Reviewed by Paul Hiom
**Real Reviews by Real Anglers**
These two authors and well respected anglers need no introduction from me as their past successes with both pike and zander are well documented with both anglers having had British Record fish captures at some stage in the past. Barrie Rickards continues his association as trouble shooter for the PAC and top man of the Lure Anglers Society, whilst Nev Fickling continues with his controversies at what appears to be every opportunity. I make no excuses for the fact that Nev makes my teeth itch from time to time, although I have a lot of respect for his past contributions and hard scientific work on both pike and zander. 
The book itself is published by Boydell Press and if you are able to purchase a copy (I obtained mine through Paul Morgan at Cochy-Bondu) you will find that it is a very important piece of writing, documenting some of the important stages in the rise and decline of zander fishing in the Fens from around 1964, a year after introductions into the Great Ouse Relief System. It also covers the basics in Zander tactics, tackle and location. What I found very interesting was the references given to many other great anglers, all of whom have had a direct influence in methods used for Fenland zander and to name but a few, Bill Chillingsworth, John Wilson, Merv Wilkinson, Dave Moore and the zander basher himself, Dave Litton.
A lot of pioneering by both authors has gone into the capture of zander from many parts of the Fens and, in addition, the authors have provided a very useful round up of rivers and systems around the UK that are known to hold Zander in varying populations.
I for one am glad that we have seen some changes in attitude for the better towards Zander in recent years and that is probably due in part to the work of Neville Fickling and Barrie Rickards. Ray Armstrong’s spectacular Severn Record (18lb 10oz) set the UK specimen scene alight back in the early nineties and has fuelled an army of dedicated specialists in addition to those who continue to seek and succeed in achieving a new record in the Cambridgeshire fens (Current record 19lbs 5oz caught by D. Lavender in 1998).
As an ardent pike and predator angler, I promised myself to set some time aside to target zander and have recently started my campaign three years after buying this book. The pages of this book have given me a good insight into the species and I look forward to referring to it from time to time when my own successes and no doubt failures, require it.
TITLE: Zander
PUBLISHER: Boydell Press
PRICE: £ 16.95
ISBN: 0-85115-268-6
