Come Fishing with me - Colin Willock

[Sneezewort]

The first fishing book I ever read cover to cover - on permanent loan from the school library when I was 12 or 13.
I later bought an ex -Libris copy for the bookshelf, and as October looms, thoughts start to shift to the river.

The chapter heading “Dace- the fish with the lightening bite” stuck in my head all my angling life.
Just re-reading it fondly and smiling at the bit about the new mystical magical bait HEMP (well it was early 50s).
Apparently fished pushing the hook bend into the split ( I never found it to stay on !)

I love that a tip was to “paint the shank of your hemp hook white to represent a bursting ripe kernel” ...

[Catfish.017]

You're in good company in your appreciation of this delightful little book as Chris Yates said he often re read it on his long sojourns at Redmire, particularly the chapter on Carp.

[Barbelseeker]

A better method of hooking hemp, is to insert an (opened blunt end of a paper clip, or other small bluntish instrument) through the blunt end and then piecing the hemp through the side, taking care not to punch through to the other side. The hook can then be threaded through the hole. I hope these following photographs show how to do this, sorry about the quality of photo. Size 14 B611 hook.

[Kev D]

The first fishing book I ever read cover to cover - on permanent loan from the school library when I was 12 or 13.
I later bought an ex -Libris copy for the bookshelf, and as October looms, thoughts start to shift to the river.

The chapter heading “Dace- the fish with the lightening bite” stuck in my head all my angling life.
Just re-reading it fondly and smiling at the bit about the new mystical magical bait HEMP (well it was early 50s).
Apparently fished pushing the hook bend into the split ( I never found it to stay on !)

I love that a tip was to “paint the shank of your hemp hook white to represent a bursting ripe kernel” ...

I read that book at school too .Along with various Phil Drabble works and things like Rebecca the Lurcher our library was a goldmine as far as l was concerned.
I met Colin Willock once when l was beating on a friend's shoot. At first l was puzzled by his seeming naivety as he smiled and nodded sagely at the exagerated tales of sporting prowess and snippets of supposed wisdom that some of the people there seemed obliged to empart to him.
After a bit l realised he wasn't naive . He was just very polite . He came across as a real Gentleman.

[Pickerel]

Pretty sure a copy of that volume currently resides in my loft, albeit without the dust jacket...

[Sneezewort]

A better method of hooking hemp, is to insert an (opened blunt end of a paper clip, or other small bluntish instrument) through the blunt end and then piecing the hemp through the side, taking care not to punch through to the other side. The hook can then be threaded through the hole. I hope these following photographs show how to do this, sorry about the quality of photo. Size 14 B611 hook.

Brilliant! Thank you

[Sneezewort]

Pretty sure a copy of that volume currently resides in my loft, albeit without the dust jacket...

I have a copy of his “come fly fishing with me” too but it’s never quite grabbed me the same way this did.
I do love the inclusion of practising on coarse fish with the fly though, on “an undistinguished Surrey river” which I’m taking as the Mole or the Wey, both close to home.

[Sneezewort]

The first fishing book I ever read cover to cover - on permanent loan from the school library when I was 12 or 13.
I later bought an ex -Libris copy for the bookshelf, and as October looms, thoughts start to shift to the river.

The chapter heading “Dace- the fish with the lightening bite” stuck in my head all my angling life.
Just re-reading it fondly and smiling at the bit about the new mystical magical bait HEMP (well it was early 50s).
Apparently fished pushing the hook bend into the split ( I never found it to stay on !)

I love that a tip was to “paint the shank of your hemp hook white to represent a bursting ripe kernel” ...

I read that book at school too .Along with various Phil Drabble works and things like Rebecca the Lurcher our library was a goldmine as far as l was concerned.
I met Colin Willock once when l was beating on a friend's shoot. At first l was puzzled by his seeming naivety as he smiled and nodded sagely at the exagerated tales of sporting prowess and snippets of supposed wisdom that some of the people there seemed obliged to empart to him.
After a bit l realised he wasn't naive . He was just very polite . He came across as a real Gentleman.

Wow, how great to have met him! I was just admiring those boots - they look like sheepskin lined flying boots to me from his war time exploits I like to imagine....
Thank you for adding to this story

[Sneezewort]

Pretty sure a copy of that volume currently resides in my loft, albeit without the dust jacket...
[/

[Sneezewort]

You're in good company in your appreciation of this delightful little book as Chris Yates said he often re read it on his long sojourns at Redmire, particularly the chapter on Carp.

Oh wow!
Good to know
Time for a re-read I think *boils kettle*