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Angling histories

Discover more about the heritage and history of angling, including the stories of the greatest anglers through the ages.

Izaak Walton may well be considered the father figure of English angling, being as he is the author of the 'Compleat Angler' in 1653. But our two Johns hold encyclopedic amounts of knowledge on fish, fishing and anglers. John Ellis is our national fisheries and angling manager and John Essex is a National champion and author of 'History of the National'.

With help from other contributors, the two Johns have put together this collection of articles on heroic champions, facinating fishy facts, the evolution of tackle, the best fishing spots, and much more.

My favourite peg

Anglers from across the country share their favourite places to fish

The greatest angler

Back in 2014 we went on a quest to find the greatest angler of all time

Angling heroes

In 2016 we asked you who your angling hero was

Great angling writers

In 2017 we looked at the best fishing authors and journalists

A wealth of history

Follow John Essex's blog as he explores angling history and heritage

The team blog

John Ellis and the fisheries and angling team look at angling past and present

Last Edited: 11 January 2021

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