If you had nothing better to do in March you may have seen a
review of Graham Booth’s “History of Pike Fishing Volume 1”, which I thoroughly
enjoyed so it was only a matter of time before I picked up a copy of volume 2.
As might be expected, volume 2 picks up right where the
first book left off, the chapters begin at number eight to reflect this. The first period covered is between 1951 and
1971 with characters like Bill Giles and Dennis Pye featuring strongly. The heyday of Norfolk Broads features,
peaking with Hancock’s forty followed by the Prymnesium disaster of 1969. Something all modern visitors to Broadland
are only too aware of. The figure of
Dick Walker also looms large as although not truly a Piker his influence on
“specimen hunting” in general is massive.
It was in this period that Pike angling ceased to be a purely mobile,
active approach and one of patience with multiple rods, mostly sat in one spot
became more popular.
The chapters that follow deal with the period from 1971 to
the present day. They begin with the
characters that set us on the course of ‘modern’ piking. Fred Wagstaffe and Bob Reynolds were anglers
I was aware of but I didn’t realise how influential and ahead of their time
these two were, particularly with their use of lures. I was well aware of Ray Webb and the great
Barrie Rickards. These two men were
masters of all piking methods and produced probably the most influential Pike
fishing book ever. I can’t explain why
but somehow I have avoided acquiring a copy of “Fishing for Big Pike”. Another famous Piker of this time was Fred
Buller who is probably more influential as an author than a Piker. His “Domesday book…” certainly had a massive
effect on me.
From here on in the book is covering ground familiar to me,
modern Piking history from my own lifetime.
I remember much of what is covered although in most cases I can remember
bugger all else away from fishing through those years. Graham Booth takes us through the birth of
the ‘Pike Society’ and its eventual transformation into the PAC. It is impossible to understate how much these
organisations changed attitudes towards Pike.
Without PAC in particular, Pikers in the modern era would not have been
able to enjoy the quality of Pike fishing that have been privileged with.
The rise and fall of British Pike waters is charted; The
Fens, The Broads, Gravel pits and Trout waters.
All of the famous captures, faces and places are given due
recognition. There are chapters
dedicated to Scottish and Irish piking too.
Inspired by the likes of Wagstaffe and Buller English Pikers ventured to
these places and over the years the locals developed a love for Pike fishing
too.
The rise, fall and rise again of
Lure fishing forms the subject of chapter 15.
We Brits have been slow to recognise the worth of lures but eventually
caught on. In the final chapter Booth asks
whether Pike is once more considered a “Game fish”, particularly following the
rise of fly fishing in the UK. In my
opinion Pike aren’t game fish, they are better than that. Few species can be fished for with such a
wide variety of methods in such diverse waters.
Although the history is now complete, happily the book
itself isn’t. We are taken back in time
to the golden age and its “Champion Pike fisher” Alfred Jardine. Graham Booth’s extensive research has
exonerated Jardine and put his 35lbs ‘Maidstone Pike’ back where it belongs as
the first English “Mammoth” and first record Pike in our sport’s wonderful
history. It occurred to me that although
I had enjoyed the whole history of Pike fishing it is this golden age that has
intrigued me the most. This is the exact
opposite to what I had expected before I began reading.
A History of Pike Fishing is published by Harper Fine
Angling and it goes without saying that the book is of the highest standard and
beautiful to behold. As I said in March, Graham Booth has done anglers a service in documenting our sport, not just
Pikers, all anglers owe him a debt of thanks.
Pike fishing has a great history and these are two great books.
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