'No other publisher in the UK  offers angling
books of such consistent literary class or
aesthetic excellence.' - Barbel Fisher

The Medlar Press was established in London in 1994 by experienced publishers Jon and Rosie Ward-Allen, who were able to combine their print, design and editorial skills to form the new company. Jon had fished from an early age and was acutely aware of the environmental problems affecting angling and critical of those causing them - sentiments that made him a keen supporter of the ACA of which he was a committee member (and now the Angling Trust).  Since it published its very first fishing book, the new edition of Chris Yates’ Casting at the Sun, Medlar has gained an enviable reputation for the publication of some of the finest fishing books in the UK, not only on account of the quality of writing but also because each book has been designed and produced to such high standards. 

Medlar’s fishing books include some of the great classics of angling literature but also many books from contemporary authors - works of historical or biological research, and literary works deserving of a wide audience. There is a good search facility on this site so whatever you wish to find, whether it be an author, title or simply a fish species, you should be directed quickly to the books that fit your criteria.

As a British company (based in the beautiful countryside of north Shropshire), Medlar is proud to support the British printing industry and all our books are printed in the UK using sustainable paper and inks. Our limited editions are clearly identified on this site and are bound in high quality cloth or leather, hand finished with embossings and ribbons and some have handmade endpapers. Many of the illustrations for our fishing books are commissioned from highly talented artists, and our photographs, if not provided by the authors (some of whom are superb photographers), come from our own extensive Medlar Photographic Library.

We have very many regular customers, some of whom have collected our fishing books since we started. We like to think that this is mainly because we produce good books but we hope it’s also to do with the service we provide. Whether you order your books by phone, through our website or from our Ebay or Amazon shops, we aim to get your books to you safely, well packaged and as soon as possible.

In 1996 the magazine Waterlog was founded, with Chris Yates as co-editor, with the objective of providing good quality, albeit eccentric, reading matter in magazine format. The magazine is quarterly, and available on subscription. It has been described by some as the best fishing magazine in the world, but readers need to judge this for themselves. Follow the link on the homepage to access the Waterlog site and/or subscribe.

These are just a few of the excellent comments made by reviewers of Medlar titles :