The Ingenious Angler

Unfortunately now out of print, secondhand prices seem to fluctuate from mad to reasonable. A paperback book written by an elderly but very experienced American angler with an interest in DIY for boat anglers. Don't be put off by the old-fashioned style and photographs, this book is packed with tips for making gadgets, tackle and boat improvements. Some will not be applicable to most of us (who has their own personal boat dock?) but there are plenty of ideas we can use this side of the pond. A great buy.

Bass Fishing

Published in 2005, which makes it one of the more recent books on bass fishing, it covers both shore and boat fishing for bass. Hardback.

Hooked on Bass

The classic by two scientific anglers, who actually thought about what they were doing rather than slavishly following traditional methods. The results were - a lot more bass, and some great tips for bass fishing, whether from shore or boat.

The Sea Angler's Step-by-step Guide to Bait and Rigs

From another reader: "All the directions,diagrams and photographs were clear and easy to understand,this made reading it a real pleasure. A lot of what is covered in this book is of the most up to date ideas or improvments on some tried and tested old ones."

Quick and Easy Boat Maintenance

Another book published in the USA, this gives many tips on keeping fibreglass boats clean and tidy without spending a fortune on cleaning chemicals. Make sure you have plenty of lemons, vinegar and baking soda in stock, they come in very handy. There are some great ideas - like using lip balm to lubricate zippers on buoyancy aids and covers. Lots more DIY tips inside and out.

The Fibreglass Boat Repair Manual

All the facts you need for minor or major hull repairs, and additions like benches, seat mountings, lockers or anything else you fancy to make the utlimate angling boat cockpit.

The 12 Volt Bible for Boats

This covers everything you need to understand how 12volt wiring works in a small boat. It is written by two highly technical guys who have the rare gift of making the principles easily understood by numpties, so anyone can have a go at 12volt DIY on a small boat. Just make sure you read it before you go mad with the wire cutters though.

River Cottage - Fish

Hugh's latest book is a true encyclopedia on edible fish - natural history, catching, cookin and sustainability. A great read, written by Hugh and mate Nick who are both avid anglers, great cooks and not a fraid of a bit of DIY either. Check out the cold smoker, I'm going to try that next summer.

Living Off the Sea

Here is a very unusual one, and rather quaint. A small paperback, written by a marine scientist who dabbles with fishing, trapping, gathering and cooking edible marine life. Be warned, his fishing methods are not intended to be sporting but there are useful tips on catching crabs and prawns in traps, shellfish and the finny tribe. This is a Canadian book and the species are all native to BC, so you will have to make some adjustments for the UK. It is worth buying just for this tip - if you catch a halibut, it is too dangerous to bring it in the boat so put a rope through it and tow it home. I wish. (By the way this has been advertised at a stupid price, it is only a small paperback so don't pay more than a few pounds for it)

North Atlantic Seafood

This is a unique book, I'm not sure if it is a book on natural history or a cookbook but it is a great read and a fabulous reference on all fish and shellfish that might be edible. There are no finny species left out, so if you catch something odd and wonder what to do with it, here is the book for you.

Fish

My copy is badly stained and disgusting, which shows how much I use it. Again, not just a book for fish-counter species, this has recipes for all types. If you forgive the political incorrectness about species like the over-fished Patagonian Toothfish, the rest is great. I have borrowed a recipe or two for my Hints and Tips section on Fish Cookery.