The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing by Mark Kurlansky

$0.00 NZD

Category: Fishing

From the award-winning, bestselling author of Cod--the irresistible story of the science, history, art, and culture of the least efficient way to catch a fish. Fly fishing, historian Mark Kurlansky has found, is a battle of wits, fly fisher vs. fish--and the fly fisher does not always (or often) win. Th e targets--salmon, trout, and char; and for some, bass, tarpon, tuna, bonefish, and even marlin--are highly intelligent, wily, strong, and athletic animals. The allure, Kurlansky learns, is that fly fishing makes catching a fish as difficult as possible. There is an art, too, in the crafting of flies. Beautiful and intricate, some are made with more than two dozen pieces of feather and fur from a wide range of animals. The cast as well is a matter of grace and rhythm, with different casts and rods yielding varying results. Kurlansky is known for his deep dives into the history of specific subjects, from cod to oysters to salt. But he spent his boyhood days on the shore of a shallow pond. Here, where tiny fish weaved under a rocky waterfall, he first tied string to a branch, dangled a worm into the water, and unleashed his passion for fishing. Since then, a lifelong love of the sport has led him around the world to many countries, coasts, and rivers--from the wilds of Alaska to Basque country, from the Catskills in New York to Oregon's Columbia River, from Ireland and Norway to Russia and Japan. And, in true Kurlansky fashion, he absorbed every fact, detail, and anecdote along the way. The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing marries Kurlansky's signature wide-ranging reach with a subject that has captivated him for a lifetime--combining history, craft, and personal memoir to show readers, devotees of the sport or not, the necessity of experiencing nature's balm first-hand. ...Show more

The Book of Eels - Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World by Patrik Svensson

$0.00 NZD

Category: Fishing

Los Angeles Times BestsellerIndieBound BestsellerA New York Times Editor's ChoiceOne of Forbes' "Best Summer Reads for Those Stuck Inside Working Remotely" One of the LA Times' "21 New and Classic Books to Keep You in Touch with the Natural World"One of NPR Science Friday's Best Science Books of the Sum merPart H Is for Hawk, part The Soul of an Octopus, The Book of Eels is both a meditation on the world's most elusive fish--the eel--and a reflection on the human conditionRemarkably little is known about the European eel, Anguilla anguilla. So little, in fact, that scientists and philosophers have, for centuries, been obsessed with what has become known as the "eel question" Where do eels come from? What are they? Are they fish or some other kind of creature altogether? Even today, in an age of advanced science, no one has ever seen eels mating or giving birth, and we still don't understand what drives them, after living for decades in freshwater, to swim great distances back to the ocean at the end of their lives. They remain a mystery.Drawing on a breadth of research about eels in literature, history, and modern marine biology, as well as his own experience fishing for eels with his father, Patrik Svensson crafts a mesmerizing portrait of an unusual, utterly misunderstood, and completely captivating animal. In The Book of Eels, we meet renowned historical thinkers, from Aristotle to Sigmund Freud to Rachel Carson, for whom the eel was a singular obsession. And we meet the scientists who spearheaded the search for the eel's point of origin, including Danish marine biologist Johannes Schmidt, who led research efforts in the early twentieth century, catching thousands upon thousands of eels, in the hopes of proving their birthing grounds in the Sargasso Sea.Blending memoir and nature writing at its best, Svensson's journey to understand the eel becomes an exploration of the human condition that delves into overarching issues about our roots and destiny, both as humans and as animals, and, ultimately, how to handle the biggest question of all: death. The result is a gripping and slippery narrative that will surprise and enchant. ...Show more

Trout Fisherman's New Zealand Log Book by Jim Ayers

$26.00 NZD

Category: Fishing

This logbook provides space to record fish caught and areas fished on each trip as well as other details including weights, condition factors and a summary of each fishing season.

Accidental Angler, The by Rangeley-wilson, Charles

$28.00 NZD

Category: Fishing

SILVER SHOALS FIVE FISH THAT MADE BRITAIN by RANGELEY-WILSON CHARLES

$28.00 NZD

Category: Fishing

Upstream on the Mataura: A Fly Fisher's Journey to Source by Dougal Rillstone

$40.00 NZD

Category: Fishing

Dougal Rillstone was born in Gore, close to the Mataura River, over seventy years ago. The river was both swimming pool and playground during his childhood. One summer's evening, while he stood chest deep in a long pool, facing downstream towards the fading light, he became mesmerised by the sight of ri ppling rings left by rising trout on the otherwise smooth surface. He has been haunted by moving water ever since. In Upstream on the Mataura, Dougal has captured the essence of his lifelong connection with the Mataura River. While angling, and fly-fishing in particular, anchor his attachment, the book is as much a meditation on landscape and moving water as it is about angling. It is also about the communities the river runs through, the friendships sustained by fly-fishing, and a love of the river and its tributaries. The first section of the book offers a clear-eyed view of the beauty, challenges and hardship involved in his 240-kilometre walk upstream from the coast at Fortrose to the source of the river, in the Eyre Mountains. Following are twelve stories that traverse his connection with the river, from his earliest recollections through to the present time. ...Show more

Spinning a Line: NZ Writing About Fishing by Owen Marshall (ed.)

$30.00 NZD

Category: Fishing

The story goes that Maui hooked the North Island out of the sea from his waka, the South Island, so it is little surprise that fishing is much loved in New Zealand. Its appeal, though, is personal and the experiences it has engendered are as various as they are fascinating. Owen Marshall has netted a catch of some of the best local writing about fishing, including prose and poetry, fact and fiction, old and new. There are accounts of sea trawling and river fly fishing; there are fishy pieces about the lasting power of both childhood memories and a single moment; there are tall tales and flashes of verse; there are eels and flatties, trout and skipjack. Not all these writers are expert in fishing, but all are skilled with words, offering an entertaining read for anyone who notices when the fish are rising. ...Show more

Trout Diaries by Derek Grzelewski

$40.00 NZD

Category: Fishing

With disarming honesty and freshness, Derek Grzelewski has written a highly readable account of his year dedicated to fly-fishing in New Zealand, relating the highs and lows, and the intricacies and finesse, of pursuing trout in the wild places and pristine waters he loves so much. The thrill of close e ncounters with this elusive quarry is mirrored by the pleasure he takes in the companionship of his dogs, his friends and the many others he happens across in, often secret, fly-fishing locations around the country. Each month, illustrated with fly sketches by passionate fellow angler Johnny Groome, covers aspects of fly-fishing relevant to that time of year. Along the way we meet many of the author's friends and clients, including top professional guides and a couple of trout scientists, and share his insights into the art of fly-fishing. He also considers innovative techniques and equipment, the pros and cons of catch-and-release, and ponders on our relationship with the natural world and environmental factors affecting our waterways.About the author:Derek Grzelewski is a regular contributor to top-end magazines like New Zealand Geographic, Australian Geographic, Smithsonian, GEO and Flylife. He is a former professional fly fishing guide and the founder of Wanaka Flyfishing Academy. He lives in Wanaka, on the banks of the Clutha river. ...Show more

South Island Trout Fishing Guide by John Kent

$36.00 NZD

Category: Fishing

John Kent's South Island Trout Fishing Guide is a comprehensive guide to the South Island's incomparable trout fishing waters. More than 400 rivers and 150 lakes are described, along with their location, access, fishing season and appropriate techniques and flies. This book will be of special interest t o anglers who enjoy the challenge of exploring and fishing new water. The author has revised and updated this edition of the South Island Trout Fishing Guide to include additional rivers and all new photographs. ...Show more

The Trout Dreams: A True Romance of Fly-Fishing in New Zealand by D. Grzelewski

$40.00 NZD

Category: Fishing

The long-awaited conclusion to Derek Grzelewski's Trout Trilogy! The Trout Bohemia, Derek Grazelewski has returned to guiding, sharing his passion and secrets for fly fishing with enthusiastic anglers from around the world. But his life is about to change when he is contacted by 'a Colorado girl who jus t loves to fly-fish'. They strike up a long-distance relationship, and Jennifer soon flies out to New Zealand to join Derek for a season of fly fishing an experience that will transform their approach to life and trout fishing forever. With Jennifer's fly-casting technique best described as 'punk rock', Derek has his work cut out for him to rapidly elevate her skills to meet the formidable challenges of fly-fishing for large wild trout in New Zealands ultra-clear waters. Join Derek and Jennifer on their angling adventures which take them from the fabled streams of New Zealand's South Island to the iconic trout rivers of Colorado, USA. Filled with Derek's wry storytelling, expert advice and a guides secret tips for fly-fishing, The Trout Dreams is a true tale of finding trout and love in New Zealand. ...Show more

Silt Road: The Story of a Lost River by Charles Rangeley-Wilson

$28.00 NZD

Category: Fishing

At the foot of a chalk hill a stream rises in a silent copse, and is soon lost under the car parks and streets of the town its waters once gave life to. Captivated by the fate of this forgotten stream Charles Rangeley-Wilson sets out one winter's day to uncover its story. Distilled into the timeless pas sage of the river's flow, buried under the pavements that cover meadow, marsh and hill he finds dreamers and visionaries, a chronicle of paradises lost or never found, men who shaped the land and its history. ...Show more