Since the 18th century, hundreds of

angling Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" (from Old English ''angol'') attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techni ...

authors have adopted pseudonyms for their books, for their contributions to journals and the popular press.

Pen names A pen is a common writing instrument that applies ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Early pens such as reed pens, quill pens, dip pens and ruling pens held a small amount of ink on a nib or in a small void or cavity whi ...

for angling authors were most common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This is a list of pseudonyms used by notable angling authors. Entries are listed by pen name, real name, and works. * The Amateur Angler, Edward Marston * The American Angler, John J. Brown Brown wrote the ''American Angler’s Guide'' (1845), the first book-length guide for angling published in the United States. * Athenian, Harry.G.McClelland. McClelland is famed for this book ''The Trout Dresser's Cabinet of Devices, or How to Tie Flies for Trout or Grayling Fishing'' (1898), which was published after his death by ''The Fishing Gazette'' for which he wrote articles under his pseudonym. * Badger Hackle, Theodore Gordon, early American Catskill angler. * Barnwell (or Ira Zell), Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, author of
Superior Fishing; or The Striped Bass, Trout, Black Bass and Bluefish of the Northern States
' (1865) and other titles. * Christopher North, John Wilson, a Scottish author associated with ''

Blackwood's Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. The first number appeared in April 1817 ...

''. * Clericus, William Cartwright * Clifford, Charles,

William Henry Ireland William Henry Ireland (1775–1835) was an English forger of would-be Shakespearean documents and plays. He is less well known as a poet, writer of gothic novels and histories. Although he was apparently christened William-Henry, he was known ...

, author of ''The angler: a didactic poem'' (1804) and noted forger of

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

papers. * Cotswold Isys, Richard H. Glover * Detached Badger, Frederic M. Halford, noted British author o
''Floating Flies and How To Dress Them''
(1886) and others on Dry Fly Fishing. * Ephemera, Edward Fitzgibbon, British author of
The Book of the Salmon
' (1850) and others. *Fennel Hudson, Nigel Hudson, British author of ''Fly Fishing'' (2009), ''Traditional Angling'' (2010), and ''Wild Carp'' (2009). * Fisher, Paul,

William Andrew Chatto William Andrew Chatto (1799–1864) was an English writer. He used the pseudonym Stephen Oliver (Junior). Life The only son of William Chatto, a merchant who died at Gibraltar in 1804, was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne on 17 April 1799. After educat ...

, British author of
The angler's souvenir
' (1835, 1845, 1847) * Frank Forester, F.F., of the Cedars,

Henry William Herbert Henry William Herbert (7 April 1807 – 17 May 1858), pen name Frank Forester, was a British-born American novelist, poet, historian, illustrator, journalist and writer on sport. Starr writes that "as a classical scholar he had few equals ...

, British author of
The Fish and Fishing of the United States
' (1850). * Geoffrey Mortimer, Walter M. Callichan * Ghanrhos, L.J. Graham-Clark, British fly tyer and contributor to '' The Field'' * Grapho, John Harrington Keene, American author of
Fly Fishing and Fly Making for Trout
' (1887) * Greendrake, Gregory, J. Coad, British author of
The angling excursions of Gregory Greendrake Esq.
' (1832) * Greydrake, Geoffery, Thomas Ettingsall, contributor to ''The angling excursions of Gregory Greendrake Esq.'' (1832) * Hampshire Fisherman, Richard Clark Sewell, British writer with contributions to '' The Field'' * Hi-Regan, John Joseph Dunn * I.D. Esquire,

John Dennys John Dennys (died 1609), a poet and fisherman, pioneered Angling poetry in England. His only work ''The Secrets of Angling'' was the earliest English poetical treatise on fishing. John Dennys may have been an acquaintance of Shakespeare. Early ...

(d. 1609) The Fisherman's "Glorious John" (see Westwood, Thos. Bibliotheca Piscatoria, 1861) Author of earliest English poetical treatise on fishing, ''The Secrets of Angling'', first published in 1613. * Jim-Jam, James C. Mottram, English author of ''Fly Fishing, Some New Arts and Mysteries'' (1915) * John Bickerdyke, C. H. Cook, a prolific 19th-century angling author on coarse and sea fishing * Jock Scott, Donald Rudd, author of ''Greased Line Fishing for Salmon'' * John Chalkhill, Izaak Walton, author of ''

The Compleat Angler ''The Compleat Angler'' (the spelling is sometimes modernised to ''The Complete Angler'', though this spelling also occurs in first editions) is a book by Izaak Walton. It was first published in 1653 by Richard Marriot in London. Walton continu ...

'' (1653) * John Trotandot, George P. R. Pulman, British author of
Vade mecum of fly-fishing for trout
' (1841) and others * J. R. Hartley, Michael Russell, an author who wrote two books about fly fishing-- '' Fly Fishing: Memories of Angling Days'' and ''J. R. Hartley Casts Again: More Memories of Angling Days'' * Kego-E-Kay,

Fred Mather Fred Mather (January 2, 1833, in Albany, New York – February 14, 1900) was a United States pisciculturist and a writer and editor on fishing topics. Life and career In 1854 he became interested in the lead mines of Potosi, Wisconsin, and aft ...

, American author of
Men I have Fished With
' (1897) * Klahowya, Orange Perry Barnes, author of
Fly Fishing in Wonderland
' (1910) * Lariat or (Sam Slocum), Charles Hallock, founder and proprietor of ''

Forest and Stream ''Forest and Stream'' was a magazine featuring hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities in the United States. The journal was founded in August 1873 by Charles Hallock. At the time of its 1930 cancellation it was the ninth oldest magazine s ...

'', 1873–80, now ''

Field & Stream ''Field & Stream'' (''F&S'' for short) is an American online magazine focusing on hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. The magazine was a print publication between 1895 and 2015 and became an online-only publication from 2020. History ...

'' * Latouche, John, Oswald J. F. Crawford, British sporting writer, c. 1876 * Martindale, Charles White * Oconomowoc, Dr. James A. Henshall, American angling author of ''

Book of the Black Bass ''Book of the Black Bass'' - ''Comprising Its Complete and Scientific and Life History with a Practical Treatise On Angling and Fly Fishing and a Full Description of Tools, Tackle and Implements'' is a work of angling and fly fishing literature o ...

'' * Old Log, Colonel Tickell, a contributor to '' The Field'' c. 1876 * Oliver, Stephen,

, British author of
Scenes and recollections of fly-fishing, in Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmoreland
' (1834) * Otter, A. J. Alfred, London, published three angling books in multiple editions between 1859 and 1878. * Palmer Hackle, Robert Blakely, prolific British angling writer, 1846-1871 * Pelagius, Rev. M. G. Watkins, a contributor to '' The Field'' c. 1892 * Piscator, Edmund Goldsmid. Used in preface to 1885 ed. of

's ''The Secrets of Angling''. * Piscator, George Philip Rigney Pulman * Red Quill, James Englefield, a frequent contributor to '' The Field'' c. 1899 * Red Spinner, William Senior, British author of
Waterside sketches. A book for wanderers and anglers
' (1875) and others. * Robert Traver, John D. Voelker, author of ''Trout Madness'' (1960) and ''Trout Magic'' (1974) * Seaforth & Soforth, G. E. M. Skues, Skues was a British lawyer, author and fly fisherman most noted for the invention of modern-day nymph fishing and the controversy it caused with the

Chalk stream Chalk streams are rivers that rise from springs in landscapes with chalk bedrock. Since chalk is permeable, water percolates easily through the ground to the water table and chalk streams therefore receive little surface runoff. As a result, th ...

dry fly Dry fly fishing is an angling technique in which the lure is an artificial fly which floats on the surface of the water and does not sink below it. Developed originally for trout fly fishing. The fish and the dry fly Fly fishing for trout can be ...

doctrine developed by Frederic M. Halford. * Skene-Dhu, Cecil Lang * Sparse Grey Hackle, Alfred W. Miller, American author of ''Fishless Days, Angling Nights'' (1971) and prolific sporting columnist for the

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

and

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...

. * The American Editor, Reverend George Washington Bethune, published first American edition of

Isaac Walton Izaak Walton (baptised 21 September 1593 – 15 December 1683) was an English writer. Best known as the author of '' The Compleat Angler'', he also wrote a number of short biographies including one of his friend John Donne. They have been col ...

's ''The Compleat Angler'' (1847) * Theophilus South, Edward Chitty, British author of
The Illustrated Fly Fishers Textbook
' (1845) * The Professor, John W. McDonald, author of ''Quill Gordon'' (1972) * The Wanderer, John Keast Lord * Ubique, Parker Gillmore * Val Conson, a legal abbreviation for ''Valuable Consideration'' was G. E. M. Skues's penname for his articles with '' The Fishing Gazette''. * Water Rail, Richard Walker, well known British angler and author ** Other pseudonyms used by Skues include: ''Seaforth and Soforth'', ''E.O.E.'', ''A Limity Dincombe'', ''S.A.S.'', ''Simplex Munidishes'', ''Spent Naturalist'', ''W.A.G.'', ''B. Hinde'', ''Unspoiled Child'', ''Captain Stoke'', ''A Fluker'', ''Integer Vitae'', ''Caunter Fordham'', ''A Butt'', and ''Current Colonel''.

See also

References

Further reading