THE ULTIMATE ANGLING DEN!
Do you know a true fishing magpie? Keith Armishaw has a collection to rival most but, as Dom Garnett discovered, his Angling Heritage project is all about preserving the sport’s rich legacy for future generations...
QUIET corner of Devon is hardly the place you’d expect to find a treasure trove of fishing memorabilia.
But Keith Armishaw is not your typical collector. Stepping into his River Reads bookshop is retro fishing heaven. There are tomes and artwork from every corner of the sport, amid forgotten tackle and objects whose beauty and curiosity can’t help but turn an angler’s head.
Beneath two giant cased pike caught by the Freds Buller and J Taylor, Keith welcomes me in. Impressive as it is, his collection has grown not from a desire to build a private hoard, but to preserve and share the sport’s riches with the greater public.
Indeed, rarest and most valuable pieces of all are on display in the local Torrington Museum. These include the first-ever carbon fishing rod, and famous fishing hats belonging to everyone from Dr Barrie Rickards to Dick Walker.
Such treasures and the tales that go with them drive Keith to continue. “We have to be careful not to lose the past,” he says. “So often, when anglers stop fishing
or die, their families chuck things out, thinking they’re worthless.”
For Keith and wife Sandra, it goes beyond simple pounds and pence – this is the very story of fishing. Nor are mere objects where the interest ends, as their Angling Heritage project testifies.
“It started when I met my hero Fred J Taylor,” he says, “who I was lucky enough to record in conversation with Fred Buller.
“It seemed too special not to do something with, and so the project was born.”
A series of fascinating conversations have followed, alongside specially bound books cataloguing the life and times of angling’s luminaries, alongside keepsakes and specially commissioned illustrations. Since the first interviews, the project has blossomed, with trustees including Chris Yates and our own Des Taylor lending their support.
A wonderful experience for Keith, although it has cramped his fishing time!
Could there be national fishing museum one day I wonder?
“It would be wonderful, and I’d gladly pledge our collection as a legacy. But for the time being I doubt it,” says Keith. “But we’re looking to feature angling items in various displays – for the sake of the sport and future generations.”
I find it hard to stop my eyes wandering everywhere as we chat away like music fans discussing rock bands.
I, too, would love to see angling’s heritage get a national home, but until that day Keith’s wonderful fishing den is the next-best thing.