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Upstream by Charles Lindsay & Thomas McGuane

Reviewed by Simon Lewin

Published by Aperture - an American foundation devoted to photography and visual arts - "Upstream" is the result of photographer Charles Lindsay's five year journey in pursuit of trout and solitude - with fly rod in one hand and camera in the other.

The results are breathtaking.

Each of the 55 black and white images explores the relationship between the fly angler and his prey, and between the trout and its habitat.

Lindsay's photographs are accompanied by an essay from novelist and author Thomas McGuane. Whilst not strictly related to each image, McGuane's text is a fitting accompaniment - reading at time the way a good fishing diary should:

"Takes. They have other names too: grabs, strikes, eats, yanks, pulls, tugs, nibbles, bites. The fly dances along, buoyant among the tiny, sparkling waves. A wave seems less sharp and engulfs the fly. The fish is on. Fishing a tremulous rapid in the low light of sunset, the fly seems to trip merrily in your direction. The water around the fly seems to hump up and the fly is gone. The fish is on."

You can click on any of the three images on this page for a larger view - but it must be said that these screen representations really don't do justice to the quality of the 55 full page duotone images.

So who would want to buy this book?

Well - if you're an avid fly fisherman with bookshelves full of instructional publications this would be a valuable alternative addition. The images sum up the essence of fly-fishing better than anything else I've come across before and could almost act as a visual justification of exactly why we expend so much passion on our sport.

But, if you're after 'pretty' pictures you may be better off with the work of R. Valentine Atkinson.

The images featured in "Upstream" are dark, dirty and very, very real - and Lindsay should be praised for managing to translate the passion of fly-fishing onto the printed page.

And if you're a photographer as well - this book is an essential purchase.


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