Fencer writes the book on erecting an 8-wire barrier

An East Coast fencer, Stephen Aspden, has published a manual on the farm chore which he says will enable even a townie to build a proper Kiwi eight-wire fence.
Mr Aspden, also known as "Fencer Fred", painstakingly produced the hand-written how-to manual, with comic-strip pictures illustrating every step of the process. It includes the tools used, for readers who wouldn't recognise a pair of fencing pliers if they tripped over them.

The book also has precise instructions, from how to load the trailer and operate a ratchet tie-down, right through to plotting fencelines on a map to minimise future outlay.

Mr Aspden said he was inspired to write the book when his nephew was doing a fencing course in Wairoa.

He was amazed that such an important craft was being taught in only a week, and found the textbook being used was a pamphlet.

"The information they were being given was basically rubbish," he said.

He went along to the public library and discovered 24 fencing titles.

With a back problem looking set to limit his own days of grappling with fence posts and strainers, he decided to sit down and write the manual.

It is centred around one fenceline, number 852 on his farm fence management system. It was chosen because it included examples of all the basic skills - a rise post, a foot post, an angle post, a swinging gate and a set of false rails.

He hand-wrote the book because he does not have a computer.

His illustrations were inspired by the war comics and Beanos he was raised on.

- NZPA