The ABC of Fishing, edited by Colin Willock

RRP: £ 20

Specification/Description

  • First published in 1964, completely revised in 1992, and then two more revised editions in 2003 and 2008
  • Covers coarse, game and sea fishing
  • Published by Andre Deutsch of the Carlton Group
  • 357 pages, mainly mono line drawings and a few colour plates
  • ISBN 978-0-233-00242-2
  • This edition published March 2008

Website: www.carltonbooks.co.uk

Publisher’s Overview

‘The ABC of Fishing’ is a fully revised and updated edition of this classic guide to the sport of hook and line. It contains sections on coarse fishing, game fishing and sea fishing, which include advice about basic equipment, and also gives invaluable information about every type of fish likely to be found in British waters – and advice on how to catch them.

Colin Willock in his thorough revision of the text has been faithful to the spirit of the original contributors – experts such as Clive Gammon and F.W. Holiday – whilst updating the reader with all the latest developments in the sport. His lively and informative text is illustrated throughout with practical line drawings, providing hours of pleasure and instruction for any angler or would-be angler.

THE AUTHOR
The founding editor of the Angling Times, Colin Willock was one of the leading writers on outdoor pursuits. A prolific author, he wrote 36 books including The Angler’s Encyclopedia and The ABC of Shooting. Colin Willock died in 2005.

Verdict

I’ve got mixed feelings about this book. It’s an undoubted classic of its time of that there is no doubt, and if I was reviewing it back in its first publication date of 1964, or even when it was fully revised in 1992, I would be very enthusiastic about it. But today, I’m less than enthusiastic, mainly because it is a strange mixture of ancient and modern that, for me, doesn’t work.

The bulk of the book is in its original form, complete with the tackle, baits and methods of the day, and then we have the updated portions that appear to be bolted on.

If you like nostalgia and wish to read about how fishing used to be 50 years ago then you could very well enjoy the book, but I would think such a reader would far more enjoy finding an earlier edition in a second hand bookshop. If you’re a cool, modern angler then this book isn’t for you at all.

A small, but nevertheless annoying point is that the publicity sheet that came with the book continually refers to Colin Willock as Colin Willcock. How can you enthuse about a man whose name you can’t even get right? A man of Colin Willock’s stature deserves better than that.

Rating: 7/10

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