Angling Quotations

[Guest Alan Pearce]

On the way to the lake, where we had experienced four blanks on the trot, after some big perch. My old fishing buddy, the late Len Head said " today boy we'll ave em"

 

On the return journey after another fishless day Len said "well that certainly shew em whose who".

 

Alan.

[Chris Plumb]

The sight of all those old books has tempted me to resurrect this classic thread from last year and post this list of what the 17th century tackle tart took to the bank.

 

"Whenever you go out to fish, fail not to have with you, viz. A good Coat for all Weathers. An Apron to put your Ground-Bait, Stones, and Paste in. A Basket to put your Fish in. A neat Rod of about four Foot long, in several pieces, one with another. Two or three Lines fitted up, of all sorts. Spare Hooks, Links, Floats, Silk, Wax, Plummetts, Caps and a Landing Nett."

 

William Gilbert (1676)

 

And not a glimmer of stainlees steel anywhere Gaffer!!

 

Chris

[phonebush]

All anglers are ready to bite. It is knowing when to set the hook that makes for a good laugh.

A phonism

Phone

[Elton]

Does anyone here have "The Angler's Quotation Book", edited by Eric Restall? The ISBN is 0-7090-5091.

 

Great little book for this type of stuff.

 

A couple of samples...

 

Fisherman - One who drops the fish a line, but seldom hears from them.

Anon

 

If you pull out the Eyes of such Fishes as you catch, and fish with them, you will find them good Baits.

The Complete Family-piece, 1736

 

Tight lines,

 

Elton

[Bruno Broughton]

Three of my favourite quotes are from the fabled and much misunderstood football manager, John Beck. They are applicable to angling, so I'll post 'em.

 

"Half of the lies you hear are true"

 

"He who laughs, lasts" (think about it)

 

"Any fool can have an opinion... and most of them do".

 

The other that springs to mind is a Dick walker quote. If I recall, he was confronted by an irate trout angler who disapproved of Dick catching a trout on bait and returning it. The conversation went roughly along these lines:

 

Angler: "I say, old boy, you really shouldn't do that. They'll learn to eat bait."

 

Walker, as he landed another bait-caught trout, which he promptly killed with a sharp blow to its head: "There's one bugger that won't"!

[Elton]

Here's another one I like. Apologies if it's already been mentioned:

 

Fishing serves the dual purpose of both concentrating the mind and liberating it.

Ludovic Kennedy

[coxie]

Talking of Dick Walker's observational skills reminded me of his book, the title of which is one of my favourite quotes, "No Need To Lie".

 

When he wrote that book he had been there and got the t-shirt, but he told fantastical tales of huge fish he'd seen or caught. As he said, he had no need to lie!

 

The other quote, oft used in match-fishing circles, makes me laugh every time I hear it. When someone is asked how he got on and he's had a bad day the answer comes back along these lines: "I had 6ozs of, mostly, small fish".

[Chris Plumb]

Elton:

If you pull out the Eyes of such Fishes as you catch, and fish with them, you will find them good Baits.

The Complete Family-piece, 1736

Umm not very PC today is it - reminds me of Izaak's description of mounting a live frog for piking...

 

"I say, put your hook, I mean the arming-wire, through his mouth, and out at his gills; and then with a fine needle and silk sew the upper part of his leg, with only one stitch, to the arming-wire of your hook; or tie the frog’’s leg, above the upper joint, to the armed-wire; and, in so doing, use him as though you loved him, that is, harm him as little as you may possibly, that he may live the longer."

 

The Compleat Angler

 

Can you imagine the 'faff' involved in trying to do THAT to a live frog in order to "use him as though you loved him"

 

Chris

[Chris Plumb]

coxie:

Talking of Dick Walker's observational skills reminded me of his book, the title of which is one of my favourite quotes, "No Need To Lie".

 

   

There's a copy of this, signed by the author, up for auction at that Bloomsbury Book auction that Elton alerted us to. It's Lot No. 283 - auctioneers guide price 40-60 UKP

 

Chris

 

[ 21 April 2002, 07:55 AM: Message edited by: Chris Plumb ]

[Elton]

A couple more for you:

 

There are two kinds of fisherman; those who fish for sport and those who catch something.

Anon

 

The earliest reference to fishing with the artificial fly:

They fasten red wool round a hook and fix on to the wool two feathers which grow under a cock's wattles, and which in colour are like wax. Their rod is six feet long and their line of the same length. Then they throw their snare and the fish, maddened an excited by the colour, come straight at it, thinking by the sight to get a dainty mouthful; when, however, it opens its jaws, it is caught by the hook and enjoys a bitter repast, a captive.

Cladius Aelian, De Natura Animalium, c. 200ad