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Dick Walker hand written letter
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 4:19 pm
by Mark
It has not been a good Christmas holiday for me this year where fishing is concerned. Due to the flooded river I have not been out fishing as yet and it does not look too promising that I will get out before I have to go back to work. So to console myself I have been reading "Dick Walker's Coarse fishing", what a great book this still is. Then today a wonderful letter arrived from forum member Tim (Troydog) which included this original hand written letter to Tim from Dick in 1979. Thank you Tim this letter will be truly treasure.
Looks like Tim was asking Dick about the River Wye perch.
This letter was also included, a bit of help from Dick, how lovely.
Re: Dick Walker hand written letter
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:37 pm
by RBTraditional
Thanks for sharing that with us Mark, lovely read. If it’s any consolation the rivers have been unfishable down here as well to the point where Kev and I are thinking of visiting a Stillwater for perch this Saturday...or just going to the pub...
Re: Dick Walker hand written letter
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:52 pm
by GhyllManor
What a splendid read, a fine example of the gentlemanly DW. Thanks for sharing what I hope becomes part of an ever growing archive of piscatorial treasures.
Ted
PS. Rivers in this neck of the woods are also difficult!
Re: Dick Walker hand written letter
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:03 pm
by Dave Burr
Great gesture Tim.
Interesting stuff from Mr Walker but I think his favourite chub bait would be frowned upon nowadays. I know those that have used lamprey and RW is right, chub love 'em.
Mark, what with this and the signed picture, you must put this down asa jolly fine Christmas
Re: Dick Walker hand written letter
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:07 pm
by Martin James
I well remember my first letter from Dick when he lived at 11 Bearton Avenue Hitchen Herts, in a request from myself for advice on roach fishing on the River Kennet, the beautiful handwriting was outstanding, I had never seen better writing, and still haven't. He was a most generous man, I found it very hard to address him as Dick or Richard for sometime after meeting him, it was always Mr Walker Sir then he would say "call me Dick" I often thought what he made of my scruffy writing.
Re: Dick Walker hand written letter
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 7:58 pm
by Richard Jackson
Dave Burr wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:03 pm
Great gesture Tim.
Interesting stuff from Mr Walker but I think his favourite chub bait would be frowned upon nowadays. I know those that have used lamprey and RW is right, chub love 'em.
Mark, what with this and the signed picture, you must put this down asa jolly fine Christmas
I quiet often use lamprey for chub fishing and as you say Dave , chub love it
Re: Dick Walker hand written letter
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 7:59 pm
by Richard Jackson
You are a very lucky man Mark and it is an excellent gift from Tim
Re: Dick Walker hand written letter
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 10:59 pm
by Troydog
I think that Dick Walker was an extraordinary human being. He found time for so many diverse activities and it seems that he excelled in each and every one. He found time for so many different people from so many different walks of life.
I was just a 16 year old reader of the Angling Times. I wrote in to ask Dick how I could catch a 2lb perch from the river Mole in Surrey. Incredibly he wrote back in detail. I must have written 50 letters to Dick between then and 16 or so years later when he could no longer reply. He replied to every single one. Sadly I only kept the last twenty or so letters and Mark, quite rightly, now has the only one that was handwritten.
It is absolutely fitting that a letter that has been languishing in my filing cabinet for nearly forty years should now be with the superb TFF. It adds to Dick's legacy because if he helped an unknown wannabe fisherman like me he must have helped hundreds more. And I know that he helped so many people in so many ways.
And of course that is what the TFF is doing too, in exactly the same spirit as Dick Walker. It is a fabulous organisation headed up by Mark that has made a really big difference to my life since I joined in June. Thank you Mark and thank you to the team that run TFF.
Re: Dick Walker hand written letter
Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 7:22 pm
by Rutland Rod
Troydog wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2017 10:59 pm
I think that Dick Walker was an extraordinary human being. He found time for so many diverse activities and it seems that he excelled in each and every one. He found time for so many different people from so many different walks of life.
I was just a 16 year old reader of the Angling Times. I wrote in to ask Dick how I could catch a 2lb perch from the river Mole in Surrey. Incredibly he wrote back in detail. I must have written 50 letters to Dick between then and 16 or so years later when he could no longer reply. He replied to every single one. Sadly I only kept the last twenty or so letters and Mark, quite rightly, now has the only one that was handwritten.
It is absolutely fitting that a letter that has been languishing in my filing cabinet for nearly forty years should now be with the superb TFF. It adds to Dick's legacy because if he helped an unknown wannabe fisherman like me he must have helped hundreds more. And I know that he helped so many people in so many ways.
And of course that is what the TFF is doing too, in exactly the same spirit as Dick Walker. It is a fabulous organisation headed up by Mark that has made a really big difference to my life since I joined in June. Thank you Mark and thank you to the team that run TFF.
Very well said Troydog, your last paragraph in particular.
Tight lines Dave