The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Having only just caught the book collecting bug this year, I only have around 10 books. The first one I bought was Tony Miles' "The complete specimen angler". The chapters on both Bream and Tench are very interesting. A brilliant author whos books are great reads.

This was my first fishing book "The Technique of Freshwater Fishing by W.E. Davis Bought in 1973. I absolutely loved this book.

peter wheat observers book of coarse fishing 1976 I believe.

I bought Ditchfields Little Wonder Book "Coarse Fishing" for sixpence in 1945 from a shop in Cardiff where we were on holiday with relatives

I do not know what happended to it but it was the start of a collection that peaked at about two hundred books which is now decreasing as my son
has no interest in angling friends are very appreciative of them especially the trout fishers

There are some however that will not go and to my wife's digust I am still adding to the collection recently purchasing "Fine Angling for Coarse Fish2
for the princely sum of £3 on EBay. It is a good clean copy ofthe first edition

I suppose my first serious book was “Fine Angling for Coarse Fish”.Ted Ensome (“Faddist”) which is still applicable today.

Fishing for Roach with Mr Cherry and Jim. I still have it. An eighth Birthday present. However, I do remember spending a lot of time reading Coarse Fishing by Kenneth Mansfield. Was particularly captivated by the chapter on carp fishing.

I inherited my brothers copy of Mr Crabtree in the fifties, collected the Brooke Bond Freshwater Fish series. Later I acquired the I-Spy books and the observer series.

I now have over 500 fishing books.

Hi everyone, Chance to wind back nearly 60 yrs. My first book was Ditchfields Little Wonder Book no 6,"Fishing for all ages" The green printed version (the early ones were black print) 32 pages for about one shilling (5p). Heaven when your nine yrs old in yester year I could almost quote it then when asked. !

"Roach" in the HTCT series followed by "Perch" in the same series. Bought them from Browns Tackle, Manor Park in East London.
I then started borrowing books from the library.
My first from there was "This Fishing" by Capt.L.A.Parker (author of Roach in the HTCT series). I was completely fascinated as I only fished a couple of park lakes and descriptions of the Hampshire Avon and the techniques of trotting were like another world. Especially interesting was mention of his underwater periscope and wooden leger.
I now live close to the Avon and fish waters he used to manage.
But like many others my favourite book of all time is still "No Need to Lie". When I borrowed that from the library I was late in returning it as I was reading it over and over again and also admiring Reg Cooke's amazing artwork. What a classic!

Favourite books at the moment would be Kevin Ashurst on match fishing
Next month it could be something else. Books I consistently go back too would be one of the john Wilson jobs.