Thursday Review: Classic Angling (Sep/Oct 2013)

The latest edition of the British magazine Classic Angling has hit the newsstand. It has a ton of interesting articles, including the cover story about a 50-pound pike and its history that is one of the most engaging stories of its kind I've read in ages. It's an unbelievable story, and very much reinforces how rare these big monsters are.

For the American audience, there are two great articles by authors familiar to American audiences. First we have Ben Wright, the spinning reel guru, who gives us the story of why it took so long for ABU to go to aluminum spools. The second is by ORCA's Mike Cacioppo who gives the skinny on Penn's first multiplier.

Additional articles by mainstays Judith Head, Neil Freeman, John Bailey, and others, as well as the assorted mixture of news and short blurbs, makes this another issue well worth perusing.

To learn more about Classic Angling you can visit their web site by clicking here.

-- Dr. Todd

Thursday Review: Classic Angling (No. 83, May/June 2013)

The international mails brought an outstanding present in the form of the latest edition of Classic Angling. This issue had a number of interesting articles in it.

There were some neat feature articles. Ben Wright gave a great piece on the Ambidex, the reel that set two carp records; a look at the first World Championship of fishing by John Essex; five years on the Test by Neil Freeman; John Bailey on why noted angler John Wilson is quitting Britain and moving to Thailand; Judith Head on Arthur Ransome; and an absolutely outstanding article by Tom Kerr on the magic of Thomas Tout fly rods. Well done, Tom!

There are also regular features of note, including auction results, fishing news, and vintage tackle profiles. It's well worth reading!

You can learn more about Classic Angling and subscribe to it by Clicking Here!

-- Dr. Todd

Thursday Review: Classic Angling (Sept/Oct 2012)

Thursday Review: Classic Angling (Sept/Oct 2012)

The latest issue of the great magazine Classic Angling has hit the stands, and boy is it a good one.



In addition to the tremendous coverage of important fishing news that this magazine specializes in, the feature articles are outstanding as well. I was pleased that both my article on the Keely tackle trailer and my appeal to the NFLCC about the nationals got coverage in this section.

There were some excellent features as well. A nice biography of the late James Hardy, a great article on Australian Seamaster reels by our own Ben Wright, Keith Elliott on the carp that changed the (fishing) world, a frightening look at what may come to pass (a jellyfish world) by Neil Freeman, John Bailey on a big rudd, Jason Lewis on displaying flies, and the fabulous column by Judith Head on vintage fishing writing (this one on a famed forger who wrote a great fishing poem).

There is always neat coverage of important books and tackle auctions. The magazine is a must read for anyone who wants to stay abreast of fishing history and the world of collecting.

It is ably edited by Keith Elliott and has a new and improved web site.

-- Dr. Todd

Thursday Review: November/December 2011 Classic Angling

Thursday Review: November/December 2011 Classic Angling


One of my favorite magazines arrived in the mail today--Britain's Classic Angling. It is an excellent issue once again. The most interesting article to me was the cover story, which dealt with the esoteric subject of fishing-related fans. Yes, fans--as in to fan yourself. They are very beautiful and I am sure that this is the first time the subject matter has been broached to a large audience. Kudos to Keith Elliot for running with such a great pictorial story.

Tons of other articles of interest, as always, including great auction reports and columns from noted writers like Judith Head, John Bailey, and Neil Freeman. There's also a great article on Canada's Islander Reels. All in all it's a great issue.

Another great issue of a magazine really hitting its stride. The magazine is capably edited by Keith Elliott, and is available through subscription by Clicking Here.

-- Dr. Todd

Thursday Review: Classic Angling (Sep-Oct 2011)

Thursday Review: Classic Angling (Sep-Oct 2011)

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

Thursday Review: Classic Angling (March/April 2011)

Thursday Review: Classic Angling (March/April 2011)

The latest issue of Classic Angling--the great magazine on fishing history published in Britain--has hit the stands and it is another winner.


One of the nice things about the magazine is it has become a chronicle of current news, so it was delightful to read Hardy's was reviving the name for high end tackle, but it was sad to recognize the end of the Angler's Guide after 100+ years. Profiles of recently deceased anglers like Don Tyson and Sylvester Nemes are always a nice touch, too.

Lots of interesting feature articles, too. A profile of a new web site featuring "larger than world-record fish," Jack Berryman's excellent piece on Tommy Brayshaw, and the shocking piece by John Leigh on how he was duped into buying $17,500 worth of fake Hardy reels. Roger Still follows up on more forged Hardy reels.

The final part of Tom Kerr's excellent three-part article on Conroy made the six-month journey well worth the price of admission. Well done, Tom!

Regular columns by Neil Freeman, John Bailey, and Judith Head are always excellent contributions and well worth reading. Since I am keenly interested in books, Judith's series is always looked forward to.

Auction news, the latest from around the world of fishing, reviews, you can't ask for more than this!

The magazine is ably edited by Keith Elliott, and is available through subscription by Clicking Here.

-- Dr. Todd

A Review of Classic Angling (Jan-Feb 2011)

A Review of the Latest Issue of CLASSIC ANGLING

Yesterday the mails brought a welcome distraction from the horrible weather we are having--the latest issue of Classic Angling. It is the January-February 2011 (No. 69) issue and I knew I'd like it because it has a painting of Lord Nelson on the cover.

Back when I was first starting graduate school, I spent a lot of time researching and writing about the Royal Navy--in fact, my Master's Thesis was on the origins of the first all-big gun battleship, the H.M.S. Dreadnought. I have an almost completed book on the subject sitting a shelf waiting for me to return to it one day...

Anyway, it certainly was not a secret that Lord Nelson was an avid angler, but Tony Bird reminds us just how much of a fishermen Nelson actually was in his very entertaining cover story "Lord Nelson, the Keen Fisherman." There's a reason Nelson's Column presides over Trafalgar Square. The article underscores why Classic Angling is unlike any other magazine out there. Only here would you find an article of this kind, and there's a reason the magazine was named magazine of the year by the U.K. Angling Writer's Association.

While there are so many small articles and blurbs it would be impossible to give a full run down, I will concentrate on outlining the features of interest. And no story is more interesting, or sad, than that of Edwin Rist, a world class musician and fly tier at the tender age of 20. In an audacious move, he broke into the Natural History Museum and stole 300 rare bird pelts, ostensibly to use and sell as salmon fly tying material. Now 22, he was captured after selling many of the rare feathers, and now faces sentencing. Very sad indeed.

Geoffrey Bucknall penned an article questioning British pike legend Dennis Pye's record northern catches. It would seem that Britain and Ireland are not immune from the controversy surrounding big catches just like the famous cases surrounding American musky anglers Percy Haver, Art Lawton, and Louis Spray.

Barrie Welham profiled caster Tommy Edwards, the always delightful Neil Freeman on the season of the coarse men, John Bailey on golden times at Magic Lake, and Judith Head on the papers of the Houghton Club.

Finally, Tom Kerr's second of three parts on the Conroys is a welcome piece of research. Classic Angling had earlier excerpted the chapter on the Conroy-Welch debate from my book Forgotten Fly Rods so much of this section will be familiar to readers of the journal.

All in all, it was another great issue. The magazine is ably edited by Keith Elliott, and is available through subscription by Clicking Here.

-- Dr. Todd

A Review of Classic Angling (Nov-Dec 2010)

A Review of the Latest Issue of CLASSIC ANGLING

Today, we get a review of the latest issue of the British magazine Classic Angling. It is the Nov/Dec 2010 issue (No. 68) and includes a ton of great information.

As always, the magazine starts with news of use to classic angling fans, and it leads with the sad news that noted angling book dealer Judith Bowman is retiring. Judy has run her angling book store for 30+ years, but has finally decided to close up shop. Very sad news indeed. Another story of interest is the piece on The First Five Waltons, covering in some detail the great set of early Walton books sold by Sotheby's. There is, of course, all the latest updates on tackle auctions from around the world.

Feature stories include "The Man Who Almost Won" by David Hall, about the shock election that saw Bird become president of the U.K.'s National Federation of Anglers; Keith Elliott's "Now Its Time For Another 1000" about remarkable angler Steve Wozniak, who has caught 1000 species of fish; Neil Freeman's "My Quest to Find the Right Man to be My River Keeper"; John Bailey's "Is this the End of the Line for the Cauvery?"; and regular columns by Judth Head (Books) and others.

There are two particular articles of note. First, Tom Kerr's "John Conroy: The Early Days" which is a detailed look at this fascinating character. Tom's research is world-class and he definitely deserves great credit for helping us better understand these early tackle makers.

My favorite article is Elliott's in-depth analysis of why the Freshwater Fishing Hall-of-Fame reinstated the Walleye world record. A really informative and fascinating piece that shows that things are never as they appear; new photos show this walleye was indeed a freak of nature. But 25 pounds? Speculation still runs rampant.

All in all, another solid and fascinating issue. The magazine is ably edited by Keith Elliott, and is available through subscription by Clicking Here.

-- Dr. Todd

Thursday Review: Classic Angling (Sep-Oct 2010)

Thursday Review: Classic Angling (Sep-Oct 2010)

Every two months we will be reviewing the fine British publication Classic Angling. A lot of collectors in America are unaware of this magazine, but it is certainly the largest circulation periodical dealing with antique fishing tackle in the world, and covers a ton of material on both American tackle and fishing history in general. It is an indispensable addition to your library.

The current issue is No. 67 (September/October 2010) and covers a lot of territory. In addition to numerous pages devoted to the latest fishing and tackle news--including previews of the upcoming Lang's and Angling Auction's auctions and a warning on faked 1st model Mitchell reels--there are a number of feature articles, too.

For example, Roger Still gives us "Easy to be Fooled by These Fakes" which covers fake Hardy reels. Articles like this are invaluable in making the collector world safe for both novices and advanced collectors alike.

David Beazley gives us a great historical piece in "The Fishing Monks of Dendy Sadler," which details this artist's wonderful foray into his fishing images.

Neil Freeman gives us "Rainbow's End on Our Bit of the Test" which is a great fishing piece in the long tradition of British chalkstream trout writings.

John Bailey penned "The Delights of Long Trotting" which centers on the traditional British form of fishing known as centrepin float fishing.

Book maven Judith Head deconstructs the life of Sir William Jardine, author of British Salmonidae, in "Inspired By Travelling Around Scotland in a Wheeled Boat."

Tom Kerr and Charlie Fleischmann give us a rare jewel in "Maria, Queen of the Ustonsons" in which they deconstruct this fascinating female and place her in the context of angling history.

I sometimes contribute to this fine magazine, and my own contribution this issue was "The First Big Match" which detailed the battle between Jamison and Decker and how it was recreated by NFLCC members this past summer.

Simon Runting ends the features with " Chub, on a 90-Year Old Allcock Aquatic Spider" in which the author finds, fishes, and ultimately loses this beautiful fly while fishing for chub.

This magazine is an absolute must for anyone interested remotely in fishing tackle and fishing history. It is ably edited by Keith Elliott and you can learn more about it by Clicking Here.

-- Dr. Todd

Bill Arp, in Memoriam by Keith Elliott

When I heard that Bill Arp had passed away a few weeks ago, I got in touch with Wallace Carney, esteemed Mitchell reel expert and author of the new book The Mitchell 300. Wallace was great friends with Bill and encouraged me to contact Keith Elliott and see if he would agree to allow Keith's obituary, run in the current issue of Classic Angling, on the blog. Keith, ever helpful, kindly agreed to allow us a look at a man who was a pioneer in so many ways. Here's Keith's neat article.

Bill Arp, In Memoriam

by Keith Elliott

Bill Arp, show pioneer and the first man to realise just how collectable Mitchells reels were, has died of cancer. An avid collector and historian who loved fishing with a Mitchell 408, he died at his home in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, aged 69. His close friend Hoagy G. Carmichael – author, angling historian and rodbuilder, has rich memories of Arp. The two often travelled together and ran a tackle auction in Bedford, New York, way before Oliver’s and Lang’s.

“There must have been 160 boxes and Bill put a number on every lot. I travelled to a lot of shows with him in the early days, and he was interested in Mitchells way before anybody else. He was collecting them 35 years ago. I always remember how pleased he was when I found a couple of great Mitchell reels from someone who worked at the plant.”

Carmichael also revealed a couple of little-known sides of Arp. He had been in the Marines and did a huge amount to help the Marine Corp League but was very senior in the league and did a great deal for them. He sent thousands of parcels to Marines serving abroad, and had a wall full of commendations. “Even then, the wall wasn’t big enough,” Carmichael said.

Arp had drinking problems after Vietnam, Carmichael said. “His first wife had left him and he said: ‘I have to stop this.’ He got a job and gave his name as Bob Jefferies. He worked for a very wealthy family in New York, running their estate under that name, but when he met Barbara, he wanted to marry her and change all this. He went to the IRS and said that he had been living under an assumed name, and wanted to pay back his taxes. He did so for the rest of his life. That’s how honest Bill was.”
and Dennis Roberts writes: my dear friend Bill Arp was my mentor for the hobby. Bill envisioned that someday, he would experience that Mitchell collecting would become a global phenomenon. He was involved with mentoring many collectors and assisted a number of authors who published books on Mitchell reels. Bill edited many books as well.

In the latter part of 2008, he became the lead moderator of the Mitchell Talk Forum on eBay, and was even involved in talks to organise the Mitchell gathering in Florida next year (page 16). An avid fisherman, he used only Mitchell 408s in his quest for smallmouth bass from the Penobscot River in Maine, his favourite fishing place.

A few weeks prior to his passing, he met me and we discussed the hobby. One of the last things he said was: “Before I pass, please tell me why these reels have such a hold on us?”

Please note that Keith is the editor and publisher of Classic Angling, one of the great magazines on fishing history.

-- Dr. Todd