Sticklebacks To Throwing Sticks

Dear CARPology reader: do not adjust your glasses or prod your contacts! What you’re looking at really is a book by Tom Bankes! Sticklebacks to Throwing Sticks is Tom’s first self-published book, whose pages detail all his eventful accounts, beginning at Toadsmoor Lake in the Stroud Valley and leading on to the mecca of Savay Lake in northwest London’s Colne Valley. And yes, we know what you’re thinking—we asked the very same question—some of Tom’s legendary ‘mystery’ rigs are covered in these books (yes, ‘books’, plural… there’s another two volumes to follow!) We caught up with Tom to get the lowdown on this first one and what we can expect…

When we saw Pete Regan posting on FB about a new book—Sticklebacks to Throwing Sticks—by Tom Bankes we couldn’t believe it! So what made you want to write a book?! 
“Good question! I believed, to write a book about angling would be a healthy evaluation about something that I have spent such a ridiculous amount of time doing. The thought that someone else may then read about this was undoubtedly an incentive, as just to provide some interest, maybe a smile, or a forgotten memory to surface in the mind of another afflicted angling soul, would bring me great satisfaction. I guess it’s a ‘time of life thing’.”

Did you enjoy the whole process—writing, sourcing images, working on the layouts, etc.—or were some parts more enjoyable than others?
“I love writing about angling and having kept diaries since day one, there were plenty of topics to choose from. Pictures as well were no problem, as a camera of some sorts has always been stashed in the fishing gear and this has grown to a fair stack of photo albums over the last forty years.

“The part I grew to dislike was the editing, as I originally overwrote the book massively, and it took numerous edits to reduce the word count. It almost got to the point where the ‘sick of the sight’ comment was firmly understood. The pencil drawings as well could be a punisher, no end of hours went into them, but the end look proved hugely rewarding. In particular there was this pike; I won’t ever forget the music soundtracks I listened to whilst drawing this creature over several weeks—it almost took me into a trance-like state!”

Ha, ha! So how was it working with our old mate, Martin Mumby? He’s worked on some great books in the past, so did you feel reassured?
“I couldn’t have got on any better with Martin over the length of time it took to produce the book. With his ‘50’ years in the print trade, he’s got a knowledge of the finer details, colour enhancement, picture sharpening—the lot. But what made the process enjoyable was that conversation is a two-way thing with Martin, and as I had always wanted an in-depth involvement, this freedom allowed me to truly get the book I wished for. As far as I’m concerned, he’s the top man.”

Can you give us a quick overview of what we can expect? Timing-wise, where does it start and finish up?
“It starts right at the start—sticklebacks! It just had to, but then progresses along the angling avenues so many of us have experienced; all sorts of venues and methods, species, people met, influences and this led on to finding a bit of individuality in how I went about casting a line. For a lot of the time, it’s about how I so epically failed at what I tried to catch, before finally realising it had to be that thorough, thought-out manner and understanding which can lead on to a capture.”

It’s a beast of a book! Over 340 pages. Did you originally plan for it to be as big as that? 
“No! I was aware of this, as way back I was told this terrible tale about a book that was this big, when it fell from the shelf, somewhat tragically, it struck a baby below. At the time, I remember thinking, ‘God, imagine being responsible for that title...’, so I assured myself that I would never write a book that big…Yet it seems, somehow, I have. This happened because I chose a wider page from what has become the recent ‘norm’ regards angling books. This extra space allows better legibility and a larger half page picture. There’s a lot of pictures, that’s my excuse. Also, I’m incontinent with angling imagination…”

And are we right in saying there are another two books planned? What will those cover and when do you expect them to come out?
“Yes, there are, and I am really excited about the second title due out next year. It was easier to write than the first, as it features a number of the premier league venues which I was lucky enough to have fished in their prime. It’s a read for the truly hopeless case of a carp addict; that stage in life where absolutely nothing or no one gets in the way of angling pursuit. The third title has some really big fish venues and captures, yet a large section is dedicated to the fisheries that I have leased or owned over the past thirty years. I hope at best these accounts could provide inspiration to anyone who has ever thought to ‘start their own place’ as I’m a strong believer in the ‘individual’ running what will become the best venues in this country’s future.” 

We’ve always heard rumours about your incredible rigs… so please say there’s a rig chapter! 
“Yes! Rigs do feature throughout all three titles on the rare occasions when I have been able to come across an ‘edge’ whilst fishing for educated or pressured carp. I must add there are no diagrams or ‘how to tie up’ explanations, instead emphasis is put on the train of thought needed to be able to get your head around the reason the set up could work. This leads on to the fining down of the presentation, which can gain the buzz of briefly being one step ahead of the quarry. The ‘Pinch Rig’—which is explained in the first book—is a good example of this when originally used at Savay Lake.”

Where can our readers purchase a copy, and dare we ask… will you be attending any angling shows to promote it?!
“To purchase, please visit my website www.tombankesangling.co.uk where a list of retailers can be found selling the book. In no particular order, they are: Tackle Den, Bristol Angling Centre, Johnson Ross Tackle, Bankside Tackle, Kenny Gates, Harefield Tackle and Barbel Fishing World. With regards to shows, hopefully I could have sold out by the time they come around, but if not, I look forward to seeing you there amongst the masses!”