The Medlar Press was established in London in 1994 by experienced publishers Jon and Rosie Ward-Allen, who were able to combine their management, print, design, editorial and commissioning skills to form the new company. Jon had fished from an early age and was acutely aware of the environmental problems affecting angling and critical of those causing them - sentiments that have made him a keen supporter of the ACA of which he is a national committee member. From its very first book, the new edition of Chris Yates’ Casting at the Sun, Medlar has gained an enviable reputation for the publication of some of the finest fishing books in the world, not only on account of the quality of writing but also because each book has been designed and produced to such high standards.
Medlar’s books include some of the great classics of angling literature but also many books from contemporary authors - works of historical or biological research, and literary works deserving of a wide audience. There is a good search facility on this site so whatever you wish to find, whether it be an author, title or simply a fish species, you should be directed quickly to the books that fit your criteria.
As a British company (now based in the beautiful countryside of north Shropshire), Medlar is proud to support the British printing industry and all our books are printed in the UK using sustainable paper and inks. Our limited editions are clearly described on this site and are bound in high quality cloth or leather, hand finished with embossings and ribbons and some have handmade endpapers. Illustrations for all our books are commissioned from highly talented artists, and our photographs, if not provided by the authors (some of whom are superb photographers), come from our own extensive Medlar Photographic Library.
We have very many regular customers, some of whom have collected our books since we started. We like to think that this is mainly because we produce good books but we hope it’s also to do with the service we provide. Whether you order your books by phone, through our website or from our Ebay or Amazon shops, we aim to get your books to you safely, well packaged and as soon as possible.
In 1996 the magazine Waterlog was founded, with Chris Yates as co-editor, with the objective of providing good quality, albeit eccentric, reading matter in magazine format. The magazine is quarterly, and available on subscription. It has been described by some as the best angling magazine in the world, but readers need to judge this for themselves. Follow the link on the homepage to access the Waterlog site.
These are just a few of the excellent comments made by reviewers of Medlar titles :
- Sandy Leventon in Trout and Salmon Magazine about Hugh Falkus - A Life on the Edge
'A tour de force!'
- Angling Times about Richard Walker - Biography of an Angling Legend
'. . . one of the best texts about fish I have ever read.'
- Andrew Herd in Waterlog about Aphrodite’s Carp
'. . . the largest and most detailed study of a freshwater species ever published.'
- Brian Clarke in The Times about The Complete Book of the Roach
‘. . . drama, scandal and extraordinary insights into barbel fishing history.’
- Angler’s Mail about A Can of Worms
‘. . . easily the best fishing book I’ve read in ten years.’
- Chris Yates about The Fishing Box
‘. . . one of the best pieces of writing and thought in fly fishing literature.’
- John Betts about The Fly
‘Probably the best book about fishing ever published.’
- Keith Elliott, The Independent about Casting at the Sun
‘One of the funniest angling books ever written.’
- Halieus, Waterlog about One for the Road