The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Where has Maurice Wiggin been all my life. I took one of his books on a recent holiday and I think I finished it in a day. It’s obvious Chris Yates is a fan from the prose and hugely similar styles of writing, styles which I relate to enormously. I’ve since bought (some whilst sat by the pool in Italy) several of his books and have feverishly set about them.

If you haven’t read any, do so, and if you have where you similarly affected, or am I alone in my appreciation? That first book (The Passionate Angler), is heavily quoted in ‘A passion for angling’ and I can see why. I didn’t agree with many of the outdated views or his disdain for Coarse Fishing (it is primarily about fly fishing) but he expresses it in such a way that I didn’t care too much. I laughed in places and was upset about his friends dying through the war. I was amazed to find out that, having written all these books, of such quality and obvious passion, that at 41 he caught a large trout and never fished again, despite living into his 70’s. if anyone knows more of that story I’d love to know.

Finally I have to contrast this with Frank Sawyers - The Nymph and the Trout. I found this really hard to get through (most of the rest of the holiday). I’m sure that Mr Sawyers contribution to the art of fishing the Nymph is both extensive and deserved, but the written word is not where his talent lay. Sorry to tread on toes if others thought different, but to me it was an endless list of majors, generals, lords and sirs he’d fished with followed by an anecdote about how he proved a Nymph worked and then how the gentleman gave up their life long hatred of the Nymph fisher and became one.

M

I'm a great fan and have most if not all of his fishing books plus his autobiographies and his books on cars and the law.

At the moment I have restricted myself to his fishing books, but that might change. I never expected him to be as good. I’d heard of him but had maybe written him off as as just another typical angling writer, much like frank sawyer, where “this is a fishing book so should be about tackle and fish from start to finish”. Did it mention anywhere why he gave up fishing? I hypothesised that his care for natural things got to him, as he mentioned a great deal about causing as little distress as possible to fish and the fear they might feel.

I see from the similar topics box below that this book has been covered in 2016.

Yes! Marc it has been discussed in earlier threads but I see absolutely no harm in producing another thread regarding this most wonderful writer, and a marvellous book.
There is so much to appreciate - What I adore is the immersive quality in his writing- for me fishing is so much more than the fish - tackles etc. I personally find this approach somewhat of a chore and invariably never read.
Wiggins prose along with Yates and a very few others have an all encompassing understanding of why we and how we fish. His empathy with life and the natural world places him (I would say) well ahead of his time. Everyone should read this book - it inspired a very few to carry the torch - thank goodness.

I have read everything printed by Wiggins <in books> including his non fishing ones except the one about a cat.

He is (was) at the very top of UK writing talents.

I searched high and low for his non fishing books on ebay etc. I must have reread all of them three times.

My first book about angling was 'Fishing for Beginners' by Maurice Wiggin, and it has been re-read so often that I can quote large passages from it.
But I am still uncertain about his advice on what to do if you feel you are beaten all ends up by a fish - throw your rod into the water, and let the fish tire himself out by towing it around.
"It's long odds you will get it back again" - not long enough to convince this fisherman!

To me re MW, it's not about his fishing expertise - it's about the tales he weaves, the humanity, the emotions, self depracation and most of all, his use of vocabulary.

His book "Troubled Waters" is in my opinion the best.

I love the tale about Vortegen Jones, the Welsh recluse.

A passionate Angler is my favourite book, additionally some of the venues Mr Wiggin fishes are local to me and i know them very well.

One of the great angling writers whose style is evident in many that followed him.