Atlantic Salmon Magic - Topher Browne

As a self confessed book worm i guess it was only a matter of time before my ramblings focused on my ever growing collection of game fishing books.

One of my Book cases of books mainly about Salmon and Sea Trout fishing

As the nights grow shorter I'll be delving deeper into the shelves picking out many old favourites but for now, i thought I'd write something about one of the newer books in my collection, Atlantic Salmon Magic by Topher Browne

A beast of a book!

I'll make no bones about it, this is a serious book, its big, fat and heavy not to mention stuffed full of lovely photos and drawings. There has been a fair bit said about this book on various forums, some good, some not so good. In my opinion its a modern classic, very well presented, written with a skill and passion that captivates the reader and is a pleasure to own.
There is a variety of chapters ranging from 'Tactical Salmon Fishing', 'Reading Salmon Water', "Where to Fish For Atlantic Salmon', etc. There is also a great chapter called 'Flies That Take Salmon' with some great flies from both sides of the Atlantic. For those with aspirations to travel far and wide there is a great chapter with a comprehensive list of some of the best rivers to fish for the Atlantic Salmon.

Some of the negative comments I have read stem from the fact that there is very little in the way of new ideas in here. I own and read a lot of books about Salmon fishing and yes, a lot the techniques in here have been written about before but so what? This book brings together a wealth of information and techniques from across the range of the Atlantic Salmon. It covers the Riffling Hitch, fishing Bombers as well as the usual assortment of tubes and standard flies we might be more 'at home with'. You may not think that its worth fishing the Hitch or a Bomber on your local river but that's not to say you will never have to opportunity to fish it. If one day you find yourself presented with the chance to try it you'll know exactly how to!

Although a little heavy in the 'How To' department its the fresh approach that kept my attention and the way the writer puts down his thoughts and opinions. The parts about reading water are very good and will be of much interest to all but the most accomplished 'know it all'. The art work and the stunning photography rounds up this comprehensive offering nicely. If you are looking for a good all-round book encompassing pretty much all you need to know about Fly fishing for Atlantic Salmon you need look no further than here. Its a tad on the pricey side at £100 but once you have this book in your hands the outlay will soon be forgotten. This is a book that I'll delve into again and again on those long winter nights.

There is a great DVD included with this book about the Atlantic Salmon Reserve in Russia called "Home For Salmon" what a mouthwatering piece of film making this is. If this doesn't get you salivating you're probably beyond hope!

I'll no doubt be pulling out a few old favourites over the coming months to share with you but for now, while the nights are long I'll be concentrating on getting out there and catching some fish!