The Old Man And The Sand Eel

'A wonderfully fluent account of how the strange magic of water and the beings that inhabit it can enchant and intoxicate' Chris Yates Growing up on the Cambridgeshire Fens, Will Millard never felt more at home than when he was out with his granddad on the riverbank, whiling away the day catching fish. As he grew older his competitive urge to catch more and bigger fish led him away from that natural connection between him, his grandfather and the rivers of his home. That is, until the fateful day he let a record-breaking sand eel slip through his fingers and he knew that he had lost the magic of those days down by the river, and that something had to change. The Old Man and the Sand Eel is at its heart the story of three generations of men trying to figure out what it is to be a man, a father and a fisherman. It plots Will's scaly stepping stones back to his childhood innocence, when anything was possible and the wild was everywhere. *** '[Will Millard] is a master wordsmith and his first book is a joyful testament to that' Isabelle Broom, Heat '[Will Millard] writes with a genuine sense of humility (...) humour and reflection' Kevin Parr, Countryfile 'Delightful and informative (...) beautifully drawn (...)The Old Man and The Sand Eel will be enjoyed by anyone who loves the challenge and mystery of baiting a hook and plopping it into the water' Spectator 'This is post-modern nature writing that embraces beauty where it finds it and marvels at nature's tenacity (...) But there's more here than just fish. This is also a book about growing up, about how to retain a connection with those who raised you while forging your own identity - what to keep and what to discard. And it's about men. The strong surges of emotion that both draw them together and keep them apart, and the shared pastimes which recognise that intimacy and meaning aren't always accompanied by words' Olivia Edward, Geographical

Readers of Asian & Pacific Short Stories will have the exciting experience of encountering for the first time the recent work of some of Asia's most talented writers. Collected in this anthology are short stories by authors in nine Asian and Pacific countries: Australia, the Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, and the Republic of Vietnam. These writers speak in many different languages, and their stories tell of life in places as diverse as the Australian prairie and the Malaysian jungle. The reader will be transported from a ranch in New Zealand to the war-and demonstration-torn streets of Saigon--from a fishing village in Korea to an Australian resort hotel. People from many different Asian cultures come to life in these stories: an old woman peddling dumplings in a Thai village; two young New Zealand boys growing up in their own unique ways--one through love, the other through taking responsibility: a Vietnamese mother who thinks she is a failure if she cannot breast feed her children; a Japanese gentlemen whose aristocratic appearance conceals a rather different "real life."

Grab your tackle and hit the road with Ron Bern and Manny Luftglass as they take you to the choicest places to fish in New York in Gone Fishin': The 100 Best Spots in New York, their follow-up to the highly successful Gone Fishin': The 100 Best Spots in New Jersey. Truly great freshwater and saltwater fishing abounds throughout the state, from the classic Catskills trout streams to the mighty Hudson and Delaware rivers; from Lake Ontario to the Finger Lakes; from Long Island Sound to the bluewater canyons off the coast; from saltwater bays to artificial reefs; from the smaller sweetwater rivers and New York City reservoirs to surprising trout streams and bass ponds on Long Island. Luftglass and Bern provide readers with immediately useful insights into each of the 100 best sites. They furnish easy-to-follow directions, descriptions of the body of water, boat launch information, and detailed advice on live and artificial bait, fishing methods, equipment, depths, best times of day and year, secret tips particular to each site, and even specific places to work bait or lures. Gone Fishin' also includes places that are good for children, as well as those which are handicapped accessible. Throughout the book, Bern and Luftglass share anecdotes about their own fishing adventures and some of the big ones that didn't get away in their more than 33 years of fishing together. The information they cram into every chapter will help you find the spot, fish it more effectively, and catch more fish. Whether you fish 150 times a year or you are planning to fish for the first time, you're sure to fall hook, line, and sinker for this entertaining and educational guide.