Shooting Times’ columnist receives an MBE

In this year’s New Years’ Honours list, one of the UK’s best-loved countrymen, Fred J Taylor, received recognition for his many years dedication to the angling community.

Among many innovations and refinements in the sport, Fred, along with his brother Ken, was responsible for developing new fishing ideas that helped anglers to catch bigger and more fish than they ever had before. Between them they developed the ‘lift method’, realised the importance of static deadbaiting for pike, and also recognised, through his travels overseas, the value of using sweetcorn to generate large nets of carp, tench and bream in this country.

In addition, Fred has been a strong voice for fieldsports for decades, helping to bring them to a wider audience through his writing, since 1958, for a number of magazines and publications, including Shooting Times for which he still writes regularly, Anglers Mail, and the London Evening Standard. His regular Countryman column in Shooting Times has been a source of inspiration for many starting their sporting careers.

Fred told Shooting Times: “I am completely overwhelmed. I had no idea until a good friend of mine telephoned me asking to speak to Fred J Taylor MBE! The first thing I did once I had found out was to phone my daughter in Australia, who was equally thrilled. I am very pleased that the sport of angling has received a bit of recognition.”

ST’s Editor Camilla Clark commented: “We were thrilled by the announcement. That someone of Fred’s calibre should be recognised in this way is a true honour and is recognition of a lifetime’s devotion to fieldsports and their future.”