Brian Clarke: one of the finest writers the angling world has known

Brian Clarke (1938–2026)

Brian Clarke, one of the most influential angling writers of the modern era, died on 14 March 2026 at the age of 87. A journalist, author and passionate advocate for the natural world, he helped redefine both the practice of fly-fishing and the way it was written about.

Born in Darlington in 1938, Brian began his career in journalism before spending many years in industry, including a long period with IBM. He returned to writing in the 1970s, establishing himself as a distinctive and authoritative voice in angling. He served as angling correspondent for The Sunday Times from 1975 to 1996 and later wrote a monthly column for The Times, from 1991 to 2018.

Brian Clarke’s books were widely regarded as groundbreaking. The Pursuit of Stillwater Trout (1975) transformed reservoir fishing techniques, while The Trout and the Fly (1980), co-authored with John Goddard, offered a pioneering exploration of trout behaviour from the fish’s perspective. His later work, The Stream (2000), combined fiction with environmental themes and won the Natural World Book Prize. Across his writing, he brought together technical expertise, scientific curiosity and a deep concern for conservation.

Beyond his literary achievements, Brian played a significant role in angling organisations and environmental advocacy. He was the first president of the Wild Trout Trust, serving from 2003 to 2008, where he championed the protection and restoration of river habitats. He was an early ambassador for the Angling Trust, lending his voice and reputation to support our work representing anglers and promoting sustainable fisheries. In this honorary role, he used his influential voice to encourage anglers to unite behind a single body to safeguard the future of the sport.

Brian worked closely with Martin Salter, our then Head of Campaigns, and the two became friends and enjoyed fishing together in pursuit of chub, roach and grayling in the winter and mullet and carp on the fly in the summer months. He was a regular participant in trips organised by the Trust for supportive MPs from the All-Party Parliamentary Angling Group, chaired by the former Broxbourne MP, Sir Charles Walker.

Martin Salter comments: “I was sad to learn of Brian’s passing after a long period of illness which saw him retire from the angling scene, of which he was once such an influential figure. He was rightly admired not only for his knowledge but also for his elegant, often witty prose and his willingness to engage with wider issues such as general environmental decline and the failure to protect the rivers we all love. He elevated angling writing beyond instruction, making it a vehicle for reflection on nature, culture and responsibility.”

Sir Charles Walker adds: “As a child reading The Trout and the Fly, never did I think that one day I would be lucky enough to spend days on the river bank in the company of Brian Clarke, one half of this seminal book’s authors. Brian’s knowledge about rivers was matched by his kindness to those more humdrum anglers, like myself, with whom he shared them. Peering into his fly box, I was introduced to the ‘SBJ’ (small brown job), with which, throughout most of the summer months, he managed to deceive all but the most sophisticated of trout. My happiest day in his company was when, as guests of the great River Chess conservationist Paul Jennings, Brian cast a mayfly above the head of what, when landed, turned out to be a 3 1/2 lb wild brown trout. Brian wrote as fluently as he fished, and he championed our watercourses long before they became a fashionable cause. We owe him so much.”

Brian is survived by his wife, Anne, and their three daughters, and leaves behind a legacy as one of the finest writers the angling world has known and as a thoughtful advocate for the waters and wildlife he cherished.