Life with Bass

Too Much To Soon? by Donovan Kelley “The largest bass of the year, 17lb 1oz from the Blackwater estuary, was Peter Prentice’s first bass, caught on his first cast from Richard Parkinson’s “Amethyst” out of West Mersea. Another notable first was Colin Fellowes’ l6-pounder, caught from the

Records by Donovan Kelley Weight records for sea fish are a phenomenon of the years since World War II. Before that there was little interest and no central body to formally vet and record big-fish claims. The Fishing Gazette simply noted large fish reported to them, likewise

The Lure Of Big Bass (Part 2) by Donovan Kelley I have for many years kept a record of all reported bass of 10lb and over. It started just after the war, at a time when published information on bass was scanty. I covered vears back to

The Lure Of Big Bass (Part 1) by Donovan Kelley I have never been interested in competitive fishing – and have only limited interest in records. Peter Collins, the genial former editor of Sea Angler, asked me once if I caught many bass over 10lbs, and whether

A Lifetime With Bass by Donovan Kelley Several readers of my earlier book, ‘Forty Anglers, 1994’, have asked, “When am I going to write another?” My answer has always been. “Never” – until very recently when I found myself with a lot of typescripts on my hands.