Greatest Angler Of All Time

[Nicepix]

Richard Walker was the most inovative British angler of all time. As has been said, he changed the face of coarse fishing and also was just as inventive in fly - fishing. As well as holding two British Rod Caught records he brought to our attention pre-baiting, and today's boilies are direct descendants of his par boiled potatoe bait to avoid small fish. He designed some of the best and the most enduring fishing rods i.e. Mk. IV Avon. Walker tied the polystickle fly that revolutionised trout fishing by targetting fry feeders and he first introduced the shooting head system of fly lines. No one has had the same impact as he has and no one has inspired or equiped more people to catch specimen fish than he has.

 

If you are looking for a saltwater / freshwater / game man then Clive Gammon might fit the bill. If furriners are your choice how about Robert Tesse who introduced Billy Lane and the British team, and ultimately the majority of British coarse anglers to pole angling after they, the French thumped us on the Thurne. Tesse was a multi world champion too.

 

My objection to this type of poll is that so many great anglers have been left out - Alan Scotthorne - four time World Champion, Bob Church who was the Richard Walker of the trout scene for so long, Hugh Falkus - a giant amongst game anglers, and Trevor Housby who pioneered so much UK big game and deep sea fishing.

 

Dick Clegg would probably not get in the top ten Barnsley anglers of all time never mind the world team. It's like voting Alf Ramsay in the World XI footballers.

[Dick Dastardly]

Dick Clegg would probably not get in the top ten Barnsley anglers of all time never mind the world team. It's like voting Alf Ramsay in the World XI footballers.

 

I actually agreed with all of your post Clive,but especially this bit! Makes you wonder who puts this rubbish together!.......oh yes thats right I remember now its those "experts" at angling Times! Who as each year passes seem to know less and less about the history/heritage of our sport!

 

BTW Bob Church was a pretty well respected specimen angler long before he got into the fly fishing.

 

Tackle development wise I see no mention of Peter Drennan? The more we go on the less relevant the poll seems!

[rooney888]

Tackle development wise I see no mention of Peter Drennan? The more we go on the less relevant the poll seems!

 

drennan was 16th in angling times. i only included the top 10.

 

ps. does anyone know how many different people were actually voted for. just wandered if angling times had written somewere. theres so many legends must have had 100s of names.

[Peter Waller]

Steve Burke said of Dick Walker:

In fact Walker totally revolutionised coarse fishing. And (good as they are) the same certainly can't be said of any of the others.

I think Steve is exactly right. But then I rather liked it before Walker introduced electronics into angling!

Edited December 21, 2006 by Peter Waller

[Colin Brett]

Alan Brown!!

Now there's a blast from the past.

 

I haven't seen him for years. I last saw him/fished alongside him at Grafham probably 15 years ago. I understand he shoots more than fishes these days. A little bird tells me he was/is making rods again?

 

Good all round angler who did much to enhance angling.

 

Colin

[chevin]

Alan Brown!!

Now there's a blast from the past.

 

I haven't seen him for years. I last saw him/fished alongside him at Grafham probably 15 years ago. I understand he shoots more than fishes these days. A little bird tells me he was/is making rods again?

 

Good all round angler who did much to enhance angling.

 

Colin

 

Yes, Alan is making rods, I don't know that he ever stopped though he changed the name of them. You can see more here.

 

http://www.lennoxrods.com/index.htm

 

The fact that Alan has been so successful in several areas of angling is largely due to the influence Dick Walker had on him during his early years and Alan is not the only one by any means to have benefitted in such a way. What must be remembered is that many anglers that were helped in their early years by Dick went on to develop methods and ideas that Dick had formulated so that his influence continued even after his untimely death. I was one of those fortunate enough to enjoy Dick's friendship and encouragement and there is no doubt that his influence and advice made me a much better angler that I would otherwise have been. Indeed, he was also responsible for me meeting my wife of over 40 years!

 

I know that on many occasions when Dick and I were talking I was stunned by his knowledge of so many different subjects and I realised that there was a whole lot more to the man than just the ability to catch fish.

 

He and his friends were responsible for much of the groundwork that has made a lot of fishing what it is today. In most cases he would be very proud of what has transpired and I think that he would have every right to be - especially as some of those who have brought about major changes in angling were people influenced by him in the '50s and '60s.

[Dick Dastardly]

drennan was 16th in angling times. i only included the top 10.

 

ps. does anyone know how many different people were actually voted for. just wandered if angling times had written somewere. theres so many legends must have had 100s of names.

 

 

Sorry Rooney,is the list printed here the results of the AT poll?

[BoozleBear]

And what would you reaction have been if he had blanked loads of times in the upteen number of series that have made it on to the box? Very negative I suspect as it would not have shown a nation the appeal that angling can have.

 

I get your point, but what about the episodes of Great (or greater) Rod Race and Record Breaking Fish when they didn't catch anything? Those were still informative and interesting. It would be helpful if peopel like John Wilson taught us about blanking as well.

 

Matt Hayes and Mick Brown are very helpful in their 'blanking' episodes (or parts of episodes), they explain how and why conditions weren't right, and sometimes have said they were doing nothing wrong but sometimes fish just don't play ball. This teaches us both watercraft and the effects of weather and environment, and to expect that sometimes you just blank. This turns a negative into a positive and informs people thinking of starting angling with useful information and teaches them to expect to blank at times. I'd rather that for new anglers than them watching John Wilson bagging up, they go for their first session and catch sweet FA and end up dilusioned and disenchanted.

 

I don't see why John Wilson can't do the same.

 

Simon

Edited December 21, 2006 by BoozleBear

[Steve Coppolo]

They should have made it the 10 best known anglers. There are many, many anglers as good as, if not better than those on the list that no one has ever heard of.

[rooney888]

Here is the list of the top 50 anglers. so you can see were your #1 legend come in everyone elses minds.

 

1-John Wilson

2-Dick Walker

3-Ivan Marks

4-Matt Hayes

5-Bob Nudd

6-Chris Yates

7-Billy Lane

8-Bernard Venables

9-Dick Clegg

10-Benny Ashurst

11-Keith Arthur

12-Bob Hutchinson

13-Des Tayler

14-Tommy Pickering

15-Alan Scotthorne

16-Peter Drennan

17-Kevin Ashurst

18-Martin Bowler

19-Steve Gardner

20-Terry Lampard

21-Peter Stone

22-Terry Hearn

23-Bob Church

24-Nevvile Fickling

25-Kevin Nash

26-Bob James

27-Roy Marlow

28-Mark Downes

29-Ken Giles

30-Rex Hunt

31-Nige Williams

32-Jack Hargreaves

33-Kevin Madocks

34-Mich Brown

35-Fred J Taylor

36-Dave Thomas

37-Kim Milson

38-John Dean

39-Alan Wilson

40-Dave Harrell

41-Ian Heaps

42-Will Raison

43-Dennis White

44-Billy Makin

45-Danny Fairbrass

46-Izaak Walton

47-John Allerton

48-Steve Ringer

49-Gord Burton

50-Mark Addy

Edited December 21, 2006 by rooney888