Fresh Water Fishing by W E Davies

[Troydog]

Mooching around a Tewksbury bookshop yesterday I found this excellent book. Published just after the Second World War, it is a mine of personal knowledge and experience, written in the no nonsense style of Captain L A Parker. One of the chapters, in an otherwise generic list of topics is: ‘Locating a roach swim.’ So I was sold……

[Catfish.017]

I had this book as a lad and loved it. I particularly remember the chapter on Roach describing a typical outing, much as in Colin Willocks book Come Fishing with Me.

[Banksy]

This was my second book on fishing, the first being Fishing for Beginners by Maurice Wiggin.
They are very different in style, and as Catfish.017 mentioned, I particularly enjoy the descriptive passages on fishing trips.
The roach session, pike fishing in autumn and a stormy afternoon catching seatrout.
Some of the tackle tinkering tips are quite useful as well, though the knotted net making would not be acceptable these days.
And as for dying my fishing line, the bark of the walnut tree is safe, as it is of more use to the walnut tree.

[Troydog]

Thank you gentlemen. Aren’t these books so wonderful? I’m just obsessed with writings on roach at the moment. I have always been focussed on just one aspect of coarse fishing, but I have so many books on the go at the moment. And it’ll soon be time for perch. Or my favourite ploy is to get a dozen roach and a dozen perch out of the same swim!!

[Banksy]

I don't know if it's a typo, but I'm puzzled by his repeated reference to the 'multiflying reel', or the 'multiflier'.
Surely the multiplier was never known as the multiflier?
Or was it?
Similarly, when referring to monofil nylon, he calls it 'monofilm' line.

My version of the book dates from MCMLXIX - 1969, if my Latin numeral interpretation is correct - and the first edition was produced in MCMLII - 1952, so there was ample opportunity to correct the mistake, if indeed a mistake it is.
Or the multiplier and monofil may not have featured in the original version.

[Troydog]

I think that my version is 1952, but i haven’t gone into the detail of potential typos…… i am only interested in the fishing content = the learning really. There is always something in these old books…..