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John Bailey's Fishing Guides, Where To Fly Fish In Britain & Ireland - John Bailey

Reviewed by Terry Lawton

John Bailey's new guide to fly fishing in Britain and Ireland, Where To Fly Fish In Britain & Ireland, contains an interesting selection of fisheries. The book is not a comprehensive guide but rather an attempt to direct fellow fishermen in the direction of fishing that Bailey hopes will appeal to them.

The book is good on Britain but there is a surprising lack of trout rivers in the Scottish Borders, an area which is rich in such waters. The various countries are divided in different geographic areas and each section ends with a list of fisheries that are highly recommended. The guide is interspersed with hints and tips sections that are interesting and useful.

The inconsistent information provided on availability and particularly the cost of day tickets is a short-coming. I know much of this information is subject to change, but a simple disclaimer that prices quoted are for a particular date would cover changes post-publication. It would help you to know if a prticular bit of fishing - where no costs are shown - is within your price range.

I do wonder how old some of the information is. For example, Bailey refers to the magazine Total Fly Fishing as an important "newcomer". It ceased publication some years ago. Ron Holloway left his beloved Itchen some years ago and now lives in Scotland so it won't be easy to get advice from him on the banks of the Itchen as Bailey suggests.

The editing is very inconsistent and lacking in rigour, for example fish weights are sometimes in figures, 3lbs for example, and in the same sentence in words: nine pounds. What is a "pheasant-tailed nymph" for God's sake? There are two reference to the "late" Arthur Oglesby yet he is included in a list of instructors in Building up Knowledge on page 26. Also the author refers to the Chatsworth Fly Fishing Fair and not the Chatsworth Angling Fair to give it its proper title. This is a bit naughty coming from a man who lives in the same county as the Fair's organiser! I hope people won't think that I am being petty pointing out these errors and inconsistencies. There are others but it would be tedious to dwell on them. No, I am doing it because I care passionately about fishing and the printed word and it is not that difficult to get things right.

A few quibbles apart, I can see this book being a very useful reference book, not only for finding fishing in a particular area that one is going to visit, but also it will be a source of information and an inspiration to visit places one might otherwise ignore.

Also available for fishermen with catholic tastes is a companion volume, Where to Coarse Fish in Britain & Ireland, also priced at £9.99.

John Bailey's Fishing Guides, Where To Fly Fish In Britain & Ireland, published by New Holland at £9.99. Paperback, 144 pages.



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