John has also made numerous radio appearances, perhaps most notably an hour-long Kaleidoscope special on the life of Isaak Walton for Radio 4. But it's about re-kindling the simple pleasure of fishing, that Bernard Venables so brilliantly put over in his strips and books'. Fishing in the footsteps of mr. crabtree series 1. It's the first time I've met John, and what a smashing bloke he is, very easy going, and full of enthusiasm for this project.Tadhg, was the latest Crabtree Kid to be involved in the making of this new series that has tried to echo the sentiments of the original cartoon strip, which ran for 25 years in the Daily Mirror during the 1940s and 50s.Having been invited up to Kings Lynn in Norfolk to meet John, by the Toast Entertainment Group who are producing the series, I arrive at a housing development run by the Yours Community.Besides building homes, the group is undertaking the rejuvenation of 18 acres of public green space, with the inclusion of courtyard gardens, a children's play area, a full size football pitch and central park, plus the clean-up of a lovely stretch of the river Nar that runs through the site.It's been an interesting insight into what goes on behind the scenes, and I'm looking forward to watching the series on the box later this year.So with the local community out in force, along with representatives from the Environment Agency and the Angling Trust, it seems that everyone is behind this project, but I soon see John down by the river helping pull out litter, traffic cones and the proverbial old tyre from the water.So John Bailey looks me knowingly in the eye, and says 'You and me are of an age where Mr Crabtree was THE thing to read, if you were into fishing at that time', and of course, he was dead right!
Thankfully, 9-year-old Henry from Devon is happy to fish in all weathers and his enthusiasm never wanes as he and John spend a contented two days fishing numerous lakes, deploying different methods and tactics depending on the environment and enjoying the natural world as they fish for all species.John has been guiding for twenty years.
They’re certainly working hard enough, but will they find their fish?Aka, Happy Dace are here again, episode two in the series welcomes 12-year-old Tadhg from Oxford to the riverbank for a series of lessons in watercraft and the signs of a healthy waterway.
But above all it is a great series of fishing journeys in beautiful countryside catching fish and having fun. Along with ‘Peter’, John will be fishing in typical ‘Crabtree’ swims.
Any UK angler will empathise with the conditions they experience, but will be equally heartened by their tenacity and ultimate success.
We witness their joy in the simple pleasure of an unprompted fishing match as the tutor takes on his young charge…. He has led well over twenty-five groups now to various parts of India. In this episode we see John visiting his friend and contemporary carp angler Alan Blair to talk about modern methods and to gauge where to start with Michael.
This presents a complex quandary for John in episode four, not least because as the smallest of all of our ‘Peters’, the sheer physical strength needed to play a big fish is not necessarily a given.
We doff our proverbial caps to Mr. Crabtree whilst at the same time looking at modern angling and the new generation of anglers. Further TV series and specials will continue to bring quality angling TV programmes, providing great entertainment, offering education and advice to seasoned and new anglers alike and delivering all the positives of fishing to a wider TV audience.The series concentrates on all of the best elements; the magic of fishing, the misty dawns, glorious sunsets, swirling fish, bubbling swims, bending rods, powerful runs, a collective joy of catching your target fish, of being outdoors and also teaching and helping young anglers.
Fishing in the Footsteps of Mr. Crabtree Hardcover – January 1, 2012 by John (1951-) Bailey (Author) 4.6 out of 5 stars 19 ratings See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions Fishing with 14-year-old James from Wales we feel the obvious sense of comradery present in two anglers with a common goal. 'After all my years in angling, it's nice to give something back, and that's exactly what Mr Crabtree stood for, passing on his knowledge to the next generation'. We see Michael catch his big fish, and John’s internal wrangling over whether he’s taken the right approach – will he manage to convey to Michael the true joy of fishing in their two days together?The first programme in the series sees John Bailey fishing with 12-year-old Sam from the West Midlands. Many of the Crabtree tricks and techniques were cutting edge at the time and, in marrying up old and new, we’ll also be demonstrating the evolution of angling and what has, and has not changed.The original Mr. Crabtree goes Fishing is the comic strip story of a father who takes his son Peter on a series of angling adventures over the course of a year, fishing for a variety of species along the rivers and lakes of Britain.