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This is a ground-breaking fly tying book. It is the first to have a QR code/YouTube link for every single pattern demonstrated. You can now watch the whole process online then turn to the matching chapter in the book to find the recipe and follow all the step-by-step instructions so that you can tie your own fly in your own time. It has an online link with the author - expert tyer Barry Ord Clarke - who you can contact direct if you run into any difficulties! He will respond to all questions. The book's focus is on techniques: world-class fly tyer Ord Clarke demonstrates with crystal-clear photographs his own 'takes' on how to tie your own excellent flies - simply and quickly!

This exceptionally clear and easy-to-use beginner's guide shows you exactly how to create universal fishing flies, step-by-step. Each of the 12 patterns is linked by QR code to a YouTube video showing the author tying the fly in question.12 key trout patterns demonstrate the most important flytying techniquesFlying AntElk Hair CaddisThe F-FlyHare's Ear NymphCopper NymphPheasant Tail NymphHair Wing DunKlinkhamerMontana NymphWoolly BuggerZebra MidgeZonkerThe book also includes Barry's recommendations for a beginner's flytying kit and materials and lots of useful advice and tips.

Catching a giant trevally (or 'GT') on a fly rod is the pinnacle of flats fishing: highly challenging, requiring skill, preparation and courage. This is the first comprehensive guide to giant trevally fishing on the fly.The giant trevally is an apex predator, and the way it operates is nothing less than brutal. These 'gangsters of the flats' are like packs of hoodlums marauding across the atolls and shallow estuaries. Hunting for trevally in the harsh environment they inhabit needs a certain resolve. The flyfisher's first encounter with a giant trevally will be an electrifying experience. A GT can destroy tackle and ego, leaving all in its wake.But once you've caught one, GT flyfishing is an experience that any angler will want to repeat. How to catch them Tackle and equipment Which flies to use Winning tactics Best destinations including: Seychelles, Maldives, Mauritius, Australia, South Africa, Oman, Mozambique, Sudan and many more.

"[The author] ... gathers together photographs and stories of 50 extraordinary villages he has visited on his travels around the country"--Front jacket flap.

With the help of expert casting instructors Symonds and Maher, you can now become a master of the flyrod. Whatever your present abilities, this book will leave you with the perfect casting skills for all situations.Flycasting, that key pre-requisite to all successful trout and salmon fishing, can be a stumbling block for many anglers. This clear, well-illustrated guidebook will show you, step-by-step, how to execute all the casts you will ever need: from basic Overhead cast to Double-handed Spey cast, and from the simple Roll cast to the flamboyant Snake cast, and many more. Packed with useful tips on: which cast to use and when how to improve your casting techniques how to correct bad habits latest casts from around the world advice on best casting rods, reels and flylinesThis book will transform your casting skills whether you are a complete beginner or an already experienced flyfisher.

This compact, little pocket book - the first ever to feature the natural insect next to its matching artificial fly - arms the angler with all the information he needs to select the right fly from his flybox. Superb photographs of aquatic insects (larvae, pupae, adults) with the artificial flies positioned alongside them Times of hatching The geographical distribution Whether it is a river fly or a lake fly, or both Life cycles of the insects Clues from the river and from the trout's behaviourPeter Lapsley contributes regularly to Flyfishing & Flytying and is author of several fishing books. He is a qualified national game angling instructor.Dr Cyril Bennett is one of the UK's leading entomologists, specialising in river insects. His photographs of insects - some never before captured on camera - add a unique element to this book.

Maynard Davies, the last of the traditional bacon apprentice-boys, and now retired master-curer, shares here with the reader his lifetime's knowledge of the art of smoking and curing. In this practical manual Maynard explains, step-by-step, how he did it all in his day -- from choosing the best raw ingredients, to building one's own smokehouse, to the secrets of making the best sausage. After working in the profession for 60 years, Maynard wants to pass on his expertise to the next generation, in the hope that enthusiasts will get as much satisfaction from producing their own hams, bacons, sausages and countless other products, made with pride from the best ingredients, as he has always done.

Britain's hedgerows abound with forgotten remedies for countless health problems.Julie Bruton-Seal, practising medical herbalist, together with her co-author, the editor and writer Matthew Seal, have responded to the growing interest in natural medicine by aiming this book at the amateur who wants to improve his or her health in the same way that mankind has done for centuries around the world: by using local wild plants and herbs.There are clear instructions about which plants to harvest, when, and over 120 recipes showing how to make them into teas, vinegars, oils, creams, pillows, poultices or alcohol-based tinctures. Julie and Matthew explain which ailments can be treated, and what benefits can be expected.As well as being packed with practical information on using 50 native plants, Hedgerow Medicine also gives a fascinating insight into the literary, historic and worldwide application of these herbal remedies.

"The Secret Carp is a fishing book with a difference. As The Independent comments, it is one of the few books that manages to capture the real joy of fishing in such a way that even a non-angler could be seduced. It tells the true story of the events of a single day and night beside an English carp lake in high summer. When he stumbled upon a long-neglected, overgrown lake holding some monster carp, Chris Yates knew that he had discovered the kind of place about which every carp angler dreams. He set about trying to catch the huge, elusive inhabitants with rod and line. It was a quest that was to reveal many insights into the secretive behaviour of this king of freshwater fish and bring him thrillingly into contact with his quarry. Waiting, watching and stalking, quite undeterred by the damp sleeping bag and the cold. Yates' enthralling story whispers adventure and promise. And it is punctuated by moments of great drama as monster fish disturb the tranquil world of the angler. Fishermen of all persuasions will enjoy this masterful angling chronicle."

Laurence Catlow writes here on many subjects close to his fisher's heart: the contrast between fishing in early spring and in autumn, the realisation that mayfly fishing is not as easy as it seems, views on flies, on fishing in an opposing wind, low or high water, holiday fishing, why a brace of trout matters so much, and why small wild trout can mean so much to an angler. He sums up: 'Anyway, throughout this book I have been trying to come to some sort of understanding about why this whole business of catching trout means so much to me and why, after fifty years spent catching trout in fair numbers, I find an even deeper satisfaction in catching them now than I did as a young fisher when they were caught much less frequently and were therefore individually much more important. I hope that I have managed some insights but it seems to me that there is always more to be seen and more to be said.'

Fish feel pain is the battle cry of animal rights zealots who would love to see a ban on recreational fishing and all other use of fish by humans. This radicalism is rooted in research purporting to demonstrate beyond doubt that fish and aquatic invertebrates are capable of experiencing pain, suffering and other mental states. The fish feel pain claim is widely accepted by movers, shakers and opinion leaders with a leaning to animal rights. Many countries all over the world legislations now recognize fish as 'sentient' beings. The actual and potential consequences produced by legislation based on the fish feel pain claim produce environmental lose (fish) - lose (humans) situations and in terms of economics and food security dire outlooks. Although the fish feel pain question has been around for a while, the scientific claim to fish pain dates back to 2003. Ever since there have been believers and sceptics in the scientific community. The believers have at this moment in time the upper hand because animal rights philosophers and activists joined the debate. They morphed an open scientific question into an ethical one and the underlying dogma is 'fish feel pain'. This book scrutinizes the fish feel pain claim from a historical, philosophical, scientific and practical angle. It exposes the dogmatic, misanthropic and pessimistic foundation of animal rights and the flaws of the the fish feel pain science. It highlights instead a pragmatic fish- and human friendly perspective.

Once described as the worst golfer never to have won a major, Mortimer Merriweather is a complex character with virtually nothing to show for 60 years of golf at the lowest level. Decades of abject failure to strike the ball properly undoubtedly fuelled his frustration and led ultimately to him venting his ire on individuals, companies and organisations connected with the game of golf in this remarkable series of 100 letters. The result is this hilarious book of his bizarre, insulting, unsettling and plain mad golfing ideas, all sent to famous hapless recipients, illustrated with occasional cartoons. 'Clive Agran is golf's funniest writer.' - John Hopkins, The Times

Roger Evans has been an articulate dairy and poultry farmer all his life. From his Shropshire farm, he writes his diary in a well-informed, realistic and funny way, covering all aspects of his life as a farmer today. In this book Roger talks about ratting, a particular cheeky robin, Gomer'slatest weight problemand the challenges ofbeing a dairy farmerduring a national crisis.But in the countryside the good things still prevail: the local pub, the burgeoning hedgerows, tenacious wildlife, ingenious farm dogs and let's not forget Roger's plastic swans.

People love mushrooms. They want to pick them and eat them. but when they get home and try to check them, the fears crowd in. The reference books are vague. Too many dangerous look-alikes. Is the colour in that photograph exaggerated? A field mushroom suddenly seems worryingly like a Destroying Angel....the mushrooms are all discarded.Here is a mushrooming guide with a totally new, positive approach. Forget all the other 500 species. You only need to know these twelve. And you need to know them fully, without a shadow of a doubt.Alex Schwab's mushrooming rules are few but they are fixed rules. His key identification points leave no room for uncertainty. And he promises you these mushrooms will all taste delicious.Mushrooming without fear for the first time.

Journalist and Editor Michael Clayton worked his way up from local newspapers to BBC war correspondent, with radio and magazine experience inbetween. From the sharp end of the action in Vietnam, to the violence of the Troubles in Belfast and the tragedy of the East Pakistan revolt, Clayton is well placed to compare the varying challenges of journalism on different media platforms.The rivalry between the BBC and ITV, the bravery of war cameramen, dealing on assignment with corrupt officials, the TV preference for close-to-the action film as opposed to insightful reportsof the effects of conflict: Clayton has experienced itall over a 70-year career.His insights into the ethos of the BBC, the colourful characters he reported and filmed alongside, and his resulting views of humanity, war and crime - Clayton's autobiography in journalism is honest, wry and full of insight.

No need to travel halfway round the globe to spot iconic wildlife - it's right here on our doorstep in the UK and Steve Wright, keen amateur naturalist, travels from the Isle of Man to Norfolk, to the Orkneys, Northern Ireland and everywhere in-between on his various short holiday expeditions, clutching his specific wildlife wish-list for each trip. The result is an inspiring and engaging diary of his personal encounters with white-tailed eagles, otters, bottlenose dolphins, fulmars, puffins, osprey, sand lizards, even red-necked wallabies. And the characters he meets on the way. He hears snipe drumming, watches a shrew in Wales, admires pilot whales off Lewis. Steve's wildlife travel diaries give excellent practical tips, such as bird-hide etiquette, how to identify birds on the wing, how to consult local wildlife rangers about what might be spotted on each outing and where to find that species. But most importantly his highly-readable wildlife travels are a call to others to book themselves in to pubs and small hotels the length and breadth of Britain and follow his example, for a series of fun British wildlife safaris.

* How many eggs does a hen lay in its lifetime?* What's a hogget? * What is the point of burning heather on moorland? * How does grazing help the environment? * Can Britain be self-sufficient* What is a genetically modified crop? * When is a pig a gilt?* Who owns the forests, the mountains, the wetlands and coastline in Britain?* What is the future for British farming?All these questions and more are tackled by Jill Mason in this new fact-packed, illustrated book.It is an invaluable account of the British countryside today, its livestock, its crops and its wildernesses.

What is an idiom? It's a turn of phrase designed to convey a meaning which is different from the literal meaning of the words. But this is a fun take on the subject. Artist and writer Steve Palin has combined another of his passions: his love of animals, birds and insects - to come up with a delightful book in which he has illustrated and explained his favourite wildlife idioms. Cat among the pigeons, big fish in a small pond, a kangaroo court - these idioms have inspired some of his joyous paintings in this book, each paired with his short explanation of how the term came to be used.

A sport based on one animal sitting on top of another and trying (usually) to be the first pair to reach a wooden stick is a curiosity in itself. So it's no surprise that horseracing is full of curiosities.The curiosities in this collection have been chosen to arouse interest. They are stories of those curious creatures - people, and of horses.The curiosities are arranged in themes so that the reader can dip in and out, as the mood takes them. The collection should leave them with a benevolent view of an intriguing sport, if they didn't already have one. Owners, jockeys, the horses, racecourses, officials, prizes, trainers and staff, racing journalists, betting, bookmakers, punters, skulduggery - one of Britain's best loved racing journalists David Ashforth has found the stories to capture the readers attention on all these topics and more.

To Everything a Season is a beautifully crafted personal and reflective account of many years of the changing seasons, from autumn to autumn, in and around a village on the edge of the Cambridge Fenland. It is an uplifting reflection about change: what was, what is, what will be. It is about the miracle of the rich gift of life. It is also about death, loss, and the rebirth of the old into something rich and strange.But it is also a book suffused with a gentle humour, with a deep love and sympathy for our fellow creatures. Charles Moseley tackles what we have done to the world of which we are not owners or masters but stewards, not only for our children but for the whole web of life on which everything depends.