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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very entertaining read with good charatcers drawn from life., 20 Dec 2000
By A Customer
The easy style and varied phraseology contribute to the making of a book that is a good and entertaining read. It is not a technical book, nor is it full of obscure fishing-speak. Well illustrated with photographs and sketches Of Fish and Men is arranged in numerous short chapters, which makes it handy for reading on the move. It ought to strike a chord with anglers and beautifully conveys the pain and pleasure of fishing, the majesty and hostility of wild landscapes and the ups and downs of professional and private life. The fishing dealt with takes place largely (but not exclusively) in far-flung wild and remote Scottish lochs, where it seems that the act of fishing and the consumption of pies and bacon sandwiches in the fresh air are more important than catching fish. However, the reader will probably conclude that catching fish is far more important to the author than is admitted. How else could a reservoir become a favourite angling venue when the clear aspiration is for wilderness? But then such contradictions are part and parcel of anglers' and human nature. There are many angling anecdotes, although some of the best are about other subjects. The author demonstrates skill and imagination in selecting and drawing together a diverse series of anecdotes relating to cowpats, a bear hunt, the Warthog family and Big Jim to mention but a few. The latter is a wonderful cameo treated with humour and compassion and the book is worth reading just for this. At one point the author asserts that he often asks himself why he goes fishing, but if you read this book you will understand why some people do go fishing. Richard Rainwater
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