Far Bank A different stamp of fish...

As far as coveting fish and fishing-related treasure goes, stamp collecting is a hobby that tends to stick, confesses Dom Garnett

“Many stamps are beautiful, like miniature works of art”

IN THE world of notso-trendy pastimes, it probably ranks up there with trainspotting, metal detecting or even, heaven forbid, Morris Dancing.

But as anyone who enjoys collecting stamps will testify, it’s an enjoyable habit that can stay with you for many years.

In the mid-1980s, just as today, hankering after stamps was even less cool to admit to your classmates than going fishing every weekend. My aunt was probably the instigator, sending boxes of envelopes and scraps whose treasures had to be prized off using a combination of steam and the sort of patience not usually associated with an eightyear-old. But each of those magic little squares told a story.

There were planes, birds, athletes and all sorts from Britain to Australia. At first you tend to gather anything you can steam off and store in an album, but after a certain point you gravitate towards a certain theme. In my case, inevitably, I slowly realised I didn’t really give that much of a toss about steam engines or dead monarchs when there were fish and fishing stamps to collect.

Thirty years later I might not be quite as avid, but my collection continues to grow, spanning various albums. Not only do I find it a nostalgic reminder of more innocent times, but an enjoyable detour just about anywhere I travel. You end up rifling through row after row of odds and ends in stamp shops and markets, looking for those elusive finds and striking up conversations with strangers.

I much prefer this classic, handson approach to the dreaded eBay. It’s a dusty old cult, admittedly, as you surreptitiously pay for your next little brown envelope, like a gangster in some Werther’s Original version of the mafia.

There are still a lot of things to recommend stamps, though. For one thing, they needn’t cost a bomb. Well, a lot less than split cane rods or vintage reels. A set of former Eastern Bloc stamps can be as little as a couple of quid, for example. Nor do a handful of albums take up much space.

Best of all, though, are the huge variety of creative styles and species of fish.

Many of them are truly beautiful too, like miniature works of art. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at David Miller’s stunning Royal Mail designs.

Besides the fish, you’ll also find various little gems that neatly depict fishing itself, from flies and lures to tiny anglers doing battle with leaping monsters.

Furthermore, with the huge number of countries and fish species out there, you’re unlikely to ever exhaust the fascination these tiny treasures possess.

This is precisely the danger, in fact, and the very reason I will probably be a stamp nut for another 30 years and more.