5 great fishing reads
NEED a good book to get your teeth into during lockdown? Fortunately, anglers are quite fond of writing. Here are some of our favourites…
How to Fish
by Chris Yates
We could, of course, have chosen many other books from angling god Chris Yates (such as Casting at the Sun and Falling in Again) but How to Fish is a complete overview of our hobby that even has a Kindle edition if you want to read it instantly. Don’t be fooled by the title, this is a celebration of angling, not an instructional book.
Gone Fishing: Life, Death and the Thrill of the Catch
by Mortimer & Whitehouse
Books to accompany TV series are often hastily written cash-ins, but this is anything but. It explores much more deeply the inspiration for the television show and the process – familiar to many of you – of an experienced angler introducing a novice to the sport. But above all it’s about how angling shapes and solidifies friendships.
How to Think Like a Fish
by Jeremy Wade
Jeremy Wade isn’t just an effortlessly good TV presenter and intrepid adventurer. Fishing has shaped his whole life. This book exposes Wade’s deep scientific understanding of fish but does so with a light touch and plenty of scenery and anecdotes along the way.
The Compleat Angler
by Izaak Walton
The godfather of angling wrote this book in 1653, which feels about as long ago as our last fishing session.
If you consider yourself an angling obsessive and haven’t read this, then now is the perfect time to do so.
It’s full of statements and tactics that science and technology have since debunked, but it’s still deeply relatable nearly 400 years on.
The Old Man and the Sea
by Ernest Hemingway
If lockdown is your time for inspiration and escapism, settle into this classic novel by Ernest Hemingway.
It tells the story of a Cuban fisherman battling a giant marlin for days.
No words are wasted by Hemingway and it’s short enough to finish in one or two sittings. You can find it for free online.
