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What are your top ten angling books?

Conveniently ignoring the ask to name 10. Currently reading this which has hefty chunk of pages dedicated to Barbel behaviour and location:

IMG_3370.jpeg
 
I took note of some of these recommendations and went online to buy a (secondhand) copy or two.

But, is it me or have book prices just gone mad?

This is what I found (these are AVERAGES, where there are a number for sale):-

Wilson- Spec.Anger's Year ~£16
Any Dave Lane ~£48
McConnell- Channel Zs ~£58
Any Terry Hearn ~£61
Watson- Piker's Progress ~£63
Gaz Fareham- Forgotten Chapters ~£115!
Terry Lampard ~£126!!
Wade/Boote- Somewhere Down The Crazy River ~£224!!!

Me? I bought the cheapest copy of the Wilson for £13.45 ;-)

Another ten different ones I like, to suit many tastes:-

A Dream Of Jewelled Fishes and The Glorious Uncertainty- both by John Ashton,
A Glorious Waste Of Time- Jim Gibbinson,
The C**p Strikes Back and C**p Now And Then- Rod Hutchinson
The Waters Of Life- Tom O'Reilly,
Fox Pool- Rob Marlin,
Reeling In The Years- Harry Haskell,
True Tales From An Expert Fisherman- John Bailey &
Going Fishing- Negley Farson
 
Adrian Sadler said:
I took note of some of these recommendations and went online to buy a (secondhand) copy or two.

But, is it me or have book prices just gone mad?

This is what I found (these are AVERAGES, where there are a number for sale):-

Wilson- Spec.Anger's Year ~£16
Any Dave Lane ~£48
McConnell- Channel Zs ~£58
Any Terry Hearn ~£61
Watson- Piker's Progress ~£63
Gaz Fareham- Forgotten Chapters ~£115!
Terry Lampard ~£126!!
Wade/Boote- Somewhere Down The Crazy River ~£224!!!

Me? I bought the cheapest copy of the Wilson for £13.45 ;-)

Another ten different ones I like, to suit many tastes:-

A Dream Of Jewelled Fishes and The Glorious Uncertainty- both by John Ashton,
A Glorious Waste Of Time- Jim Gibbinson,
The C**p Strikes Back and C**p Now And Then- Rod Hutchinson
The Waters Of Life- Tom O'Reilly,
Fox Pool- Rob Marlin,
Reeling In The Years- Harry Haskell,
True Tales From An Expert Fisherman- John Bailey &
Going Fishing- Negley Farson
Click to expand...
Typo. Rob Maylin not Marlin...though I recall his nickname was Mayhem!
 
Adrian Sadler said:
I took note of some of these recommendations and went online to buy a (secondhand) copy or two.

But, is it me or have book prices just gone mad?

This is what I found (these are AVERAGES, where there are a number for sale):-

Wilson- Spec.Anger's Year ~£16
Any Dave Lane ~£48
McConnell- Channel Zs ~£58
Any Terry Hearn ~£61
Watson- Piker's Progress ~£63
Gaz Fareham- Forgotten Chapters ~£115!
Terry Lampard ~£126!!
Wade/Boote- Somewhere Down The Crazy River ~£224!!!

Me? I bought the cheapest copy of the Wilson for £13.45 ;-)

Another ten different ones I like, to suit many tastes:-

A Dream Of Jewelled Fishes and The Glorious Uncertainty- both by John Ashton,
A Glorious Waste Of Time- Jim Gibbinson,
The C**p Strikes Back and C**p Now And Then- Rod Hutchinson
The Waters Of Life- Tom O'Reilly,
Fox Pool- Rob Marlin,
Reeling In The Years- Harry Haskell,
True Tales From An Expert Fisherman- John Bailey &
Going Fishing- Negley Farson
Click to expand...
Adrian in some cases book prices have actually come down. For example, Pikers Progress used to fetch well over £100 about 15 years ago. That was until John Watson updated it with further chapters. Basically a second edition. Second hand prices are generally a reflection of the initial print run. For example, it is generally considered (according to my sources) that there are about 500 individuals in the country that will buy a new book on pike. Barbel I would wager is more. I should imagine it will be a lot more for a species like carp. Therefore, the canny author, limits their print run, so as not to be left with too many copies in boxes stored in the 'spare bedroom'. This is what I understand happened with Paul Bootes and Wades book "Somewhere down the Crazy River". I heard that many boxes were dumped down at the tip. I actually purchased a copy direct from the author at a fishing conference for the RRP of about £18. I sold it years later for £190. I only read it once. It was OK. But many rave about it and hence the second hand prices.
 
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Ady Brayshaw said:
Adrian in some cases book prices have actually come down. For example, Pikers Progress used to fetch well over £100 about 15 years ago. That was until John Watson updated it with further chapters. Basically a second edition. Second hand prices are generally a reflection of the initial print run. For example, it is generally considered (according to my sources) that there are about 500 individuals in the country that will buy a new book on pike. Barbel I would wager is more. I should imagine it will be a lot more for a species like carp. Therefore, the canny author, limits their print run, so as not to be left with too many copies in boxes stored in the 'spare bedroom'. This is what I understand happened with Paul Bootes and Wades book "Somewhere down the Crazy River". I heard that many boxes were dumped down at the tip. I actually purchased a copy direct from the author at a fishing conference for the RRP of about £18. I sold it years later for £190. I only read it once. It was OK. But many rave about it and hence the second hand prices.
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2 books I still want to read are ‘somewhere down the crazy river’ and Tony miles ‘my way with chub’….but not at those prices. I keep searching the charity shops in hope!!!
 
Alan Palmer said:
Forgot about this one, a favourite of mine too based on eccentric but successful bait concoctions and a lot of his fishing is on the Ouse close to me
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Great book for getting the grey matter going , I am undecided whether the appalling proof reading failures add to its uniqueness or detract.
 
Alan Palmer said:
2 books I still want to read are ‘somewhere down the crazy river’ and Tony miles ‘my way with chub’….but not at those prices. I keep searching the charity shops in hope!!!
Click to expand...
You may strike lucky. I've picked up some right bargains in general second hand book shops. Ones worth £80-90 for a fiver. They are out there. Although with eBay and Abebooks sellers are more savvy these days.
 
Adrian Sadler said:
I took note of some of these recommendations and went online to buy a (secondhand) copy or two.

But, is it me or have book prices just gone mad?

This is what I found (these are AVERAGES, where there are a number for sale):-

Wilson- Spec.Anger's Year ~£16
Any Dave Lane ~£48
McConnell- Channel Zs ~£58
Any Terry Hearn ~£61
Watson- Piker's Progress ~£63
Gaz Fareham- Forgotten Chapters ~£115!
Terry Lampard ~£126!!
Wade/Boote- Somewhere Down The Crazy River ~£224!!!

Me? I bought the cheapest copy of the Wilson for £13.45 ;-)

Another ten different ones I like, to suit many tastes:-

A Dream Of Jewelled Fishes and The Glorious Uncertainty- both by John Ashton,
A Glorious Waste Of Time- Jim Gibbinson,
The C**p Strikes Back and C**p Now And Then- Rod Hutchinson
The Waters Of Life- Tom O'Reilly,
Fox Pool- Rob Marlin,
Reeling In The Years- Harry Haskell,
True Tales From An Expert Fisherman- John Bailey &
Going Fishing- Negley Farson
Click to expand...

You don’t need to pay more than £30 for the Terry Hearn books or Forgotten Chapters.

I tried to sell Channel Zander on here a while back for less than that and no one wanted it. Also sold one of the Terry Lampard books for £45 on here I think.
 
Too many to list - but these come to mind

1. Terry Hearn In pursuit of the largest
2. Terry Hearn. still searching
3.Trefor West Barbel a lifetime addiction
4. Terry Lampard Last Cast
5. Terry Theobald Still Hooked
6. Chris Turnbull. A time for Tench
7. Stephen Harper. A line on the water
8. Barbel Society. Barbel Tales
9. Tony Miles. Silver Season Golden Memories
10. Tony Miles / Trefor West. Quest for Barbel
 
1- How to Fish , Chris Yates
2-A Dream of Jewelled Fish , and the Glorious Uncertainty , John Aston
3-Still water Angling , Richard Walker
4-Small Stream Fishing , David Carl-Forbes
5-Somwhere Down the Crazy River , Paul Boote and Jeremy Wade
6-Match Fishing with Benny Ashurst , Benny Ashurst / Peter Collins
7-Confessions of a Carp Fisher , 'B B'
8-A life on the Edge , Hugh Falkus
9-A History of Carp Fishing , Kevin Clifford
10-A Can of Worms , Jon Berry

I know that's 11 but who cares . I have Yates at no 1 as its is the only book that none angling friends have read that explains perfectly why people find angling so attractive , it is an exquisitely written book . 'now I understand ' is the usual reply .
 
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Recently I have found my self reading and re-reading the books about early specimen hunting which morphed into specialist angling. These usually had a editor who may contribute an article or two, but the the bulk of the books were articles by leading specialist on a particular species. Often the same writer would a appear in a number of books but discussing a different species or the same species but from different types of waters.

Trevor Housby- Specimen Hunters Handbook
Bruce Vaughan -Top Ten
Frank Guttfield -The Big Fish Scene
David Carl Forbes- Catch a Big Fish
Peter Wheat- Fishing as we Find It

John Bailey's various single species books are all worth a read with his Roach and Perch books being well know but his Bream and Chub books are also good.
Any of Kenneth Seaman's books, Canal Fishing, The Complete Chub Angler and Big Fish from Small Streams are all worth a read especially the latter. Every bit as good as David Carl Forbes similar offering and a fraction of the price
Books by a single author I have enjoyed include,
Graham Marsden -Advanced Coarse Angling and Angling Essays
Jim Gibbinson-Modern Specimen Hunting

A friend of mine, who is a fly fisherman, has an extensive collection of very valuable first editions of classic fly fishing book, many about the northern fly fishing tradition, said to me ignore the sections on tackle as they are not relevant to modern fishing but the sections on watercraft, fish behaviour and technique are all instructive.

Anglers describing the experience of fishing include
David Tipping -Angling Waters
Tag Barnes-Angling Memories

But I feel one of the best is Luke Jennings Blood Knots

Most these are not expensive on Amazon or Abebooks.
 
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Michael Brough said:
Recently I have found my self reading and re-reading the books about early specimen hunting which morphed into specialist angling. These usually had a editor who may contribute an article or two, but the the bulk of the books were articles by leading specialist on a particular species. Often the same writer would a appear in a number of books but discussing a different species or the same species but from different types of waters.

Trevor Housby- Specimen Hunters Handbook
Bruce Vaughan -Top Ten
Frank Guttfield -The Big Fish Scene
David Carl Forbes- Catch a Big Fish
Peter Wheat- Fishing as we Find It

John Bailey's various single species books are all worth a read with his Roach and Perch books being well know but his Bream and Chub books are also good.
Any of Kenneth Seaman's books, Canal Fishing, The Complete Chub Angler and Big Fish from Small Streams are all worth a read especially the latter. Every bit as good as David Carl Forbes similar offering and a fraction of the price
Books by a single author I have enjoyed include,
Graham Marsden -Advanced Coarse Angling and Angling Essays
Jim Gibbinson-Modern Specimen Hunting

A friend of mine, who is a fly fisherman, has an extensive collection of very valuable first editions of classic fly fishing book, many about the northern fly fishing tradition, said to me ignore the sections on tackle as they are not relevant to modern fishing but the sections on watercraft, fish behaviour and technique are all instructive.

Anglers describing the experience of fishing include
David Tipping -Angling Waters
Tag Barnes-Angling Memories

But I feel one of the best is Luke Jennings Blood Knots

Most these are not expensive on Amazon or Abebooks.
Click to expand...

I think my favourite John Bailey ones are Trout at Ten Thousand Feet and Casting for Gold, also both cheap reads.
 
Christian Tyroll said:
I think my favourite John Bailey ones are Trout at Ten Thousand Feet and Casting for Gold, also both cheap reads.
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John Bailey, like many prolific writers, produced a number of pot boilers and frankly mediocre books, but also produced some real gems. Travels with a Two Piece, In Visible Waters the two you mentioned and the Fishing Detective spring to mind.

​

 
Paul Rogers, A Good Angler in his Time.
A Barbel Legend
A great read and I would say "a good angler in ALL his time". Simply the best Angling book ever. I was very lucky to get a rare signed copy.
 
I don’t read books as much as I should But do keep going back to a few
Trefor West- barbel - lifetime addiction
James Holgate & Dave Lumb pike books
Just Williams- Nigel Williams
Mammoth Pike - Fickling
How to catch bigger pike - Paul Gustafson( much maligned in the piking world but I love the book)
Assorted John Wilson and Martin Bowler
Pike Fever-Jens Bursell
Willow Pitch series
 
Some of the early John Bailey books were excellent such as 'In Visible Waters' and 'In Wild Waters'. Some of the the later stuff is as Michael rightly states 'frankly mediocre'.

With the odd notable exception, the 'how-to' style of angling books have never really appealed.
 
Michael Brough said:
Recently I have found my self reading and re-reading the books about early specimen hunting which morphed into specialist angling. These usually had a editor who may contribute an article or two, but the the bulk of the books were articles by leading specialist on a particular species. Often the same writer would a appear in a number of books but discussing a different species or the same species but from different types of waters.

Trevor Housby- Specimen Hunters Handbook
Bruce Vaughan -Top Ten
Frank Guttfield -The Big Fish Scene
David Carl Forbes- Catch a Big Fish
Peter Wheat- Fishing as we Find It

John Bailey's various single species books are all worth a read with his Roach and Perch books being well know but his Bream and Chub books are also good.
Any of Kenneth Seaman's books, Canal Fishing, The Complete Chub Angler and Big Fish from Small Streams are all worth a read especially the latter. Every bit as good as David Carl Forbes similar offering and a fraction of the price
Books by a single author I have enjoyed include,
Graham Marsden -Advanced Coarse Angling and Angling Essays
Jim Gibbinson-Modern Specimen Hunting

A friend of mine, who is a fly fisherman, has an extensive collection of very valuable first editions of classic fly fishing book, many about the northern fly fishing tradition, said to me ignore the sections on tackle as they are not relevant to modern fishing but the sections on watercraft, fish behaviour and technique are all instructive.

Anglers describing the experience of fishing include
David Tipping -Angling Waters
Tag Barnes-Angling Memories

But I feel one of the best is Luke Jennings Blood Knots

Most these are not expensive on Amazon or Abebooks.
Click to expand...
Angling Essays by Graham Marsden is very well written and thought provoking. One of my angling heroes.
 
My favourite fishing book is Blood Knots by Luke Jennings.

Its not strictly a fishing book at all but fishing features high in this autobiographical book from fly fishing in rivers in the Yorkshire Dales to piking after dark in the Regents Canal behind Kings Cross- anybody who knew that area up to the early 90's will appreciate just how dodgy that area could be after dark ( and even durng the day). I fished it between Camden Town and Islington in the earl y90's but I deffo would not have fished into dark.

Luke Jenning is an established author and wrote the books that Killing Eve was based on and this book is so well written that I have read it 4 times and will probably keep reading it for the rest of my life.

Strongly recommended.
 
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