Willow Pitch VI – Crucian Renaissance

[Catfish.017]

So it is just me then

No Dave I'm with you on this. The pectoral fin on the left (the fishes right hand one) is shown too long. If it was depicted with only half its length showing the balance would be correct. All rather pedantic really but there it is.

[Tengisgol]

Here’s an interesting thing. I’m not entering a discussion about whether that particular illustration is right or wrong but this is what happened to me. Many, many years ago I had a really big issue in my head with the roach illustration (Chris Turnbull) on the back of The Gentle Giants. It just looked wrong to me. Then one day I came across a shoal of roach on the river Roding including a couple that were monsters - potentially two pounds or more. I watched those fish for ages very close up (it was closed season and they were in the flow after spawning). I then realised that Chris has actually managed to capture those roach in the water perfectly in his illustration. It was me that had it wrong because I had never seen a fish like that before in the water and in a current. He had been right all along.

[Pallenpool]

Chris’s illustrations are stylised - I think it’s a marmite affair, you either like them or you do not and regardless of a natural context. I’m not sure about them personally, when you produce something in such detail it opens the door to speculation. The preference for me is along Maurice’s line of illustration. His work evokes the seasons and the magic of change through them.

[Leigh]

Chris’s illustrations are stylised - I think it’s a marmite affair, you either like them or you do not and regardless of a natural context. I’m not sure about them personally, when you produce something in such detail it opens the door to speculation. The preference for me is along Maurice’s line of illustration. His work evokes the seasons and the magic of change through them.

I'm not sure if Maurice is a member of this forum? But agree about his artwork. I read an article he produced in Anglers Mail about how he produces his material, I wish I could sit with him for the day.

[Carl Hier]

Just to add, I have Chris Turnbull’s book Reflections and have always greatly admired his artwork and sketches. In particular, colour works of a Barbel (cover of his book) and double-page image of Tench, I’ve always viewed as first-class. I enjoy (very amateur) sketching but generally need to ‘copy’ another image. For anyone to achieve the scale, colours, the imagery of water and level of detail that he does, I think is extremely impressive .

[Troydog]

Unless it’s a grayling !?!? (Smiley face)

[Crucian]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention Mark.
My copy has just arrived, I can't wait to start reading, it looks very good indeed