Angling the World

Book excerpt: Hemingway would have been impressed. In a stunning combination of superb color images and literary yet lively personal essays, celebrated angling photojournalist Roy Tanami chronicles his adventures to far-flung fly-fishing destinations in some of the most remote wilderness areas on the planet. Angling the World takes us along on amazing excursions to ten of the world’s top fly-fishing destinations. We seek out steelhead on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula; sea-run Arctic char in Nunavut, Canada; peacock bass and piranha in the Amazon jungle of Brazil; and brown trout on New Zealand’s South Island. That’s not to mention the fabled giant taimen of Mongolia, “one of the undisputed holy grail species for the serious, been there/done that, traveling fly angler.” This member of the salmon family can weigh in at almost 200 pounds—and, yes, can “strike suddenly and often in a highly violent manner.” There’s drama around every bend in the river, with thoughts on conservation woven effortlessly in, as Tanami examines the ways in which traveling anglers can help save not only wild fish but also the wild places they inhabit. Written with keen observation, wit, and verve, and interspersed with fascinating tidbits of historical and geographical lore, Angling the World is a passport to a world of extraordinary angling adventure. Conveying the full awe and wonderment, enthusiasm and reflection of a consummate storyteller who also knows just how to capture his catch on film, it will have all anglers hooked—even if, while dreaming of distant waters, they’re curled up on the couch. From the introduction: Wandering the globe to fish is every bit as good as it sounds, and the outrageous fishing is just a part of it. All of fly fishing’s considerably powerful seductions—the quest for adventure and discovery; meeting new challenges, people, and environments; and the pleasures of being in direct contact with the elemental, pristine, and most beautiful aspects of nature—are amplified in the extreme and exotic edges of the world.