BEST BOOKS
Warwick Powell introduces two new Australian fly fishing books.
Two very different contributions to Australasian fly-fishing literature hit the shelves in recent months, and both make substantial contributions albeit in vastly different ways.
Great Australian Fly-Fishing Stories is a compilation of almost 40 essays penned by 20-odd Australian fishing writers over the past 70-plus years, selected by Les Hawkins. Classic authors ranging from Scholes, Wigram, Sautelle and Fysh are complemented by more recent additions, the authors of many of which will be familiar to readers of FlyLife. Each essay is accompanied by a short biography of the author, prepared by Hawkins.
The back cover says that Les Hawkins “has selected some of the best stories of adventure, drama and humour from Australia’s well-known fly-fishing writers.” Perhaps this is true. It’s hard, for example, not to be drawn in and transported to another world and time by Wigram’s classic descriptions of the Shannon Rise.
If Great/Stories’ strength is that it has brought together a broad cross section of this country’s most eloquent, erudite and thoughtful fly-fishing writers within one easily accessible volume—and frankly, many of the original publications would be difficult to track down—its greatest weakness lies also in its eclecticism.
Sadly, we are left in the dark as to why particular essays were selected for inclusion and little seems to hold the 30-plus pieces together. There does not seem to be much rhyme nor reason as to either the selection itself, or the order of presentation. Unfortunately, the sum of the whole is, to my mind, lesser than the sum of the parts.
I would be surprised if readers sat down and read this volume from cover to cover; but, at the very least, there’s something there for just about everyone.
If Great/Stories lacks structure and order, Rob Sloane’s edited volume Fifty Places to Fish Before You Die starkly epitomises the opposite in design and presentational concept. Fifty Places describes 50 must-fish regions in Australia and New Zealand and has something that will tempt diehard trouties through to swoffers chasing big ocean prey.
A number of well-known fly-fishing writers have contributed descriptions of each of the 50 fishy-licious destinations and each region is presented in a standardised format—no more than about 600 words, accompanied usually by a ‘good’ to ‘excellent’ photograph. Local ‘facts’ for each region are also provided in ‘break out’ boxes to help the travel plans (or dreams as the case may be).
Sloane’s introduction explains that the regions were chosen in part because they met the basic criterion of sustainability. There’s no point publicising fishing destinations only to see the fishery destroyed by an avalanche of travel book-inspired anglers. In this sense, the collection strikes a nice balance between identifying areas that are somewhat ‘out of the way’ and exotic, but at the same time can handle an increase in angling pressure. (So long as, on the whole, a catch-and-release ethos is adopted, I might add.)
Fifty Places isn’t quite a ‘how to’ guide book—that’s not its intention—but by providing web addresses where readers can follow-up for more local information and details, the volume overcomes the inherent risk that such books face: the local information becoming out of date.
The high production values that characterise FlyLife are carried over to this volume. One would expect nothing less of Dr Sloane.
Both volumes are vastly different in content, structure and design, but they do share the capacity to transport us to different times and different places. Hawkins’ eclectic collection prods us to reflect and muse—even navel gaze; Sloane’s edition just makes you drool. Both are enjoyable additions to the library.
Both books can be ordered direct from FlyLife Publishing. www.flylife.com.au