Pete Harrison reviews Henry Gilbey’s fully illustrated book with 100 extraordinary fishing adventures from around the world, published this year by Wiley Nautical.
Having recently received Henry’s new book in the post it was with anticipation that I settled down the other night to read of his experiences around the globe, and from the outset, it blew my mind.
Although I am aware of some of the wonderful locations on offer to sea anglers and fly fishers this book opens up a world of extraordinary venues where the travelling angler can wet a line. The featured locations are as varied as the fishing, from our own south coast Chesil beach, a place I have often fished, to far off, isolated, Pacific atolls that a mere mortals like myself will only fish in my dreams. For those that know about Henry’s fishing, it will come as no surprise that Ireland is features prominently within the book. The author features every continent, apart from Antarctica, and covers lure, fly and bait fishing at sea, on rivers and lakes from the United States to New Zealand.
As you would expect from Henry, the photography is simply outstanding. His eye for a photograph is what makes his fishing related images stand out. He just knows his stuff, from composition, to exposure, when it comes to modern angling photography Henry among the very best. The pictures cover various fishing styles, but all of them offer the reader a glimpse of what each place has to offer the visitor and whetting the appetite is, after all, what this book is all about.
The book covers one location per double page, with both a large photo on one page, and a write-up on the left hand page, or the photo spread between the two pages, accompanied by the writing underneath. A sidebar lists bullet points about the venue, giving summaries of the best times to fish, fishing methods, getting there and tips and tricks. While there is not enough information to plan a trip to any particular place, there is certainly enough to get you in the mood to visit. The text and illustrations give the reader an idea of what fish are available and when the best time of year is to visit for a particular target species or method. If you wish to travel to cast a line, and why wouldn’t one? This book will give you the inspiration to do some more research.
This coffee table, book is a must for any sea or fly anglers Christmas list, and yes, Christmas Island does feature within the high colour pages. The paperback version is available on Amazon for an extremely reasonable £8.
Finally, I must remember to get more lottery tickets each week, as this book has made me long to travel to some of these far flung places and cast a line.
A sample of some of the pages can be previewed online here.
More of Henry’s work can be found within his popular blog.
