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‘How I Came To Know Fish’ is Ota Pavel’s magical memoir of his childhood in Czechoslovakia. Fishing with his father and his Uncle Prosek – the two finest fisherman in the world – he takes a peaceful pleasure from the rivers and ponds of his country.
Paul Whitehouse and fishing expert John Bailey celebrate the timeless joy of fishing.
Paul Whitehouse and fishing expert John Bailey celebrate the timeless joy of fishing.
Travel-writer, novelist and singer-songwriter Malachy Tallack has been passionate about fishing since he was young. Growing up in Shetland, with its myriad lochs, he and his brother would roam the island in search of trout, and in so doing discovered a sense of freedom, of wonder, and an abiding passion. But why is it that catching a fish – or simply contemplating catching a fish – can be so thrilling, so captivating? Why is it that time spent beside water can be imprinted so sharply in the memory? Why is it that what seems such a simple act – that of casting a line and hoping – can feel so rich in mystery? ‘Illuminated by Water’ is Malachy’s personal attempt to understand that freedom, and to trace the origins and sources of that sense of wonder.
Travel-writer, novelist and singer-songwriter Malachy Tallack has been passionate about fishing since he was young. Growing up in Shetland, with its myriad lochs, he and his brother would roam the island in search of trout, and in so doing discovered a sense of freedom, of wonder, and an abiding passion. But why is it that catching a fish – or simply contemplating catching a fish – can be so thrilling, so captivating? Why is it that time spent beside water can be imprinted so sharply in the memory? Why is it that what seems such a simple act – that of casting a line and hoping – can feel so rich in mystery? ‘Illuminated by Water’ is Malachy’s personal attempt to understand that freedom, and to trace the origins and sources of that sense of wonder.
The Little Book of Fishing brings quotes, thoughts and theories on this captivating pastime together in an collection of witticisms and observations.
It is in the midst of a swirling river, casting a line, that Mark Wormald meets Ted Hughes. He stands where the poet stood, forty years ago, because fishing was Ted Hughes’ way of breathing – and because Ted’s writing has made Mark understand that it has always been his way of breathing, too. Using Ted Hughes’ collection of poems, ‘River’, and his fishing diaries as a guide, Mark returns again and again to the places where Ted Hughes fished. At times, he uses the fly patterns Ted recommended; at others, he uses his rods. It is an obsession; a fundamental connection to nature; a thrilling wildness; an elemental pursuit. But it is also a release and a consolation, as he fishes after the sudden death of his mother and during the slow fading of his father.
An ancient and environmentally friendly method of catching salmon, by spotting them in the water and taking them with ‘net and coble’, unique to the Cromarty Firth, was recently banned by the Scottish government. The men who knew this way of fishing are no longer young, and there is every risk of their centuries-old techniques dying with them. So it is fortunate that a practitioner of the craft for over 50 years has drawn on his knowledge and experience to paint a rich picture of this fishing, the firthland itself and the history of salmon netting. He describes great fishing days, the life of the fishing bothy and the characters who inhabited it. He takes the reader through the fish’s life cycle and discusses declining catches and the threats to the wild salmon’s future. His and his fellow netsmen’s respect for this legendary fish and their love of the firth and its wildlife shine through.
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