All-time angling heroes

In this series we've profiled major historical figures in the angling world. These are real life heroes who have devoted time, energy and sometimes their entire lives to fisheries conservation and the development of angling.

From promoting and protecting threatened species of fish, to enabling anglers to travel to new waters, forming alliances and even working with the War Committee, these all-time angling greats helped create the fishing landscape that we take for granted today.

Ivan Marks

Ivan always claimed just to be an ordinary bloke who could fish a bit. The angling world knows he was far, far more than that.

Alf Waterhouse

Alf Waterhouse should be recognised for his ground-breaking conservation policies, leadership skills and extreme determination.

Georgina Ballantine

In 1922 the legendary Miss Ballantine landed the biggest ever rod-caught British salmon.

Ken Ball

Ken Ball, president of the NFA was an all-round great bloke, a tireless worker for angling and a great ambassador for our sport.

Fred Buller

Fred Buller is almost certainly the greatest angling historian the sport has ever produced.

Richard Walker

Dick Walker was arguably the most influential angler, not just of the past 100 years, but of all time.

Robert Bright Marston

To attempt to understand the importance of Robert Bright Marston we must step back to the late Victorian era.

Bernard Venables

Bernard authored the book that inspired a generation to try fishing, through his endearing characters, Mr Crabtree and son Peter.

Dick Clegg

Dick Clegg will go down in angling history as the brilliantly successful England team manager who brought world championship success on a massive scale.

Maurice Kausman

Maurice Kausman worked tirelessly to further the sport of angling in the 20th century.

Philip Geen

What Philip Geen achieved in his lifetime, without access to methods of communication that we take for granted today, is remarkable.

Jim Bazley

Brilliant match angler, specimen hunter, writer and angling administrator, Jim Bazley did much to raise the profile of our rapidly evolving sport.

Barrie Rickards

Barrie Rickards, aka the ‘Pike Doctor,’ changed the landscape of pike fishing for thousands of anglers.

Terry Mansbridge

As well as doing much to further the sport of angling, Terry Mansbridge had some memorable encounters with the Kray twins.

Passionate about history?

Read more about the history and heritage of our canals and rivers

Last Edited: 14 January 2022