THE BEST OF PIKELINES. Edited by Barrie Rickards.

1988 1st edition. 8vo (160 x 240mm). Ppx,120. B/w photographs, illustrations by David Lumb. Light blue boards, spine titled in silver gilt.

Articles from the first two years of the journal of the Pike Angler's Club of Great Britain 1977-79. There are contributions from many household names such as Neville Fickling, Vic Bellars, Bill Chillingworth, Fred Buller and more, along with many articles written by other members of the PACGB. The book is divided into three sections, covering tackle and techniques of fishing for pike, conservation and science, and finally stories of great (and sometimes not so great) days on the water. Chapters include: Part One, Fishing for Pike: Home brew, N.J. Fickling; Frozen deadbait, Alec Johnson; Towards the ultimate plug or elf, Steve Tolan; Plugs again, Shin Baxter; Barbless singles and all that, Andy Barker; Tackle rigs, Barrie Rickards; Pike floats for small to medium sized baits, Steve Tolan; Barker up the wrong tree, Alec Johnson; Rigs for suspended deadbaits, Vic Bellars; Small boats for pike fishing, Geoff Knott. Part Two, Conservation and Science: Just a little about conservation, N.J. Fickling; Winterhill, Barrie Rickards, Conservation, Alec Johnson; Conservation - why use trebels? Vic Bellars; Disgorgers, Barrie Rickards; Bill Chillingworth on striking; Piking in North America; The record of the age of your pike, Ed Crossman; In response to Esox at sea, Ed Crossman. Part Three, Story Time: Notes on the Revd. E.D. Alston, Fred Buller; 'A lovely pair...', Paul Green; 'Enter vandals with dredger', Don Wheeler; Sutton Trophy - Part One, Ray McClaren; Foggy foggy dew, David Shepherd; Fishy family, Jenni Homden; Local lakes, Jenni Homden; Underwater pike angling, Nigel Hidson; Sutton Trophy - Part Two, Ray McClaren; The pike of the Tyne, P.J. Armstrong; Pike eye view, J. Congreve; Ticket 281, Andrew Falkner; Piking fireworks, Stanley Gill; Last of the winter paraffin, Bob McCombie; Sixteen foot pike, David Shepherd; A trip to Ireland's Loch Allen, Tim Cole and John Shipp; Irish pike trip, Mick McEwen.