Vintage Fishing Books

[George387]

Just a bit of interest to see how many other anglers collect vintage fishing books and why? My latest addition to my library is a VGC 1953 Book Entitled "Tackle making for Anglers" by Vernon Bates, for the costly sum of £1.06 less P&P.

 

These old books fascinate me especially for the way they used to make so much from nothing, they are a wealth of information especially when trying to keep the art of amateur float making alive.

 

Like all books I learn something new & the one that jumps out most at me from this book is the way they converted old quill floats from normal everyday float to antenna floats by simply capping over the quill head with a cut quill, saves carrying loads of floats around I suppose.

 

Regards

George

 

[Guest bbamboo]

Hi George yes I have been collecting old books for 30yrs but there mostly trout fishing stuff.

Great idea that one I really like the idea of leaving a few whiskers to improve visablity.

Very neat idea that.

 

Gary

 

Just a bit of interest to see how many other anglers collect vintage fishing books and why? My latest addition to my library is a VGC 1953 Book Entitled "Tackle making for Anglers" by Vernon Bates, for the costly sum of £1.06 less P&P.

 

These old books fascinate me especially for the way they used to make so much from nothing, they are a wealth of information especially when trying to keep the art of amateur float making alive.

 

Like all books I learn something new & the one that jumps out most at me from this book is the way they converted old quill floats from normal everyday float to antenna floats by simply capping over the quill head with a cut quill, saves carrying loads of floats around I suppose.

 

Regards

George

 

[Toady]

Yep, I can't get enough of them!! My best 'blag' was a very nice copy of Fishing in Eden by Willam Nelson. Got it from Helmsley old book shop for 12.50 last year.

 

By the way, for you northerners there's an old book shop in Bolton Abbey and he kind of specialises in fishing stuff. Was in there last year and he had a whole wall full. A nice first edition of Skues or Pritt for £175 anybody?

[Guest bbamboo]

Yep, I can't get enough of them!! My best 'blag' was a very nice copy of Fishing in Eden by Willam Nelson. Got it from Helmsley old book shop for 12.50 last year.

 

By the way, for you northerners there's an old book shop in Bolton Abbey and he kind of specialises in fishing stuff. Was in there last year and he had a whole wall full. A nice first edition of Skues or Pritt for £175 anybody?

 

Hi Toady

 

That was some bargain

Fishing in Eden is a lovely book and a great story

I have a copy I paid £35 for mine 20yrs ago

Look after it, Very rare Book.

 

Gary

[George387]

My pride & joy has got to a signed 3 book 1st edition "The art of angling" by kenneth mansfield dated 1957.

 

I also had a 1st edition keeper of the stream by frank sawyer & I lent it to a guy whilst in the forces and I went to Bosnia for 6 months, came back & he had got out taking the book with him....gutted or what!

[Guest bbamboo]

My pride & joy has got to a signed 3 book 1st edition "The art of angling" by kenneth mansfield dated 1957.

 

I also had a 1st edition keeper of the stream by frank sawyer & I lent it to a guy whilst in the forces and I went to Bosnia for 6 months, came back & he had got out taking the book with him....gutted or what!

 

Hi George

 

You can still pick those 3 books at a good price if you look around

I have seen then go for 14 on ebay sometimes

Keep looking

[Leon Roskilly]

One of mine was 'Fifty Years on the Test' published in the 1930s, written by a former secretary of the Test & Itchen Association, and bought from an old second-hand bookshop in Maidstone that was about to close down.

 

It found a permanent home when I met up with Jim Glasspool at Fishmongers Hall.

 

It was let go reluctantly (the T&I Ass didn't have a copy) but Jim sent me a copy of his book 'Chalk Streams' as partial compensation

[Toady]

Who's got the oldest?

 

My antique is an 1887 copy of Pike and Other Corse Fish by H.C. Pennell. Got it from the old book shop in Hawes (now sadly gone) many years ago. I was out for a thrash on the bike with my mates and walked in to 'browse' in full motorcycle regalia. The shop owner didn't want to sell me it. I quess he thought I was going to burn it while biting heads off chickens or something!

 

It made the jurney home stuffed up the front of my leathers and he been treasured ever since (not a rare book though).

[Chris Plumb]

Who's got the oldest?

 

My antique is an 1887 copy of Pike and Other Corse Fish by H.C. Pennell. Got it from the old book shop in Hawes (now sadly gone) many years ago. I was out for a thrash on the bike with my mates and walked in to 'browse' in full motorcycle regalia. The shop owner didn't want to sell me it. I quess he thought I was going to burn it while biting heads off chickens or something!

 

It made the jurney home stuffed up the front of my leathers and he been treasured ever since (not a rare book though).

 

I can't beat that - though my oldest is coming up for its 100th 'birthday' - Coarse Fishing by HT Sheringham - an all time classic from 1912.

 

 

C.

[Vagabond]

 

I have reprints of most of the early stuff - the three earliest original books I have are from 1867 to 1888 - Francis, Pennell and Bickerdyke - listed below

The Treatyse of Fysshynge Wyth an Angle 1450 & 1496 (reprint

Dame Juliana Berners

The Arte of Angling 1577 (reprint)

Samuel

The Compleat Angler 1653 (reprint)

Isaac Walton

The Compleat Angler (5th Edition) 1676 (reprint)

Walton and Cotton

Angling Manuscript 1843 (reprint)

A. J. Lane

A Book on Angling (2nd Edition 1867)

Francis Francis

Fishing for Pike and Coarse Fish 1885 (1896 edition)

Cholmondeley Pennell

The Book of the Allround Angler 1888 (original)

John Bickerdyke

also reprints of books on fly-fishing by Halford, Skues, and Sawyer and stacks of early 20th century coarse-fishing stuff - Marshall Hardy. Ensom, Bazley, Wetherall etc etc.

 

Most of them are pretty battered and well read.

Edited January 16, 2010 by Vagabond