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From the foreword by Robin Armstrong
The very first
words of introduction to “The Spirit of the Pond” read
“Angling is all about learning, not just about fish, but
about nature and the world around us”, how true and how
very wise, even more remarkable to think that they were
written by a young man who was yet to reach the age of
twenty.
Tom O’Reilly has written many thousands of words since
these early beginnings and I will wager a pound to a
pinch of “Duncan Kays Red Slime” that ninety percent of
them have been written in praise of nature, the
environment and the fish we seek as quarry, perhaps none
more so than the noble carp.
Carp fishing in Great Britain and Europe has mushroomed
into a multi million pound industry since the early and
pioneering days of the Carp Catchers Club, but we still
have those early exponents to thank for a relatively new
and enlightened breed of dedicated angler who holds on
to traditional methods and still uses the same tackle
that brought success to Dick Walker and his cronies.
It’s without doubt that Tom is one of these
traditionalists, I know because I fish with him, we
rarely bivvy up unless it’s an overnighter at a special
venue. It’s much more the norm to see Tom wandering
around some reeded shallow, carrying a rod, a net and a
bag containing a few dog biscuits and half a loaf of
bread.
Tom O’Reilly’s career has moved on a long way since
“The Spirit of the Pond”
and apart from his own books, he has successfully
spearheaded the Little Egret Press, publishing both new
and re-publishing classic works by some of the very best
angling writers of our time. He has also been the
angling correspondent for the “Western Morning News” for
some years, modestly bringing true conservation and
fishing values to a much wider readership than one could
reach by a specialist publication.
Join me for a trip or two to some of those magical
secret places and enjoy the words penned by a young man
who not only loves his fish and fishing but the
environment on which they depend.....Robin
Armstrong - Lopwell 2006
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Carp Pitch by Tom O'Reilly 
