The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I think he’d still be at the cutting edge. He was always looking to experiment and innovate. He’d have done a book on thermoclines for sure. Dick did love his thermoclines.

I wonder who the previous correspondent Dick had a go at there was? A Mr. R.Hill.

You see barely anybody made glass fibre rods in the UK in January1953. Allcock had abandoned the project, seemingly destroying all the mandrels carefully made by Tony Croft before they made a single rod!...I wonder if that had anything to do with Tony leaving shortly afterwards.

All Allcock offered in 1953 was the KBX Castlite spinning rod.....and I've yet to see one.


So it's hard to know just what rods Dick and Mr.Hill might have tried.


But for Dick to say that he doubted Mr.Hill had ever held a decent cane rod is just argumentative at the least....at the worst it's downright rude.


Yes, that's Dick alright.

I would have loved to have written in and reminded him of that letter a few years later......... ;-)

Nobby,

I will have a look to see if I have the issue with Mr. Hill's letter in it, I have found an interesting reply to Richard Walkers letter which I will copy and post.

John.

Thanks John, I look forward to that.

Thank you John for taking the time to add that letter on TFF, you have given the readers of TFF a further look at Walkers vast knowledge. I would no doubt have read the letter as my grandfather was an avid reader of Fishing Gazette along with the Field Magazine. I first come across Richard Walker as Water Rail in the Fishing Gazette, but it was sometime before I got to know that Water Rail was in fact Richard Walker. Hence choosing Water Rail was the first letter of his surname second his Christian name, It’s interesting to note his first article in fishing Gazette was on Flood Water Angling in the 1930’s

Thanks for posting that letter.
"Should I ever become so dissatisfied with fishing as to turn to tilting at brick walls, I promise the manufacturers of glass rods that I will buy one of their products." Absolutely classic Walker at his best!
It reminds me of the passage in his 'Stillwater Angling' where he offered his opinion of the closed face reel he was sent to try out, and reported his throwing it into the deepest part of the pool, 'where is now rests, unmourned'.