Customer Reviews

Fly Fishing Across Russia (Fly Fishing International)

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Chris Hole is an Australian who takes a four-month journey across the title destinations. The book is written in the fairly raw form of a diary. This has the unique character of bringing out the frustrations, delays and intrigue of traveling. It makes clear how much of the fishing trip is spent traveling and planning which gives a valuable perspective and highlights the mindset required for international travel. The book also has a great section at the end about equipment and considerations for international traveling for fishermen. Overall this is a great book about traveling and gives an overview of fishing in Russia and Eastern Europe that is hard to find in any other books on these areas.

My issues with this book were minor but clear. First it is primarily a travel log and while it does touch on fly selection it is short on descriptions of the days on the water and the rich writing of fishing that Americans may expect from reading Gierich and other famous fishing writers.

Writing as a journal also keeps the books from giving interesting background on the areas by limiting the book to the authors immediate reactions and perceptions. While these are interesting, my favorite travel books put the author's story more in perspective.

The layout of the book is superb. The author is a fantastic painter with watercolors and all of the pictures and maps in the book (save some photos in the travel details section at the end) are hand-painted by the authors. This book is a necessary addition to any itinerant angler's library.