Wild fly fishings "must reads"

[Laxdale]

And you have not mentioned his dark side. I have never met him, but have heard enough to know he is somewhat lacking in morals.

[Billy]

I have ghillied for the cunt.

I nearly choked on my coffee this morning.
That was probably a better read than one of his books.

Billy

[johnny boy]

I too have ghillied for him, I thought the thread was about good books.

Falkus may have been an arse (he was certainly known for being difficult) , so would that disclude all his books?

Maybe the thread should have stated "good reads written by nice guys"

That would have clarified the whole thing.

[Laxdale]

Fair point.
I do not read angling books, as I am just as opinionated as the authors, but also prefer to work things out myself. But I could not resist posting about Headley.
One or two of his fly patterns are very good, I will give him that.
But he fell out with me once when, after he stuck up some pictures of new patterns, I said one of them was very good.
He went in a huge huff because I did not like them all. 

[Hoolet]

I too have ghillied for him, I thought the thread was about good books.

Well will this do?

Bumped into him on Swannay many moons ago maybe a year or so before he was run out of town,
Starstruck as a daft laddie would be I sidled up to him and asked what he would recommend for a cast....”Read my book” was the answer....proper Snidey bastard
I’ts always surprised me he hasn’t been  twatted on the shores of the lake or wherever else he’s now plying his bullshit......and I never did buy the book

Hoolet

[alba]

I have ghillied for the cunt.
He is incapable of fishing in a flat calm or anywhere near weedbeds, the shore or water less than four feet deep, he has to be in open water pulling like the wanker he is. Ties a nice fly, couldn't hook a salmon in a farm cage.
But it wasn't the fishing that put me off so much as the expectation that I would run around after his arse all day at his beck and call and all for no monetary reward.

Cheap shots maybe but not as cheap as him.


Andy

It should now be known that the only wild fly fishing must read is Andy's quote here, that was outstanding mate haha!

[Highlander]

I have ghillied for the cunt

Andy why can't you just say what you mean
 

With hindsight I think the C word should be removed though.

[johnny boy]

as I am just as opinionated as the authors

Really 

One or two of his fly patterns are very good, I will give him that.

Are they his flies?  I know one fly he has taken from mine, changed it slightly, renamed it and now says its much better than the original.  My fly has had 10 years of action so the conclusions of how successful it is are based on valid factors, not one-off days.  Anyway I am not bitter, should he feel the need to do this sort of thing that's his business.   But this thread was not about the character of the author rather than the book its self (or am I missing something). By all means start a thread about the guy, I am sure it would get plenty anecdotes, I may even add a few myself.

[Roobarb]

I feel a (tiny) bit bad now, he is human.
But on the other hand having seen the master in action I know a lot of what is in the book (or T&S) is BS.
I realise there will always be artistic license in any writing but there are limits. When you have seen someone refuse to fish in a flat calm with good fish rising all around because it is "hopeless" the alarm bells start to ring. I suggested that I creep the boat around on the oars while he picked them off but he just had no idea what I was on about. Similarly when I tried to get him to fish narrow channels between weeds and around islands and the shore or pick our way through the reefs with me holding the boat bow first into the wind again he was clueless. He is a one trick pony, chuck out one length of line and pull it back at different depths. So no he has no idea how to fish a typical Hebridean loch.


Andy

[Bobfly]

I am almost feeling the need to offer his lordship the trial of a float tube for a weedy and rocky bit of fishing, but I did say "almost".