A Brush With the Avon

By John Searl

Angling artist John Searl's first book (as far as I'm aware) is as much a pleasure to hold as it is to read. Containing many fine paintings and illustrations by the man himself, this book should take pride of place on any angler's book shelves.

Tracing his years of fishing the rivers of southern England, in this book Searl shares his angling journey. Mostly centred around the Avon, there is also a small chapter on the time he spent living and working in Australia. Whilst these days John is best known for his work as an artist, he is also a very accomplished specimen angler with many Drennan Cup weekly awards to his credit for a variety of species. Within the pages of this book you'll find barbel well into double figures, 30lb+ pike, 20lb+ carp, chub to nearly 7lbs, brown trout to over 10lbs, roach and grayling to more than 3lbs plus many more magnificent captures.

Although this is definitely not a "how-to" type of book I imagine most readers will learn something from it. John's favourite method is clear water stalking and whilst recounting tales of days spent at the water's edge he can't help but give away a few hints and tips. Obviously, through many years of watching fish in clear water, he has learnt a great deal about their behaviour and reaction to various baits and methods. His observations on roach and barbel (these two species seem to get most of his attention) are particularly interesting and will certainly be in my mind next time I'm fishing for them.

As mentioned earlier, roach get a great deal of attention throughout the book. As most modern coarse angling books tend to concentrate on the popular species such as carp, barbel and pike, tales of roach fishing, with some fish approaching 4lbs or more, are very welcome indeed.

John Searl on hooking a roach that looked closed to 4lbs than 3...

"...to my horror I noticed the big resident pike appear from beneath the weed bed on the other side of the river, and set off purposefully across the current towards the struggling roach.....as I watched the pike get ever closer I realised it was a case of do or die and with my prize just ten feet from the net, the line straining to it's limit, the rod sprang up straight as the little hook shot over my shoulder..."

Over the years whilst fishing the rivers and streams of southern England John has met and fished with many other well known anglers. In the book you'll find a few tales of days on the river with some familiar names such as Chris Ball, Dave Steuart, Chris Sandford, Ron Smith, Bob James, Chris Yates and more.

Unfortunately this book, limited to only 1000 numbered copies, the first 100 of which were bound in leather, is now out-of-print and second-hand copies are already becoming quite scarce and are increasing in value. Coch Y Bonddu Books is usually the place to start searching.

First published by The Art of Angling in 2007.

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The Deepening Pool

The Chronicle of a Compulsive Angler
by Chris Yates

What better way to start off this blog than with a modern classic. Chris Yates is probably my favourite author alive today and with good reason. No one else I've read quite manages to capture the essence of why we go fishing as Yates does in all he writes.

Unfortunately I'm far from alone in thinking this and consequently his books have become much sought after and the prices reflect this. On the plus side, again due to his popularity, reprints are common and can be picked up at far more reasonable prices. But let's forget all that and get down to the book itself, for what price can be put on a piece of true escapism such as this?

"A river has been running through my head since I was a boy. I saw the Hampshire Avon, just once, when I was ten and immediately thought it was the most beautiful river in the world."

The above quote sets the scene for the book. We start off in early spring, sitting with Chris in one of the many salmon huts dotted along the avon, the swollen river rushing past outside. Only the hardened salmon anglers, with judgment muddied by anticipation, would be out on the river today. Out of the cold wind but still with the sound of water running by outside, Chris sits and starts penning a few personal notes in his diary. It is these few words that begin our journey as he takes us into his own world.

Whilst the avon is the recurrent theme throughout, his pen does occasionally drift off to a mist shrouded carp pool or a willow lined tributary. Just about every species that swims in or around the avon valley is covered in this book. From gudgeon to salmon, minnows to barbel and everything in between. Though as with all of Chris' books, it's the coarse fish that predominate.

As the pages turn and the seasons change so too does the feeling of the writing. Whilst Chris' earlier angling writings were dominated by carp, barbel can be seen slowly swimming into his work and thoughts. By the end of the book he's become a man obsessed and despite holding the record for the biggest carp ever caught in Britain, it's the barbel that takes pride of place in his angling dreams.

Many of you will know Chris through the tv series "A Passion for Angling" with Bob James and filmed and directed by Hugh Miles. A true classic and quite possibly still the greatest angling series ever filmed (Hugh's talent for capturing a moment is unsurpassed). Filming took place whilst this book was being written and a chapter has been devoted to the events that went on. An interesting diversion but much of it overlaps with the BBC book of the series (a very good read in itself).

In summary, for the obsessed barbel angler this is a must. For anyone with the slightest interest in the River Avon this is also a must. For every other angler this is, like all of Yates' books, a modern day classic that could and should be read many times over.

Several years ago the Medlar Press issued a small format reprint in their Medlar Classics series, available in both hardback and paperback. Whilst it's nice to have an affordable readily available version of this book I would really recommend trying to get your hands on one of the larger format editions. Either the 1990 first edition or the 1991 reprint. The full colour photographs in these books comliment the text beautifully and are sadly lacking in the small format reprints.

Coch Y Bonddu Books has many copies of this title available. Everything from fine first editions through to the cheap paperback Medlar Press reprint.

First published by Unwin Hyman in 1990.

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