@Clive
Well-known member
FWK Wallis is one angling’s legendary characters. He will be forever associated with barbel of which he was the joint record holder, and of course the Wallis Cast. What is not as well known is that he was an angler of enormous ability and capable of equally enormous generosity.
Frederick William Knowles Wallis was born in Long Eaton, Derbyshire in 1862 to a family engaged in the making of lace. In his early married life he lived in Elm Avenue, Long Eaton along with his wife Anna Lizzy and three children Christabel Ann, Noel Crane and Raymond Leslie. He also shared his house with his wife’s father, sister and her children. He was a member of the Wellington City AA and it was this angling club’s annual casting competition where he first came to fame. Wallis won the trophy three times between 1897&8 and 1899 & 1900 entitling him to own the trophy outright. He generously represented the trophy to the club only to win it a further six consecutive times!
In 1904 he won the London Casting Club’s freestyle event casting a 1.5 dram weight 225 feet measured as the aggregate of his best three of five casts. This in modern terms is equivalent to casting 25 metres with a 2.6 gram weight. In those days Wallis is said to have used a wood and brass Zephyr reel made by his friend and famous tackle manufacturer David Slater.
In 1931 Wallis wrote a chapter in the book Fine Angling For Coarse Fish. This was a rare excursion into print as he did not write for any journal or write his own book. In the chapter he describes how the cast as an improvement on established methods of casting first popularised by the Nottingham angler William Bailey and the champion prize fighter Bendigo around 80 years previously. These early sportsmen managed casts of around 50 to 60 feet this being limited by the clumsy rods and reels of the period. The main difference in style however being that Wallis held the weight in his left hand prior to making the cast whereas Bailey and others allowed the end tackle to dangle freely from the rod.
Using the method described by Wallis he claimed that competent anglers should be able to cast light float tackle up to forty yards. It must be mentioned however that in 1931 roach anglers used goose quill floats that carried three or more swan shot. The main difference between his record casts of 27 yards and the much longer ones described 25 years later was down to the improvements in reels. By 1900 reels could be made from lighter and more durable materials including cast alloys and a plastic like product called ebonite. These improvements allowed reels to be made with a greater diameter and turned much more freely. Some even had brakes to prevent over runs when casting. An associate of Wallis by the name of Henry Coxon created the Aerial reel that became very popular with many anglers.
Wallis was involved in angling competitions; fishing and casting as a participant, judge and organiser. He donated prizes, cups, medals and prizes to be presented to the winners of a casting competition in August 1906. He also paid for most of the 50 competitors of a club angling competition to be rigged out with up to date tackle supplied by David Slater.
He was a Justice of the Peace and a wealthy man. He owned his own stretch of the Trent on the north bank below Thrumpton Weir. He also took fishing holidays on the Hampshire Avon where in 1909 he and his two friends took 1300 fish in four days. The best 6 roach, all over 2 lb were sent to Cooper's to be mounted in a glass case. In the same holiday he also accounted for perch of 2 lb. In 1905 Wallis caught a 33 lb 8 oz pike from Clumber Lake in Nottinghamshire and regularly took large catches of roach, chub and barbel from the Trent including a 7 lb 1 oz chub from that river. His preferred baits were stewed wheat and maggots for roach whilst for barbel he used greaves and worms. In September 1937 whilst fishing the Royalty swim on the Hampshire Avon Wallis equalled the barbel record with a fish of 14 lb 6 oz.
F.W.K. Wallis died in 1941 but his contribution to angling remains. The Allcocks Wizard rod based on his design is with Richard Walker’s Mk. IV Carp and Avon rods remains the iconic built cane coarse fishing rods still highly rated today. The cast that he referred to as The Modern Float Cast From The Reel. Nottingham Style is now universally referred to as The Wallis Cast and used by anglers today.
So, how do you do the Modern Float Cast? According to the man himself the rod is firmly held in the right hand by the first three fingers and thumb leaving the little finger to control the reel. The end tackle is held by the fingers of the left hand, the thumb being looped over the line from the reel. The rod is brought forward and nearly horizontal, parallel with the left shoulder, the little finger of the rod hand holds the reel in check. The rod is now brought forward with a firm but easy sweep, and at the same time the line is pulled off the reel backwards to the full extent of the left arm. The momentum propels the float forward, the little finger of the right hand has released the drum of the reel and at the right moment the line running over the thumb of the left hand is brought forward. As the float alights on the water down goes the little finger to brake the reel.
Wallis then describes what he calls the Underhand Cast which differs in that the rod is held down in front of the angler, nearly touching the water and the casting stroke is purely vertical. All other elements are the same. This is how most modern anglers would describe the Wallis Cast.
In the same chapter Wallis describes the ideal rod being three sections of eleven feet to eleven and a half feet in length. It should have a whole cane butt built into a handle of beech or other solid wood. The middle and top sections are made from built cane. The guides are upright with the tip and butt guides being agate. The rod should weigh around 12 ounces. This Wizard specification formed the template for Avon type rods made by many makers over thirty years. It was favoured by famous anglers including Peter Wheat and Richard Walker who used his Wizard rod to make his Mk. I carp rod by sawing a section off the top section.
The reel should be three and a half to four inches diameter, made from light aluminium and be very free running with no line guard. It should be three and a half to four inches diameter, made from light aluminium and be very free running with no line guard. Wallis did not see the need for a friction brake. But then he didn't need one.
If you are struggling with the Wallis Cast look up Wallis Casting Made Easy on youtube. It breaks down the actions allowing you to master the whole cast within an hour.
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