![]() |
Trout at 10,000 feet - Reflections of a passionate fisherman
Publ. New Holland 2001 Hbk £12.99   ISBN 1 85974 889 9 An original and very personal collection of stories by John Bailey about his love of fish and the pleasures of fishing. His extraordinary adventures have taken him to some of the most inhospitable places on Earth. This exciting and often humorous book brilliantly captures the majical, mysterious and addictive nature of fishing, as well as introducing us to a motley collection of characters from around the globe. |
|
|
The following review was in "The Independent on Sunday", 30th October 2001 ... John Bailey lives the angler's dream. While others scrimp to pay for mortgages, school fees, water rates and all the paraphernalia of staying afloat, Bailey drifts along, mercifully unencumbered by life's baggage. He fishes when and where he wants, then makes money by writing about doing what he enjoys. Those who have to mow lawns or clean the attic before snatching a few hours on a river bank tend to condemn this butterfly lifestyle. Anyone having that much fun must be a parasite, a dolt or a scoundrel, they reason bitterly. Bailey is none of these. He is one of those rare people who doesn't need to be surrounded with reassurances of his own importance. He lives in a rented cottage in Norfolk. He probably doesn't even own copies of the 30 or so books he's written. Excellent though most of them are, they are merely his means to explore distant places where big or exotic fish might live. This makes him sound a bit of a loony. He isn't. He is an excellent raconteur, generous with time and money and a terrific angler. He runs trips for fishermen to places such as Mongolia, Sweden and Greenland and his prime efforts are ensuring that others catch fish, though he must be itching to grab the rod and show them how. Still, this is all the stuff of great campside stories, and that's precisely what his latest book, Trout at Ten thousand Feet, consists of. Until now, Bailey has given only tantalising glimpses of what a fine writer he can be. He's a superb photographer, and it's as if previously he's been letting his camera do the hard work Instead, in his new book there are only line drawings. Words become pictures. The result is the best thing he's ever written. His text sparkles like a Kashmir trout river. It helps that his excursions get him tangled in events that most only dream, or maybe have nightmares, about. Murder, rape, smugglers, prostitutes, plane crashes, head-hunters, tigers, bears, wolves, floods: he's got some pretty good subject matter to work with. But he tells it so well. There's a lot more philosophising than you usually find in a Bailey book.... "Even though I might be seen as pathetic, liberal, bourgeois and self-serving, [he muses,] I do know this: a ghillie in Ireland, a river watcher in Kashmir, a water bailiff in Yugoslavia cares more for the safety of his family, the prosperity of his village and the fatness of his trout than he does for a thousand pronouncements by politicians. The only sharp steel he likes to feel is the tip of a fishing hook The only army officer he wants to meet is retired or off-duty with a rod and not a rifle in his hand." This book makes you want to pack up and go there at once. But you might think twice. His stories are not sanitised. Maybe it's better to leave it to the bold of heart, those like Bailey who think one glimpse of a seagoing taimen is worth all the pain, discomfort, danger and possible death. |
Fishing Lines, floods, tigers, smugglers and the odd trout | |
| Tales from the Riverbank
Publ. BBC, £17.99 Hbk 1997, ISBN 0 563 38798 X |
![]() |
|
![]() |
Travels with a Two-Piece
Publ. Crowood Press 1985 Hbk £9.95 ISBN 0 946284 27 X
|
|
| Fish eye Fishing
Publ. Dorling Kindersley - OUT SOON! See what the fish sees and transform your ways of fishing - based on underwater photography by John Bailey. |
![]() |
|
![]() |
John Baileys Freshwater Fishing Album
Publ. Dorling Kindersley 1998 Hbk £19.99 ISBN 0 7513 0543 X A new approach for the freshwater angler, based on a better understanding and knowledge of fish. Internationally reknowned Author and television presenter, John Bailey shows how to trade over-emphasis on tackle for insight into the lives of fish and their fascinating habits. Authoritative profiles of every major freshwater fish, linked to clear authoritative explanations of the tackle and techniques which will enable you to catch them. |
|
| The Young Angler A young enthusiasts
guide to angling
Publ. Dorling Kindersley 1999 Hbk £7.99 ISBN 1 7513 5562 3 Using step-by-step photography, John explains how to cast, choose flies, and most importantly, play and land a catch; before returning it to the water unharmed. Practical advice on all aspects of fishing make this book a must for every young angler. |
![]() |
|
![]() |
From Water to Net - An Anglers Album
Publ. David & Charles 1991 Hbk £16.99 ISBN 0 7153 9468 1 A collection of anecdotes and detailed descriptions of every aspect of Coarse Angling. The authors love of the sport comes through strongly in this superb book, which will both thrill and inspire every coarse angler. |
|
| Carp Challenge
Publ. The Crowood Press 1994 Hbk £17.95 ISBN 1 85223 789 9 Carp are big, beautiful, hard fighting, and intelligent - making them all the more difficult to catch, and greatly sought after by all coarse fishermen. The landing of any carp should be seen as an achievement, and to capture a particularly wary fish is a truly remarkable event. Over forty experiences tell of the waters, the fish, the problems encountered, and the solutions found. Some of the carp are famous, some are secret, but all have taxed the skill and nerve of their pursuers to the limit. |
![]() |
|
![]() |
Carp - the quest for the queen -
Publ. Crowood Press 1986 Hbk £15.95 ISBN 0 946284 19 9 Containing contributions form over 20 leading authorities on carp fishing, this book ranges across the whole spectrum of carp, from small estate lakes through to the larger waters of Britain and Europe. This book evokes the majesty and charisma of our most wary and long-lived fish, with many stories of seasons spent in pursuit of large and famous individual fish. An important book for all carp anglers - everywhere. |
|
| Casting Far & Wide - Great Angling
Adventures of the World
Publ. David & Charles1993 Hbk £17.99 ISBN 0 7153 9959 4 John here gathers together a unique team who recount some thrilling fishing adventures from Canada, Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. A book to enthrall the armchair and practicing angler alike. |
![]() |
|
![]() |
Casting for Gold
Publ. The Crowood Press 1991 Hbk £15.95 ISBN 1 85223 453 9 The record of two years fishing in wild exotic places for equally wild, exotic and often rare fish. Ferox fishing in the Scottish Highlands and Western Ireland, wild carp in Europe and the Balkans, and a hunt in the Hymalayas for the legendary Mahseer - the biggest freshwater fish in the world. This book offers much information and advice, and is for inspiration and for dreaming of big fish an dplaces far away. |
|
| Chub & Dace
Publ. The Crowood Press 1990 Hbk £13.95 ISBN 1 85223 243 9 John, Roger an dsix other top anglers have combined to produce this comprehensive account of chub and dace angling. Together they recount the joys and sorrows, the exhilarations and frustrations of fishing for chub and dace on rivers throughout Great Britain. Sound practical advice, and great entertainment. |
![]() |
|
![]() |
Fishermans Valley - Seasonal Tips
for Coarse Anglers
Publ. David & Charles 1992 Hbk £16.99 ISBN 0 7153 9934 9 A fascinating introduction to a network of lakes, rivers, streams and gravel pits in rural England, telling the story of a years fishing. A book for the angler / naturalist, exploring the natural history of the seasons, the land, the waters, and advanced fishing techniques. |
|
| Perfect Your Float Fishing | ![]() |
|
![]() |
Perfect your Baits | |
| Perfect your Tackle | ![]() |
|
![]() |
In Visible Waters
Publ. The Crowood Press 1984 Hbk £9.95 ISBN 0 946284 80 6 In Visible Waters is a unique work. In it, John describes the often long vigils he has spent at the waterside, and the insight he has gained into the lives and behaviour of coarse fish - Barbel, Bream, Carps, Chub, Dace, Eeels, Perch, Pike, Roach, Rudd, and Tench. This book is not just another account of how to fish, but a personal appreciation of the waterside, enriched by long experience |
|
| In Wild Waters | ![]() |
|
![]() |
The Master Angler - Coarse Fishing Season by
Season
Publ. Collins Willow 1997 Hbk £14.99 ISBN 0 00 218734 5 Here at last is a book of refreshing simplicity that atrips away all the complicated jargon associated with the modern angling world, and takes the reader back to the fundamentals of the sport. Exploring five common water types - lakes, pits, large rivers, small rivers and canals - during each season of the year, and inspiring anglers of all abilities to approach the waterside with new eyes, new understanding and new ambitions. Taking the reader to the heart of the sport, it provides a clear understanding of how fish think and behave. |
|
| Perch - Contemporary days and ways -
Publ. Crowood Press 1989 Hbk £12.95 ISBN 1 85223 121 1 Devastated by disease in the 1970's, perch are gradually recolonising their former waters. John and Roger have combined to produce this first major study of perch. |
![]() |
|
![]() |
Pike - the predator becomes the prey -
Publ. Crowood Press, 1985 Hbk £14.95 ISBN 0 946284 47 4 John and Martyn have collaborated with over 20 of Britains top pike anglers to give an expert view right across the spectrum of modern pike fishing. Essential reference for even the most experienced pike fisherman. |
|
| Roach - the gentle giants
Publ. Crowood Press, 1987 Hbk £10.95 ISBN 1 85223 035 5 A comprehensive study of the techniques of todays roach specialists in both rivers and stillwaters. Standard methods and exciting modern developments are explored, drawing on the intimate knowledge of a wide range of local experts. The book ranges from the great days at Hornsea Mere at the turn of the century to the exciting fishing now found in the stillwaters throughout Britain. |
![]() |
|
![]() |
Salmon Fishing - in search of Silver
Publ. Crowood Press 1994 Hbk £17.95 ISBN 1 85223 790 2 Straightforward instructions for any fisherman starting to fish salmon, including a detailed account of the lifecycle of the salmon, advice on the best tackle, and where to find the best fishing in Britain, and Worldwide. |
|
| Stillwater Trout Fishing
Publ. Crowood Press 1995 Hbk £19.95 ISBN 1 85223 860 7 This is a book built on the experience of the Author, who has fished for stillwater trout for over thirty years. It also draws on the knowledge of over twenty other experienced anglers who offer specialised information on their own particular area of expertise. All the issues are treated in a straightforward way, and the newcomer will feel instantly at home, finding guidance which will help when faced with baffling challenges of the waterside. A book for the fisherman whio wants to learn, who seeks inspiration, as well as information, and who realises that there are very many challenges waiting fo rthe angler and his fly rod. |
![]() |
|
![]() |
Fish of the Summer Stillwaters -
Publ. Crowood Press 1991 Hbk £14.95 ISBN 1 85223 403 2 Here, John Bailey along with the help of four other top anglers recouints a sleection of tales about fishing on stillwaters which makes compulsive reading. John concentrates on the less sought-after species, such as eels, ridd, catfish and wild carp. The book is full of anecdotes of both lazy summer days and practical information on catching over ten different species of fish. Above all, John and his co-writers convey their love of the countryside and their infectious enthusiasm for a way of life which is fishing. |
|
| Mossymere
A sensual love story - Johns first novel |
![]() |
|
![]() |
The Great Anglers
Publ. David & Charles 1990 Hbk £17.99 ISBN 0 7153 9435 5 What makes an angler truly great? What differentiates the great from the very good, and why are some anglers much more successful than others? In this ambitious and fascinating book, John gives the reader a rare insight into the world of great freshwater anglers from Izaac Walton to the present day. |
|
| Tales from the Country Estates -
Stories told by servants and gamekeepers from the great country estates of Britain - personal anecdotes about life "below stairs" |
![]() |
![]() |
Rivers of Joy
Publ. Creel Publishing 1992 Hbk £19.95 ISBN 0 873944 02 0 A gallery of lavishly produced paintings and narratives, celebrating the waterscapes of Britain and the World |
|
Last updated
|
Angling Travel |