WHILE MY FLOAT’S STILL COCKED
Written and Illustrated by Maurice J Pledger
While My Float’s Still Cocked: The ramblings of an artist-angler, by Maurice ‘Mole’ Pledger, is a beautifully illustrated fishing autobiography that is both a witty and whimsical recollection and a record of the successes of Maurice and his friends in pursuit of specimen perch, pike, carp and chub.
Maurice Pledger is a fine artist, well-known for his best-selling illustrated wildlife books for children which have sold over ten million copies worldwide. While My Float’s Still Cocked is his first book on fishing and has been eagerly awaited by anglers and discerning book collectors alike.
The standard edition is a high-quality paperback with flaps – Price £19.95.
There will also be very special Collector’s and De Luxe editions.
Available from Coch-y-Bonddu Books,
The reviewer says:
The front cover displays a statement from Chris Yates that “This book is something special…” Having now read it, cover to cover, I could not agree more.
It’s a book of short stories, experiences, dreams, and cherished memories that captivate you and hold your attention from one page to the next. This is not a book that tells you how to do it, nor does it talk down to you like some do, usually by authors telling you just how good they are. You won’t learn about any ‘new’ methods in this and you won’t be sold any special baits either; unless you consider lobworms and maggots special baits!
You are not told how many great and glorious catches the author has made nor are there any photographs of him holding a specimen fish, a cute dog called ‘Mouse’ does appear along with the author on the inside back fold though.
This is just one very beautiful book about a man and his boyhood dreams that continue into his adulthood. The stories are mostly of small rivers and even smaller streams, his catches are anything from small dace to monster pike but he never dwells on his prowess in catching these fish. It’s just one simple adventure after another that takes you on a most enjoyable journey along the way.
I love some of the terms he uses in it, such as (in reference to a big pike) “one you could put a saddle on…” and (he does explain this) “another sixpence for the jar”, but you will have to read it for yourself to uncover what it means.
Of all angling books I have ever read it is possibly the most charming and the illustrations within it are nothing short of spectacular but then Maurice Pledger is a worldwide acknowledged artist and illustrator of wildlife – as well as of fish now!
The quality of the cover, this is the simple paperback, is good, very firm, and the pages inside are of a really heavy art paper. So often I had to check that I hadn’t turned over two pages in error, but I never had, it’s just that they are so thick.
All I can say is if you must read one angling book before you die, read this. It’s thought provoking and amusing, but most of all, it’s amazingly entertaining. A thoroughly good read, get a copy today. It will not disappoint.
