Sea fishing book

Hi Folks,

Can anyone recommend a good book on sea fishing.
Would be interested particularly in one focused on Boat angling.

Cheers,
Trev

Trevor Houseby used to write some excellent books back in the '70's. I'm sure if you went to your local library you'll find some of his books.

There is a Guiness Book of Sportfishing, have a copy but its in Donegal so not sure of full name. Had some excellent stuff on boat fishing british isles - bass, pollock, sharks, cod etc.

Lot of run of the mill stuff wrote about boat fishing, most of the better sea angling books(what few there are) seem to have been writtten about the shore fishing

There are not many modern books that are that good in my opinion.

Books from the 60's and 70's have more angling content and less glossy photographs. Most of these are out of print but are available through libraries.

See if you get Des Brennan's "The Sea Angler Afloat and Ashore".

The tactics are relatively unsophisticated but the fishlore and species information is arguably the best of any sea angling book I've ever read.

Trevor Housby did write some excellant books also.

Hugh Stokers books particularly one called " Sea Angling with the specimen hunters " are also good.

Thanks for the replies lads.

I got Sea Angler Afloat and Ashore and Sea Angling with the Specimen Hunters ordered up from Amazon sellers. Both books delivered for less than a tenner second hand.

Cheers,
Trev

why not ry this lad and you could have saved a tenner :lol:

http://www.mikeladle.com/osa.html

a free online book

its hard to find good books on irsh/brithish angling
but do a serch of your local second hand shop for big game fishing in the british isles not to shure of the name but im close

Hi Trevt

I'm a complete novice with boats so I was looking for a book that would not be too advanced. I found this website that reviews and recommends a book.

http://fishing_boats.tripod.com/


I got a copy from Amazon and have found it very useful.

The websites not bad either.

Cheers

Hi Harry,

I actually got bought a copy of that very book for my birthday.
Cracking little book for Boats that.

Cheers,
Trev

If I were restricted to only one book, I would have to agree that The Guinness Guide to Saltwater Angling, Brian Harris 1977 [ re issued as The Guinness Book of Sea Fishing 1989] would be my choice; with the runner up being Collins New Encyclopedia of Fishing in Britain and Ireland, Mike Pritchard [ 2nd edition ] 1990.
If you want to include some boat handling, seamanship, weather lore etc then Dingy Fishing at Sea, Phil Williams & Brian Douglas,1984, The Complete Boat Angler, Bob Gledhill 1988, or Inshore Boat Angling Russ Symons 19991. The late Des Brennan's The Sea Angler Afloat and Ashore also includes timeless advice on weather lore and boat handling.
All the late Trevor Housby's books provide useful information, but my particular favourite is Sea Fishing, 1983, mainly because I had the pleasure of fishing with him in the 70's, and you will recognise the background in some of the photos.
Incidently the only Inshore Dingy Fishing title I know is E.J.F Wood 1970.
I could go on and on, especially if you want to concentrate on individual species or techniques [ eg wreck fishing] but had best wait for other opinions
Boyd.

I think that Hugh Stoker was one of the best writers ever. He wrote a book about angling around Ireland and UK. Have it somewhere but cannot find it.

I stiil think that the best way to learn about angling is to join an angling club.

I suppose the main problem with books is that the fish haven't read them,
and don't know how they should behave !!
My abiding memory of Hugh Stoker was a few days fishing out of Portrush in the early 60's. He arrived every morning with a hotel packed lunch big enough to feed a regiment; anything he didn't eat he fed to the seagulls rather than share it with the hungry crew. About the only English angling journalist the N.I.T.B. never asked back.

Boyd

"inshore boat fishing" tony whieldon

his fishing skills books are great

Have look at amazon.com. I'm sure there would be something. Anybody remember mr crabtree goes fishing :!:

Found these quickly. Not sure how good any are.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h ... .y=0&Go=Go

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h ... .y=7&Go=Go

Sorry for the long links btw. Hope it helps
dave

Hi Fenitbob,

I bought a copy of "inshore boat fishing" tony whieldon from amazon.
Although not very long, 80 Pages, this book is beautifully illustrated and the techniques are explained very well.

Thanks,
Trev

Another one worth picking up is Michael Kennedy's, 'The Sea Anglers's Fishes'. Lots of interesting aspects of each species biology is also detailed. Only got it about 4 months ago and up onto that stage I'd never heard of it.

Des Brennan, The Sea Angler Afloat & Ashore isn't brillant but is still worth picking up.

"The Sea Anglers Fishes" is a remarkably detailed book on fish biology and at one stage changed hands for lots of money.

Michael Kennedy did write a book on tactics also. I have a copy. The book is very good on fishlore. Though most of the methods may appear unrefined by modern standards, the book includes instructions in fly fishing for sea fish. The book was written in the 1950's.

Des Brennan did also write a book on mullet in the Osprey series which is an excellent work.

Unfortuntely, all the above are out of print.

Michael Kennedy's "Salt Water Angling" was published in 1956, and, whilst a lot of the tackle references have long been outdated, he does mention things like casting uptide of the boat when bottom fishing, trolling rather than drift fishing for porbeagle, and using monel metal main lines. Again most of the fish lore etc is timeless; and directly related to Irish sea angling.
As both he and Des Brennan worked together in the Inland Fisheries Trust it should come as no surprise that "The Sea Angler Afloat and Ashore" published in 1965 follows a very similar format.
The Osprey series also included "Bass" and "Skates and Rays" by Des Brennan; though I am biased towards "Tope" by Clive Gammon, if only because it contains a photograph of myself and Clive Gammon drift fishing on the Causeway Coast in the early 70's.

Boyd

Are the two men (Kennedy & Brennan) still alive?

AFAIK Des Brennan is no longer with us, and don't know about Michael Kennedy, although I know he was still alive about 5 years ago.
http://www.shannon-fishery-board.ie/cat ... -story.htm