A LOOK THROUGH MY BOOKCASE Nick Taransky - Trout fisher, word and book lover, cane rod builder - and banjo strummer guides us through his book case.
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n these strange days, we trout anglers may be luckier than most in a few ways. Firstly, when things begin to open back up, I have to think that solitude and space out on the water will be an acceptable place to be compared to some other close quarters interests. Secondly, after all that time without seeing an angler, those rout are going to be so easy to catch… And thirdly, we are used to a closed season over Winter anyway. It’s just that this time the “closed” is applying to quite a bit more than fishing, and maybe for a little longer. Of course, time off the water is an opportunity for tackle maintenance, fly tying, and other fishing related activities. In modern times we have been presented with an endless stream of fishing films and podcasts. Many of these are worth tuning into, but I think that the humble old book can be just as good, and maybe even better, when it comes to engaging your mind. Over the years, I’ve somehow managed to fill two bookcases with something like 600 books on fly fishing, which does seem like quite a few, but actually must just be a drop in the ocean of the total number of fly fishing books. I’ve never been a collector as such, but in general if I’ve been able to find a hard cover version, or first edition of a book I’ve wanted to read, I’ve tended to buy that if there wasn’t too much of a premium on the price. Some editions of some books have remained collectable, but in general, the resale value of books has declined significantly. The good news is that many books that were out of reach for everyday readers can now be found at very affordable prices. A lot of books are available as Kindle versions, but out of print books, and classics, for me are much better enjoyed in hard copy. This season, my “Winter” reading started a little earlier than usual – half way through Summer! Drought, heatwaves, fire and thick smoke gave the season an “end of the world” feel almost as soon as it started. So I was happy to stay home and work more on rods, do a little reading, and waiting for the weather to cool down. And just as it did, bang, the COVID-19 zombie apocalypse hit. Crazy days indeed. Thankfully, I haven’t have to resort to turning my book collection into toilet paper, but at one stage I was wondering if the cheaper paperbacks might need to be “repurposed”. Anyway, onto more pleasant matters! Hopefully I can suggest some good books based on my recent reading. Looking back, in 2011, I penned an article on my Winter reading, and scanning though that article made me realise how many of those books I’m probably due to read again. A nice thing about quality writing is that good books stand the test of time, so old and classic books can be worth re Fishing News - Page 42
You can start with one small bookcase, but soon another will be needed.
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