Hugh Falkus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hugh Falkus
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| Born | 15 May 1917 |
| Died | 30 March 1996 (aged 78) Birkby, Ravenglass, Eskdale, Cumbria, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Hugh Edward Lance Falkus |
| Known for | Writer, film maker, television presenter, pilot and angler |
Hugh Falkus (born May 15, 1917 – died March 30, 1996) was a British writer, filmmaker, and TV presenter. He was also a World War II pilot and a skilled angler. He had a very interesting career. He is best known for his important books about angling, especially fishing for salmon and sea trout. He also made many films and TV shows for the BBC.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Talents
Hugh Edward Lance Falkus was born in 1917 in Cheam, England. His father was a bank manager. Hugh learned to fish when he was only four years old. By the time he was six, he knew how to shoot. He became an expert at steering boats by age fifteen. When he was eighteen, he learned to fly planes. At twenty, he became a pilot in the RAF (Royal Air Force).
World War II and Prison Camp
In 1939, Hugh married Doris Marjorie Walter. They had two sets of twins. In June 1940, during World War II, Hugh's Spitfire plane was shot down over France. He spent the rest of the war in German prison camps. One of these was Stalag Luft III, which was famous for the "Great Escape".
Life After the War
After the war, Hugh married Diana Vaughan in 1950. Diana was an editor for a magazine. Sadly, in 1951, Diana and three other people drowned in a boating accident off the coast of Achill Island in Ireland. They were making a film about shark hunting. A huge wave, about 27 feet high, flipped over their boat. Hugh was a very strong swimmer. He tried to save everyone, making sure they had life jackets and tying them together. He then swam over a mile to get help. He nearly died himself but managed to tell rescuers where the accident happened. Unfortunately, by the time help arrived, it was too late for the others.
In 1952, Hugh married Lady Margaret Vane-Tempest-Stewart, but this marriage was short. By 1955, Hugh had moved to Eskdale, a place he loved in Cumberland. He had learned about Eskdale from a friend he met in the prison camp. In 1958, Hugh married Kathleen Armstrong, who came from a local farming family. They lived together in Cragg Cottage in Eskdale for most of his life.
Filmmaker and Writer
Hugh Falkus spent his time writing about fishing and nature. He also made many television films. He wrote, produced, and presented a series of films for the BBC show The World About Us. He also worked with a famous zoologist, Professor Niko Tinbergen. They made a film about gulls called Signals for Survival. This film won a big award called the Italia prize in 1969. It also won first prize for the BBC at the 1969 Montreux Film Festival.
Hugh's most famous book is Sea Trout Fishing, A Practical Guide, first published in 1962. It became a best-seller and is still printed today. People say it made him the "father of modern sea-trout fishing." In 1984, he wrote another best-selling book called Salmon Fishing, a Practical Guide.
Hugh Falkus was known for being very direct and strong in his opinions. In 1982, he received the Royal Geographical Society's Cherry Kearton Medal and Award for his work.
Hugh Falkus died on March 30, 1996, from cancer and lung problems at his home in Cragg Cottage.
Works
Hugh Falkus created many films and books:
Films
- The Signreaders, 1964
- Signals for Survival, 1968, with Niko Tinbergen
- The Riddle of the Rook, 1973
- Tender Trap, 1974
- Self-Portrait of a Happy Man, 1976
- Salmo the Leaper, 1977
- Highland Story, 1979
Books
- Sea Trout Fishing, 1962
- The Stolen Years: Memories of a Country Boyhood, 1965
- Signals for Survival, 1994 (with Niko Tinbergen)
- Freshwater Fishing, 1975 (with Fred Buller)
- Nature Detective, 1978
- Salmon Fishing, 1984
- Falkus & Buller's Freshwater Fishing, 1992
- Speycasting: A New Technique, 1994
- The Salmon and Sea Trout Fisher's Handbook, 1994 (with Malcolm Greenhalgh)
- Some of It Was Fun, 2003
