Angling

angling Great Escapes

WE’VE BEEN A BIT DEPRIVED OF FISHING THIS YEAR, SO I HAVE FOUND THE NEXT BEST THING IS TO ESCAPE INTO THE WORLD OF BOOKS

Well, let’s get it over with – Merry Christmas! There. I’ve done it. Not that there has been much to be joyous about this year and it seems like it is Bleak Expectations every night on the telly. And that is just the news! So, how do we cheer ourselves up with all this uncertainty and gloom? What about a good read? That will get us over the winter period and in a better frame of mind for the spring which is just around the corner. Take my word for it. Reading about fishing is almost as good as doing it especially when the book inspires. A lot of the fishing books I read have very little in them regarding tackle and tactics, but are more about the experiences enjoyed whilst fishing. It allows your mind to escape into someone elses experience. Arthur Ransome was quite a character. Locked in a loveless marriage he contrived to travel to Russia to study, found work as a journalist and was embroiled in the Russian political scene in the years leading up to The Great War during which he assisted the British Secret Services. He also wrote children’s stories including “Swallows and Amazons” and a weekly fishing column for the Manchester Guardian. Some of the articles were latterly compiled into a fishing book entitled “Rod and Line”. Ransome’s typical fishing day would have him marching down to the railway station dressed in brogues and breeches suitable for wading. He would take the train to Appleby-in-Westmoreland where he took breakfast at a local hostelry and obtained a packed lunch to eat later. He then walked to the river and spent his day fly-fishing for trout and grayling. The By Clive Kenyon short stories contained in the book are bonefish, tarpon and permit were lured magical tales of high expectations and low using fly tackle. achievements, observations on the countryside especially things of interest to the angler. We meet local anglers such as William Nelson who was an expert at minnow fishing for trout and consider Yorkshire grayling flies tied by Pritt. The chapter “Fishing in Lilliput” is all about catching the biggest fish from the smallest of waters. I defy anyone not to be enchanted by this book. Back over this side of the pond but continuing the pioneering theme “Memories of Carp” is a collection of accounts written by Tim Paisley, Rod Hutchinson and others about catching large carp in the UK and on the Continent. The book outlines how methods and theories have progressed over the years and gives an insight into the time, money and hardships spent in pursuit of the Another inspirational author who doesn’t largest carp. In total contrast to that brag about how many fish he caught mentality are books written by Chris Yates despite catching a lot of fish is Zane Grey. who took up the cause of traditional Like Ransome, Grey is better known for fishing for large fish and has a much more his non-fishing books, in the case of Zane relaxed approach to his fishing. “Casting Grey it is Western novels that gave him at the Sun” and “The Secret Carp” are as fame and fortune. Grey was quite a far removed from modern carp fishing character. Initially failing time and time books as you could expect to reach yet are again to get his novels published he fascinating reads. eventually had one accepted and ended up as one of the most wealthy men in America. What he earned writing cowboy books he spent fishing. “Tales of Freshwater Fishing” follows a young, naïve angler fishing his local rivers with rudimentary tackle and simple methods. He is often joined by his brother and rivalry is rife. As the book goes on the fishing matures and becomes more exciting. Every year Grey would take a small party of Clive Gammon was known as a sea angler and famous for his catches of large bass from the Atlantic storm beaches of the south of Ireland. But there was more to Gammon than that and his book “I Know a Good Place” takes us all over the world in search of specimen fish in fresh and salt water. You could get some good ideas for your own personal ‘Bucket List’ from this book. The Welsh Initially failing time and time again to get his novels published he eventually had one accepted and ended up as one of the most wealthy men in America anglers to the company Cochmountain rivers of Colorado to fish for y-Bonddu Books has a vast selection of steelhead trout. Steelheads are sea-going new and pre-owned fishing books and old rainbow trout and the expeditions magazines of all genres and these can be involved hitching a lift on a logging train, purchased online and dispatched to your hiking through the woods and spending letter box. There are other specialist several weeks living in tents, eating what companies that deal in niche interests for they caught and shot and generally having collectors or historians. The Medlar Press a wonderful time. Grey’s immense wealth company is a good place to discover these allowed him to indulge in big game fishing sort of books and for those who like a off the Pacific coast and in New Zealand. bargain and don’t mind rummaging for His book “Tales of Swordfish and those bargains, a few charity shops now Tuna” show a different type of operate online sales of items including fishing. Often brutal in the long, hard books. And, for those who prefer to read battles with the huge fish hooked and on a tablet or i-Pad it is possible to played in blistering heat. It gives an download fishing books from Kindle and insight into another world. many old books have been digitised by In the same sort of mould, writers like John Gierach give an unassuming insight into American river fishing for Universities and other organisations and are available in various formats often at no charge. trout where on some waters the anglers So, let us keep ourselves safely occupied are lined up in their hundreds. Or Joe through the next few months and

Brooks who was instrumental in re- hopefully emerge at the end of winter discovering the Argentinan sea-trout ready to catch up on what we have been rivers and Caribbean venues where deprived of during 2020.