The morning mails brought a welcome delight -- the latest edition of the great British magazine Classic Angling. This was an exceptionally awesome issue, covering a huge variety of fishing history.
One of the things I love best about the magazine is it is tune to the modern world and the latest in fishing news. This is why I was delighted to read that Reuben Heaton's--a legendary fishing reel maker--would be manufacturing reels again after a 60 year absence. I was also interested to learn Lang's Discovery Auction would be held in August in upstate New York. It will be interesting to see how much this increases traffic to this always looked forward to event.
As far as features, there were a number of them and they were all excellent. Leading the way was Steve Starrantino and Bob Mead's "Fly Provenance Is Just the Toughest Thing to Prove" which details the many difficulties in trying to prove who actually made a fly. A very well done article.
Another neat article was on legendary pike man Alfred Jardine, who's reputation has taken a bit of a beating of late. Graham Booth's "Exploding the Myths Behind Jardine and his Record Pike" helps to set the record straight on a man who, by all accounts, was one of the true pike fishing legends.
Neil Freeman, one of the best writers out there, gives us "Don't be Fooled by Salmon Abundance" which helps explain why the sudden influx of salmon on the Test does not necessarily mean that all is well in the world of salmon.
John Bailey, recently feted by Manchester United F.C. and about to launch a new television fishing series, gives us the insight in how he helped relaunch the beloved Mr. Crabtree Goes Fishing.
As a bookhound, I always love Judith Head's writings on angling ephemera. This issue she tackles "The Early Days of Copyright" and does a bang-up job as usual.
My own contribution to this issue was an article I was very proud of dealing with the British rodmaker Lt. Col. Gerald Oborn. "The Wonderful Cane Rod of Colonel Oborn" was based on a series of interviews with both Oborn's son and John Price, who worked with Oborn for a number of years.
Finally, ORCA columnist and legendary spinning reel historian Ben Wright -- who's new book we reviewed a couple of months ago -- and who's monthly Spinning Reel Reports appear on this very blog, gives us a tremendous article entitled "The Genesis of the Fixed-Spool Reel." Really a nifty piece.
There are dozens of smaller articles as well, including one that finally explains how the Mitchell Reel got its name.
This is a fabulous issue of a magazine that keeps getting better and better. The magazine is ably edited by Keith Elliott, and is available through subscription by Clicking Here.
-- Dr. Todd
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