No serious angler will want to miss this engaging, practical and penetrating memoir. A brilliant, memorable account of a man who gave up a 60-hour work week in London for a life within earshot of a great trout river. Neil Patterson's decision to convert a dilapidated old stable into a home for himself and his family, and his ability thereby to fish the river intimately, month by month, hatch by hatch, in fair weather and foul, form the heart of this remarkable memoir. His angling idyll records the realities and the rewards of his choice: life an a damp, half-built house that first winter, and the rare chance to know a great chalkstream and the characters who fish it. His restless, inventive mind leads him to observe the life of the river frequently missed by occasional visitors. He even develops a host of highly original fly patterns - like the Funneldun, the Caddox and the Deerstalker - and perfects fly fishing techniques and theories of immense value to fishermen worldwide. More than 300 b&w line drawings by the author throughout. Very good condition. Hardcover, 25,5cm x 18cm, 277 pages.