A. J. Lane
The mystery identity of A. J. Lane is partly what makes his writing so intriguing.
His name first came to light upon the discovery of an original Victorian angling manuscript, bearing the date 1843. The little information that is known about the author is all that can be drawn from these pages and despite numerous searches, no definite evidence has been found as to the identity of the writer.
Whoever A. J. Lane was, he appears from his vocabulary to have been a reasonably well educated man for his time and to have lived in London. He uses his journal to record his thoughts and opinions on the fishing scene as it was on and before 1843 (when much of what is now suburbia was real countryside).
The author examines all the different British species, their characteristics and haunts, as well as the lines and baits he uses to catch them. The handwritten notes provide the reader with the unique opportunity of familiarising themselves with Victorian angling ethics and the watercolour paintings of flies give a fascinating insight into the fly dressings of the time.
The book is of particular interest in that it is the only nineteenth century angling manuscript to have been published. It was partly this factor that led the artist book-binder, S. Neff Jnr, to choose this title as one for his collection. His beautiful binding of this book - that have been exhibited in art galleries across the States - can been seen in the pages of Waterlog 59 (the Spring 2007 edition).
His name first came to light upon the discovery of an original Victorian angling manuscript, bearing the date 1843. The little information that is known about the author is all that can be drawn from these pages and despite numerous searches, no definite evidence has been found as to the identity of the writer.
Whoever A. J. Lane was, he appears from his vocabulary to have been a reasonably well educated man for his time and to have lived in London. He uses his journal to record his thoughts and opinions on the fishing scene as it was on and before 1843 (when much of what is now suburbia was real countryside).
The author examines all the different British species, their characteristics and haunts, as well as the lines and baits he uses to catch them. The handwritten notes provide the reader with the unique opportunity of familiarising themselves with Victorian angling ethics and the watercolour paintings of flies give a fascinating insight into the fly dressings of the time.
The book is of particular interest in that it is the only nineteenth century angling manuscript to have been published. It was partly this factor that led the artist book-binder, S. Neff Jnr, to choose this title as one for his collection. His beautiful binding of this book - that have been exhibited in art galleries across the States - can been seen in the pages of Waterlog 59 (the Spring 2007 edition).
