Influence of Salmon Fishing Writers

[castlikeaghille]

I am interested to know which UK author readers think has been the most influential in the development of salmon fishing either personally or generally, and why this is so. There are all the usual suspects, but equally interested in any lesser known A N Others. The category is open to writers still traipsing the banks as well as those who are now fishing God’s great river. The only condition is that they have had a book on salmon fishing published.

Of course, if your view was they were all just a bunch of writers, and about as much practical use as a chocolate fireguard then that’s an equally valid response. Or indeed, we could even have a contrarian category of least influential writer


Regards

CLaG

[macd]

Bill Currie
Neil Graesser
Arthur Oglesby


What I like about these guys is that you get a feel for what they are trying to do. By way of contrast Hugh Falkus book is more of an ABC-and pompous too.

Bill Currie deserves wider recognition as does Neil Graesser- he was extolling the long wing fly years before it became the in thing.

I like books which provide insight instead of instruction.

R

[ibm59]

castlikeaghille said:

I am interested to know which UK author readers think has been the most influential in the development of salmon fishing either personally or generally, and why this is so. There are all the usual suspects, but equally interested in any lesser known A N Others. The category is open to writers still traipsing the banks as well as those who are now fishing God’s great river. The only condition is that they have had a book on salmon fishing published.

Of course, if your view was they were all just a bunch of writers, and about as much practical use as a chocolate fireguard then that’s an equally valid response. Or indeed, we could even have a contrarian category of least influential writer


Regards

CLaG

Apart from pointing beginners in the right direction, the single most important thing that most of the big names do is to make people THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. The problem I find with most books is that they are very river/loch type specific and don't translate well to other water types. I've been at this fishing game of ours for more years than I care to remember but can't remember a single publication that didn't have some sections that just weren't of any inerest.
Successful Seatrout Angling by Morgan&Harris came very close though. Great book. Read it if you havn't already.
I've always had a sneaking admiration for Falkus. Probably more for his no nonsense/can't stand bull"""t attitude than what he wrote, though.
Just read macd's post. How could I forget Bill Currie? A genuine great. Is he still with us ? Havn't seen anything new in print for a while.

[betanut]

Interesting question to ask
Of the big 'two' (Falkus & Oglesby) I have always had a leaning towards the Falkus books - I still dip into them every now and again, less so Arthurs books I think Falkus can rightly be considered as one of the 'greats' of writing about Salmon (and Sea Trout!) fishing not because of anything truly revolutionary in his methods or his way of writing, but he produced the first really well orchestrated presentation to anglers of methods of all types - IMHO anyway. Sure, Balfour-Kinnear did similar work a few decades before, but not to the same standard. As a reference on 'how to' the Falkus books would take some beating
Then there are the less well known writers and books - hundreds, I'm sure - but I particularly enjoy Bill Curries stuff and although dated Balfour-Kinnears book 'Catching Salmon and Sea-Trout' really is a good book and I suspect it was a very influential book on writers who followed Balfour-Kinnear.

Hmmm - now I think about it a wee bit more the writer whose work I invariably take notice of is Crawford Little (through the pages of Trout & Salmon) but I've never read his book 'Success with Salmon'

For a different read, and a no bad one, try Never bow to the river by G E J Gawthorn - interesting.

The least useful fishing book I have ever read is about Loch Shin - so it's really not relevant here..... but my copy burned nicely ;D

[rennie]

The late Hugh Falkus who made me realise it could be done.
Bill Currie who made me want to do it.
Francis Grant who made me think about it whilst I did it(think Mr. Grant is now deceased but not sure?).
Bill Currie was certainly with us last back end saw him at Scrogbank as usual for that time of year.
Certainly not a well known Borders Angler/Writer who prints exactly what you have told him in a well known Perthsire Tackle Shop and claims it as his own!(ooh b****y eh!)

[macd]

i have a couple of crawford littles books- will lend you them hamish- once you organise a day's fishing

In terms of influence CL was an early champion of the intermediate line.

I wouldnt knock Falkus book for folk new to the sport- it is a good 'how to.'

imb- i think Mr Currie is still on the go.

[macd]

Forgot Francis Grant- great book.

Sadly, he passed away last year.

[ibm59]

macd said:

Forgot Francis Grant- great book.

Sadly, he passed away last year.

That is bad news. It was Bill's writing way back in the early Seventies that finally hooked me on game fishing and fly fishing in particular. As someone has already said , he made you want to get out there and do it.

[charlieh]

I would certainly put Falkus above Oglesby. I have never had much of an opinion of Oglesby - his stuff is OK as a basic guide but I don't think he ever showed the depth of thinking of Falkus and I'm not sure there's much originality in any of his books.

In fact, let's not beat about the bush. The man was an operator, and a master of self-promotion. He used his reputation to blag free fishing and then wrote 'look how clever I am' articles about all the fish he caught. But it's not all that hard to catch fish, and doesn't require much thinking outside the box, when you have access to Lower Floors, Tulchan, Amhuinnsuidhe, Bolstad etc as he did (on someone else's ticket). People with fisheries or tackle to promote would invite him to fish in the reasonable expectation of a generous write-up.

[macd]

not a fan then charlie ;D

[charlieh]

macd said:

not a fan then charlie ;D

Can't imagine what leads you to that conclusion! The reasons for my opinion are long and probably boring, but his behaviour over something that I was slightly involved in nearly 25 years ago, and the (at best) half-truths that he wrote subsequently showed him up for the sort of person he was.

Nice to see Bill Currie mentioned, btw. Always found his writing very entertaining. I believe he was in Russia with an American I fished with a few times, back in the early '90s when the Kola was still very much frontier country - I wish he'd write another book, maybe including this.

[salmondan]

macd said:

I wouldnt knock Falkus book for folk new to the sport- it is a good 'how to.'

It's been my main point of reference since I started in 2005, (until I found this forum obviously) . For a rookie it's very useful, well written (unlike my posts) and as quoted above, a very good "how to". If there were to be a fishing bible, Sea Trout Fishing and Salmon Fishing would certainly be "chapters" (I'm not religious) in it, IMO.

I've not heard of some of the writers mentioned above, a trip to the library is in order methinks.

[castlikeaghille]

Very interesting response so far. Nobody has mentioned A.E. Wood, Ashley-Cooper, Waddington or in more modern terms Alexander Keachie. Is this because they have not been read, or have been but are not considered significant?

Regardez

CLaG

[salar76]

Personally I thoroughly enjoy reading the old books by writers of a bygone age. Whilst it is interesting to read about the tactics they used, I love the romance of the great catches; many of which seem to have been on rivers that we have since royally screwed up. It's also a lot of fun trying to track down decent copies of the old books.

The likes of Jock Scott, Chaytor and Scrope are up there for me. Ashley-Coopers more recent snapshot of salmon fishing is also fascinating.

[macd]

castlikeaghille said:

Very interesting response so far. Nobody has mentioned A.E. Wood, Ashley-Cooper, Waddington or in more modern terms Alexander Keachie. Is this because they have not been read, or have been but are not considered significant?

Regardez

CLaG

I have one of Richard Waddington's books, nae bad. I have read Wood's book or rather Jock Scott's, which is fascinating.

I also enjoyed Keachie, good read, very interesting.

My top2 have to be Bill Currie and Neil Graesser.

Charlie, its my forensic mind that led me to the conclusion . I have heard some accounts re:HF and his attitude- so I guess they are all a bit flawed.

[macd]

Another gem is Jack Chance's book 'salmon stories'

Chaytor's letters to his sons is a great book.

[storlaks]

Like many others my favourite authors and most influential (to me) are: Ashley-Cooper, Currie, Grant and Little. I have an old book by WJM Menzies (Salmon Fishing) which I've enjoyed reading a few times. Waddington's was also an interesting read. I like my books to capture my imagination. The top 2 named guys were great at that.

Falkus was a great writer and I enjoyed his book on salmon fishing but it's not one I'd read again and again to be honest. Oglesby (as stated above) was a chancer. Don't rate his stuff....some nice pics maybe.

As for Keachie....come on!! The guy couldnae catch a cold. Worst ever. (-:

[Sloggi]

To be honest you lot, I actually get more from reading Forums these days. The info is up to date, and contains subtleties and nuances reflecting issues pertinent today. Almost all comment is based on a working knowledge of salmon fishing history and is, in a sense, today's book/s on salmon fishing - someone should collate this stuff as a history of today's salmon fishing.

For example, we recently had an active thread on Sunday Fishing which reflected the various sentiments alive on 2007 - excellent stuff which people in 50 years time would be interested in.

Dissect any salmon book and you'll find a thread on it here or on the seat-trout forum etc. I guess the natural development of such Forums is for its members to take ownership of it's content and give that back to a wider audience.

[sinkingtip]

Totally agree Sloggi. I have both Falkus book's and tend to look upon them as the definitive guide's. Have read all the classics by the Oglesby's, Currie's, Little's etc etc etc but Falkus is the 'one' for me.

Lesser known ?.........What about Justice Kingsmill Moore's classic "A Man May Fish" - great read.
Regards to all.

[elwyman]

storlaks said:

As for Keachie....come on!! The guy couldnae catch a cold. Worst ever. (-:

I think you're being rather harsh there - I have yet to see a modern book that gives a better explanation and instructions to newcomers about fly selection for different water temperatures and conditions.

I prefer Falkus's book on sea trout, I found the Salmon book rather repetitive and drawn out.

Bill Currie, Crawford Little & Kingsmill Moore are all fine writers. I particularly enjoy Bill Currie for a mid-winter read, when I'm missing the river and looking forward to Spring.