Classic Angling Magazine

04/09/2026

In the latest issue of Classic Angling 157.....

Fishing all started with a pole, and things have come on a long way since. We look at their history, and especially at the beautiful cane poles that once dominated Londoners’ fishing.

Serious illness has forced Neil Freeman, founder and the inspiration behind Angling Auctions, to postpone his next sale until 2027.

One of the world’s rarest reels, a Mitchell Global, comes up for sale in France next year. We look at its lineage.

A third of wild Atlantic salmon populations in Ireland now carry genetic material from escaped farmed fish, research reveals.

The capture of a 919lb marlin has earned a $6.5m payday for its captor and the boat's crew.

Cane rodmaker Edward Barder has bought most of the remaining stock of Pezon et Michel, and plans to revive some of the French firm’s iconic rods.

The carp-like bigmouth buffalo can live as old as 150 years, research has discovered. But this lifespan may be all that is standing between some populations and collapse.

The key areas where tarpon feed on their annual migration, have been uncovered, making these spots vital for protection.

Fakes purporting to be made by Hardy have resurfaced again. We highlight a rod cabinet carrying a spelling mistake and a mirror you can't see into

Just one in seven of England’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters is classed as being in good ecological condition. And every river and lake failed a test for chemical pollution.

A fishing bait resembling a sea urchin is taking the bass-fishing world by storm and selling for as much as $300.

Here's a novel invention that will be welcomed by every big-game enthusiast: something to keep sharks away from a hooked fish.

Charles Gaines, who has died aged 84, invented the game of paintball, made Arnold Schwarzenegger a household name and popularised body-building.

Hardy guru John Drewett believes a previously unknown centrepin reel may stem from the Alnwick company, not Richard Walker.

A study shows that forward-facing sonar can actually be a disadvantage, despite claims that it gives competition anglers an unfair advantage.

Florida’s Everglades, already under threat from many invasive species, now face a new concern: the Asian swamp eel.

Mike Levitt, the philanthropist who enabled the International Game Fish Association to build its Florida HQ, has died aged 92.

Research has been attempting to discover why muskellunges, 'the fish of 10,000 casts', are so hard to catch.

Paul Morgan's plays detective and finds out the true authors of two previously misattributed angling books.

Henry Bateman was renowned for his cartoons. What is less known is that the artist was a keen fly fisherman, accompanying his friend and fellow author William Caine.

A framed letter written by Ernest Hemingway and Flip Pallot's
reels have sold for high prices at a US auction.

Cased and carved fish continue to attract high prices, with many selling at auction for double or treble their estimate.

An ultra-rare golden walleye caught on a North Dakota lake was captured again, nine days later, by a different angler.

A week-long trip for two to fish the Alphonse group of atolls in the Seychelles is the highlight of Wildfish’s annual auction.

John Bailey discovers an oasis of calm in a small river near his home after bemoaning the parlous state of the river Wye.

Richard Hewitt finds three mysterious rods carrying the name of polemakers Sowerbutts but bearing the RU logo.

Our books pages admire a work on all things Mitchell and get
the chance to read Tim Benn’s book on Dunne’s ‘sunshine flies’.
Find out what was hot and what was not in the tackle world at
recent auctions run by Copley Fine Art and Mullock Jones.
Keith Harwood looks at the rise and fall of Adlington & Hutchinson, once the world’s oldest tackle maker.

The multi-talented Louis Rhead was one of the most important
figures in American angling. Steve Woit looks at his achievements.

Our letters pages find out more about the giant Gore trout statue, and learn how ‘Captain Croydon’ helped one reader.

Keith Arthur loses a friend and finds pieces of early fishing when he sorts through Brian Gent's tackle.

05/07/2026

In issue 156 of Classic Angling:

Could this be a previously unknown reel made by the master angler Richard
Walker? Until now, only two of his hand-made reels were known. But all the signs are that this could be a mystery third reel.

Scientists have matched certain fish sounds to specific species, which could even be interpreted as fish ‘speaking’ to each other.

The actual rod and reel used in the film Jaws has just been sold at an American auction for $190,000, a record for a piece of fishing tackle.

Pike are chomping through as many as 250,000 smolts on a river once considered the world’s most important for Atlantic salmon.

Zyg Gregorek, once labelled the world's greatest angler for his feat of achieving a triple Royal Slam, has died. He was also known for creating the huge Devon fishery Angler's Paradise.

Ireland's iconic Lough Corrib has been famed for the quality of its trout fishing for more than century, but a new survey has shown just 2% of the fish in the lough now are brown trout.

Officials say it’s now safe to eat certain fish from the Hudson river, which runs through New York. Locals are less sure.

Early casting weights made by the lure manufacturer Heddon drew bids up to $2600 at Lang’s latest online auction.

Mayflies can't tell a male from a female, but they have evolved a unique way of flying that separates the boys from the girls, research has revealed.

Roy Buckingham, the hugely popular casting instructor and fly tyer at the Arundell Arms in Devon, has died aged 83.

Paul Morgan, in our new column for bibliophiles, reveals the author who inspired the logo for his Anglebooks company, which holds the world's largest stock of fishing books.

Chinese scientists have succeeded in artificially breeding eels by replicating their amazing 3700-mile journey. The discovery is crucial to reversing the threatened extinction of the species.

The great golfer Jack Nicklaus spent more than six hours fighting a giant black marlin off Australia that could have challenged the world record if it had been weighed sooner.

Books by The Times angling correspondent Brian Clarke, who has just died, proved an inspiration to many trout fishers. His work The Stream won several awards.

The founder of the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Tom Davidson, is to be inducted into the International Game Fish Association’s Hall of Fame later this year.

Our Yesterdays discovers the story from 1918 of a 90lb pike, 5ft 8in long, that was caught trolling with a brass shoelift.

Once upon a time, hundreds lined the banks of the Welland to fish in the river’s annual
championships. It was fished by most of the top anglers, and winning it brought huge prestige.

The Manchester reelmaker John Moscrop, who died in 1903, has become famous for a reel that he actually never made. We look at his life and times.

05/07/2026

These beautiful salmon flies are the work of Paul Schmookler, who has just died. His stunning creations and books have done much to popularise the tying of classic salmon flies.

John Bailey tells how he was advised by the acclaimed John Wilson to make the most of fishing’s golden moments. How well did he listen to that wise advice?

Richard Hewitt questions whether the rise and rise of the Angling Direct superstores and cheaper gear is filling the gap left by up the loss of so many local tackle shops.

Our book pages cover everything from a fine work about Zane Grey’s last days to advice on using size 24 flies.

Steve Woit admires the range of elegant medals, often the work of jewellers, that were awarded for success in various disciplines at casting tournaments.

The achievements of Henry Francis have been hidden by the popularity of someone who shared his surname: Francis Francis, who was angling editor of The Field..

Our letters page discover some new Bernard Venables links and the world’s longest fishing pier – which is not in Southend, as you might think, but in Texas.

Keith Arthur is still chuckling about the day when the mystery of phantom bites on the river Lea was solved, thanks to a cartoon strip that appeared in the Daily Mirror.

A gold medal-winning 1883 display of taxidermy sold for £14,000, a 14th century rod and reel for £15.000 and a pioneering fly reel for £15,000 at the latest sale by Angling Auctions.

Floats made from paper sound like a ridiculous idea, but Zephyr paper floats date back to 1919, and modern versions are still being made today.

05/07/2026

Late arrival of the latest issue:

Apologies to all readers for the very late delivery of Classic Angling No 156. Though it was printed in early June, confusion at the printers, which posts all our issues around the world, meant that it has been stuck at base camp. I'm assured that it should now be winging its way to you. Alas, the delay was out of our control and the problem only became clear when I returned from holiday (non-fishing alas) to be greeted with a mass of calls and emails from worried readers. Hugely sorry, and it's no consolation that this is the first time in more than 20 years that we've experienced such a problem.

Keith Elliott

12/03/2026

In our latest issue of Classic Angling magazine, No 155............

The idea of fishing for sharks off a pier seems preposterous. But the world record tiger shark of 1780lb landed from a pier in Carolina over 60 years ago still holds the record.

A marlin pennant that once flew on the big-game boat Pilar has just sold at auction for $170,000, highlighting the enduring appeal of anything associated with Ernest Hemingway.

A researcher is asking for readers’ help to trace old records and photographs of sturgeon caught in the river Severn, Wye and Usk.

Master big-pike angler Siegfried Schön, who has several 40-poundes to his credit, has been building a mini-museum as homage to his favourite species.

A wildlife photographer has captured an extraordinary feeding spree of brown and brook trout taking flies by busting their snouts through ice.

Belgium has become the first country to adopt the RecFishing app, a reporting system that requires all sea anglers to record their catches for scientific purposes under EU law.

Our eBay spot looks at the innovative Holliday fixed-spool reel, invented by Edward Small, �a man who once had his reels produced and sold by at least four different companies

The Fenwick big-game rod that was used in the Jaws film by Robert Shaw is expected to command a high price when it comes up for auction.

An Australian angler has had his car and his boat confiscated, been fined $A20,000 and banned from fishing for five years after being caught with 22 endangered golden perch.

Mike Read continues his series on the world’s rarest Mitchell 300s with a look at the Bicentennial and the Green Rapid.

Duncan Hall travels to the remote state of Arunachal Pradesh in India to tangle with one of freshwater’s toughest fighting fish, the golden mahseer.

Allcock’s Brigald reel commands high prices when it appears at auction. We look at the innovative ideas behind this 1920s reel.

A gold-medal winning 1883 display, one of the greatest examples of the taxidermist's art, comes up for sale at Angling Auctions later this month

A new book details a comprehensive history of the people and the companies who built the Mitchell business in France and around the world.

Commercial boats that land marlin and other species as by-catch off New Zealand could be allowed to sell the previously protected fish instead of returning them to the sea.

Salmon parr have been found in the upper reaches of the river Ecclesbourne, a nine-mile tributary of the Derwent in Derbyshire, for the first time in more than 100 years.

From the Files looks at the extraordinary efforts made by a pisciculturalist in 1902 to ensure that he managed to travel with his salmon ova to the US.

More than 400 lots are on offer in the Wild Trout Trust’s annual online auction, with fishing in Denmark, Slovenia, Montana and all over the British Isles.

Recreational and commercial fishers in Western Australia cannot fish for bottom-feeding species until September 2027 at the earliest to protect diminishing stocks.

Sharks off Florida have become a huge problem, snatching more than 50% of hooked fish – but an Australian deterrent may alleviate the problem.

Irish anglers are battling to stop the fisheries department from imposing harsh curbs on the prolific river Moy’s salmon fishing.

Two major French fishing shows this year have been cancelled, with little prospect of their resurrection.

Anglers are being paid to catch and kill as many lake trout as they can in an effort to protect the kokanee salmon stocks on a giant US reservoir.

Neil Freeman has now clocked up 41 years of running tackle auctions, and wonders how much longer he can do continue to do so.

John Bailey finds his old diaries carry a clear lesson: grab the good times while you can, because they are over all too soon.

Richard Hewitt finds out more about the great Spanish salmon fly tyer Belarmino Martinez.

Our book pages cover everything from squid fishing and catching sea-trout in Connemara to an anthology of ghostly tales and the fascinating story of how trout got to Tasmania.

John Austin discovers more about the eccentric major who ran a tackle shop and sold flies on the shores of Lake Taupo in New Zealand.

The great writer Arthur Ransome had a theory that fishing during a solar eclipse might produce some interesting results. Keith Harwood discovers how his idea worked.

Collecting the 85 Kelson salmon cards that were given out with Land and Water magazine is one of the toughest challenges for collectors, writes Steve Woit.

Keith Arthur recalls the days when fishing on the river Lea Navigation Canal just outside London meant avoiding the horse-drawn barges.
.. and lots more!

20/02/2026

The marlin flag that Ernest Hemingway flew on his boat Pilar is one of the highlights at Copley Fine Art's sporting auction this weekend.
The hand-sewn flag was almost lost to history, but was collected and preserved by Captain Bob Smith, who was a chair boy aboard the 38ft Pilar as a young man. He became a legendary Bimini guide and a friend of Hemingway's.�Though it was estimated at $5000-$8000, bids had already reached $30,000, days before the auction started.
Another star item in the sale is a 7in Hardy Alma reel that was owned and used by the pioneering big-game fisherman and author Zane Grey. It is believed that this was the first reel that Hardy's built for Grey, preceding its renowned Zane Grey line of big-game reels.
It is one of the very rarest Hardy reels, and only five were made in the 1930s.
The reel was named after Charlers Alma Baker, a New Zealand big-game fisherman who designed it and had Hardy Brothers produce a series of two-speed big-game reels in six sizes A December 1924 letter from Alma Baker to Zane Grey references this reel, with Baker writing: "I have given Hardy the order you gave me for one of my big-game reels, and a heavy rod...I hope they will reach you in time for the next season."
This exact reel can be seen in a photo of Grey going through a tackle box, and is identified in a photo of Grey's tackle collection by the black wrapping on the inner spool. It was one of five big-game reels that featured in the International Game Fish Association's Zane Grey - The Fisherman" exhibit in 2024.
More details of the sale, which takes place today and Saturday (February 20 and 21) at www.copleyart.com

09/01/2026

Classic Angling book reviews are now available to read on the Classic Angling website along with the latest news and blogs……..

BeOnePage | Best WordPress theme for one page websites

12/12/2025

In our latest issue, No 154, of Classic Angling magazine........

* The fish farmer Donald Leney is famed for creating the carp that once graced Redmire Pool. Now a huge admirer of Leney’s work is trying to continue the legacy of his Galician carp.
* Dolphins in the Amazon basin have learnt to let anglers do their fishing for them. They are causing a nuisance by following boats and stealing fish right off the hook.
* A man who has collected more than 300 prime cases of mounted fish by the world's leading taxidermists is to open a museum and showroom in Wales.
* High Court judge Sir Peter Cresswell, who has just died aged 81, was a world expert on classic Atlantic salmon flies and owned arguably the world's finest collection.
* Fish may have climbed out of the water for a life on land at least 10 million years earlier than previously believed.
* Flip Pallot, a man synonymous with saltwater fly-fishing, the host of the TV series Walker's Cay Chronicles and founder of Hell's Bay Boatworks, has died from cancer.
* A small fish left homes without power and caused a brush fire that affected more than an acre of land in Canadian village.
* An angler who won a kayak-fishing contest in the US has confessed to cheating for his victory by using staged pictures of his catch.
* King Charles III has withdrawn his royal patronage from a fish-farming company that was responsible for the escape of 500,000 salmon from its sites.
* The vendace, the rarest British freshwater fish, is flourishing after being introduced into a Scottish loch. It is only known at four sites across the British Isles.
* Richard Hewitt of Thomas Turner travels to Sweden to collect a vast collection of 12,000 Atlantic salmon flies by some of the world's finest tyers.
* The Australian motor racing driver Peter Brock won many trophies – but the one he prized most was for a 87lb 12oz world record giant trevally.
* New moves are underway to curb the inexorable spread of fish-eating cormorants throughout Europe, where it's estimated they now number around 2 million.
* A new strain of bass unique to three US states has been officially recognised as a new species. It has been named the Bartram's bass after the naturalist William Bartram.
* An angler who went well over his permitted limit catch of walleye has been banned from fishing for six years and fined thousands of dollars.
* New Zealand has an enviable reputation for its clean pure waters, but research has found poor quality and widespread faecal contamination at more than 3500 lakes and rivers.
* John Mondora, a prolific writer and a man who had a huge influence on Australian recreational fishing, has died
* The Mitchell 300 sold more than 20 million copies, but there is still immense confusion over how to identify the earliest versions and exactly when they were made.
* A New Zealand fish has developed the ability to change its s*x from female to male within minutes when the dominant male is removed from a group.
* All our Yesterdays heads back to 1937 to find the first imposition of laws to stop the indiscriminate killing of tarpon.
* A professional bass angler is facing charges of manslaughter after his boat ploughed into another and caused the deaths of its two occupants.
* The European gudgeon may grow to little more than 4oz, but it was once a fish that attracted the upper classes in Victorian times.
* Ken Fraser, the man who set the world record for bluefin tuna with a 1496lb monster off Nova Scotia, has died aged 81. Almost 50 years on, his record is still unchallenged.
* The absence of US bidders failed to affect the appeal of a very rare Haskell Minnow, which has just sold for £12,000 at Angling Auctions.
* Stefan Duma, the author of superbly researched books on the river Trent and Nottingham makers, has died.
* Hybridisation is going to cause an enormous headache, not just for those who hunt records but for the fish themselves as the purity of strains become increasingly corrupted.
* An autobiography of Kevin Ashurst, one of the very best match fishermen of all time, is due to be published next year.
* Neil Freeman believes a new initiative to protect chalkstream Atlantic salmon might just move things forward at last.
* John Bailey is renowned for heading into dangerous and distant climes, and has written widely about his adventures. But he says his days of derring-do trips are over.
* Richard Hewitt heads to Sweden to pick up a vast collection of 12,000 salmon flies by some of the leading tyers.
* Our books pages cover a listing all British cane rodmakers, a masterwork about Mary Orvis Marbury and the memories of John Gierach’s friend.
* We take a look at all the auction action of rarities at Angling Auctions and a vast lures sale at Morphy Auctions in Philadelphia that gross nearly $3m over three auctions.
* Different versions of Orvis’s iconic 1874 reel are still being found, thanks to Charles Orvis’s constant tampering with the design, writes Steve Woit.
* Keith Arthur is mystified by some clubs still insist on banning certain baits such as bloodworm and h**p.
* The belief that Albert Smalley was the inventor of the elder pith float is incorrect, Rod Fisher learns. It’s a lot older than we think.
* Our letter pages talk of memories of the Heads’ bookshop in Salisbury, and reveal new information about the tackle dealer Bambridge.
* We have expanded our diary to devote a whole page to let readers know about upcoming auctions, shows, tackle fairs and conventions.

And lots more...

04/09/2025

In our latest issue, No 153

A man who has spent over 20 years hunting out the very rarest Mitchells tells how the built the world’s greatest collection of specials built to commemorate Mitchell milestones.
The rod-making company Bruce & Walker has been taken over by an entrepreneur, who will be making and repairing the classic rods from a Scottish base.

AK Best, the renowned fly-tyer, author and close friend of John Gierach, has died at the age of 92.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy provoked a storm when he was pictured fishing with the US Vice-President JP Vance. We reveal the behind-the-scenes story about the incident.

Don’t throw away that battered old Barbour jacket. According to magazines like Vogue, angling apparel is the look of the moment among the fashionistas.

A vitamin deficiency linked to an enzyme found in anchovies
is threatening the survival of chinook salmon.

Researchers have discovered a unique species of cave-dwelling fish that has eyes. Normally, species that live in these dark caves are totally blind.

It’s been a while since a fishing book proved the top-selling lot at an angling auction, but it happened at Mullock Jones.

The fly wallet of James Wright, inventor of the Greenwell’s Glory, is one of the rare items at Angling Auctions’ next sale.

An angler who has just set a line-class record with a 39lb 2oz brown trout says that he’s lost fish of more than 50lb.

US President Donald Trump’s executive orders promoting fossil fuels and housing over the environment are causing serious concerns.

An Australian man has been fined $2000 and banned from fishing for three years because he used carp as livebaits.

Jason Lewis plays detective to examine a frame of 21 Victorian gut-eyed salmon flies to see if it really is as old as claimed.

For the first time in 200 years, evidence has been found of salmon breeding in the river Don.

A chandelier that once hung in a French trout-fishing club has been sold at auction for $90.000.

Medlar Press is publishing a rash of new books, including one by 96-year-old Lord Nickson, telling about his 80 years of salmon fishing.

Clownfish can shrink in size and become shorter when under stress from heatwaves, research has discovered.

All Our Yesterdays discovers a story from 1903 that blames self-interested mill owners from wrecking plans to make the river Medway in Kent into a salmon river.

Our Trout Spot looks at the rare coastal cutthroat, one of the very rare species that can be caught both at sea and in freshwater.

The International Game Fish Association is expanding its records programme so more young anglers can put in claims.

Joshua Buller has just caught one of the largest spotted bass – but he can’t put in a record claim. We explain why.

A small garden pond has just sold at auction for £15,000. Its secret? It was made by one of the greatest Victorian art potters.

Steve Woit looks at the influence that John Harrington Keene had on early fly-fishing in the US, and tries to puzzle out why he fell out with Orvis.

Our eBay spot looks at the appeal of highly decorative Abel reels, and the man who inspired the genre.

Jim Bazley was renowned for his match-fishing talents but he was also an avid grayling angler, Keith Harwood discovers.

We assume that the sound split-shot dispenser is a modern idea. But Rod Fisher finds that the invention is over 120 years old, and it was designed to hold flies too.

Neil Freeman, suddenly aware of his own mortality, fulfils a bucket-list ambition by catching a catfish on fly tackle.

The fly wallet of James Wright, inventor of the Greenwell’s Glory, is one of the rare items at Angling Auctions’ next sale.

John Bailey, a pioneer of angling trips in Greenland, recalls his memories of fishing for char amid the stunning scenery.

Richard Hewitt sees a decline in fishing trophies and medals, and wonders if we are losing out on making memories.

Our books pages admire a work on the men who made the Trent famous, review Monte Burke’s new work and Ed van Put’s legacy.

Benjamin Bambridge was a tackle dealer and inventor, author and eccentric who was behind the famous Windsor Bee lure. We look at his strange life and times

We take a look at all the auction action taking place at Lang’s Guyette & Deeter, Copley’s and Morphy Auctions.

Notes on Fishing, Russia’s first book, has a surprising number of similarities to Izaak Walton’s The Compleat Angler.

Our letter pages reveal more about Budge Hintz, the birth of the block-end feeder and Dennis Pye’s pike stories.

Keith Arthur recalls the days when Thames barbel were notorious tackle-smashers that played havoc with those who fished the river on the pole.

29/06/2025

In our latest issue, No 152……

Imagine a water where the trout once AVERAGED more than 10lb, and were caught in their dozens. We investigate why the trout on New Zealand's Lake Taupo grew so big.

President Trump’s diktats on tariffs have caused confusion and dismay among the tackle trade, collectors and Chinese suppliers, source of most of the world's tackle.

The Junction Pool on Scotland’s river Tweed, arguably the world’s most famous salmon-fishing location, has been put up for sale.

Former Olympic skier Andy Mill, now one of the world’s foremost tarpon anglers, is one of six named for the IGFA’s Hall of Fame.

Mystery surrounds what happened to Dr Todd Larson, whose Whitefish Press was once the most prolific publisher of angling books.

Tuna and swordfish get much of their food from the ‘twilight zone’, a cold, dark region half a mile below the surface.

A new species of subterranean eel loach has been named after the four-year-old Indian girl who discovered it.

Predatory blue runners are hiding behind sharks to launch surprise attacks on their prey, research has found.
Joan Wulff has sold the iconic fly-casting school on the Beaverkill river that she ran with her husband Lee.

Neil Freeman rages at water companies blithely ignoring
complaints about pollution, despite fierce criticism.

Richard Hewitt meets the author Peter Wheat, who is now selling the many iconic items he has owned over the years.

Our books pages admire a great work on Alvey, how the Mersey came back to life, and a challenge on accepted fly imitation.

A Wilcox Wiggler lure was the star of the show, drawing bids to $33,000 at a Morphy’s auction selling the vast collection of Wayne and Lori Edens.

All our Yesterdays looks at the myth of apprentices having contracts that promised they would not have to eat salmon more than three times a week.

A lot of three old rods, sold at auction for just £22, contained a very rare 150-year-old split-cane rod by a master maker.

Our auction pages review the action online from sales at Mullock Jones and Angling Auctions.

John Ess*x finds that tracing the inventor of the plastic swim-feeder proves a lot harder than he had expected.

Pierre Affré relates the extraordinary tale of the aristocrat who died playing a salmon and had his body stored in a fish cold room.

Our letters pages reveal the story of a river and a rebel
major, while an author defends his account of a possible record salmon.

Keith Arthur recalls a memorable exploratory trip to assess
the potential for running fishing holidays to France.

John Bailey tells how his addiction to fishing for ferox trout on the Scottish lochs changed his life.

A black Record Ambassadeur 5000, which has just sold for £6200, is one of the most sought-after reels in the Abu range.

Mary Orvis Marbury, one of the greatest of all fly tyers and subject of a new book, was a stout defender of British methods and fly-tying.

We reveal what the 5-metre salmon fly monument to the great Scottish tyer Megan Boyd will look like at the entrance to her home village of Brora.

Keith Harwood takes a look at and fishing in Roman times, when angling was very much an upper-class pursuit.

And much more!