken about cormorants (although I don't recall him using the phrase "rivers of blood" 😆), so it would be interesting if that's one of the reasons.
 
Seem to recall Bailey tried to dismiss the impact of otters on the Wensum in the early days. Didn’t someone challenge him to actually catch one about 5 years ago ? I think his position has changed to some degree now.
 
Not sure this is worth a thread about an apparent fall out between the two Steve, especially so soon after the passing of John . Besides it such a riduculosly petty matter, a centre pin reel!

Are we so fixated on here with regard to tackle tarting?

Can we leave it that JW was a great angler and a great ambassador for Angling.
 
Not sure where you got the tackle tart thing from Neil - the reel is only a very tiny part of it that was merely an observation, it was more the comment in the vid about issues (nothing to do with the reel) and the VERY odd opening to Bailey's written eulogy (nothing to do with the reel). I agree Wilson was and remains a legend, and, like him or not, Bailey continues to be a great ambassador for the sport himself (if nothing else he's the consultant on Bob and Paul's fishing show which, even if [the royal] you don't like it, [the royal] you can't argue that it has helped raise the profile of angling). I was only curious as to what happened between them that caused a rift between two famous anglers I believed were always very good friends. I, personally, think that's worth a discussion, especially as Bailey himself has put it out there, given how big both are in the world of UK angling.
 
Yes we all know or possibly should by now JW had an opinion and freely aired them, he earned the right to do so, his comments were often right if a little too blunt. I remember the Cormorant reason for them fishing in land waters was down to us raping the Oceans, how true especially in light of many thousands of Whiting found dead this weekend off the French coast, as a result of a super trawler breaking its net's.
I will admit I am not John Bailey's biggest fan, he certainly knows how to cash in ....and perhaps I am a little too biased here, but imo it was bad form for JB to comment such and not worth repeating.
 
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