Book review
“Hooked” by Al Brown, illustrated by Hope McConnell, published by Allen and Unwin. Price $36.99. Reviewed by Tony Orman
Al Brown renowned chef and avid angler, has written a book that is bound to be eagerly absorbed by young anglers, male and female and indeed by families wanting to embark on fishing days by the river, lake or seaside. It’s chocker with information and delightfully enhanced by Hope McConnell’s lively illustrations.
Whether fishing freshwater or saltwater, fishing from the jetty or wharf, beach, boat or kayak in saltwater or fly fishing in a river or stream, it’s full of practical, down-to-earth tips and techniques.
Al Brown wisely advises patience for a beginner and to realise that fishing is a lifelong learning exercise.
“Something that dawned on me when I was putting all this (book) together was that we fishers never stop learning.” He admits that there’s hardly a day when fishing, he’s not discovering something new.
For All
So what started out to be a beginner’s book has morphed into a book for every angler, novice or even experienced.
He finds fishing a great way to get on top of any personal concerns or worries and to add to that it’s therapeutic.
“I find fishing a great way to clear my head – there is something almost spiritual about being about water. Sometimes it is the vastness, other times the stillness, the deepness or the speed of flowing water.”
The book has instruction on knots, baits, hooks, casting and of course in line with the author’s cooking expertise,, how to fillet and cook the catch.
A real bonus is the author’s recipes at the end which feature “Best Fish Pie Ever”, “Fish Head and Bacon Chowder”, “Lucky Chocolate Fish Slice” “Mussel and Kumara Fritters” “Roasted Fish Belly” and “Smoked Kahawai Melt.”
Kahawai Kudos
Kahawai have always been a very underrated fish. Al Brown writes “Such great scrappers, delicious raw or cooked fresh and of course they smoke beautifully.”
Interestingly – and I agree with him – Al Brown says “some fishers say to bleed kahawai, but I’m not in that camp.”
Al Brown’s “Hooked” at $37 is a great catch for any angler, young or old, beginner and even the experienced will probably learn more than a thing or two.
If this gets more kids out fishing, instead of transfixed by their mobile phone screen, then that’s great for the youngsters and society. Fishing is a life-long addiction, but a healthy one at that.
Yes interesting about bleeding a caught kahawai. Some swear by it. But I tend to agree with Al Brown and reviewer Tony Orman. It’s not vitally necessary. Having said that immediately on catching a kahawai, I gut and scale it and behead it, so I guess bleeding automatically comes into that?
The tragedy is that kahawai are being over-fished (plundered) under the Shane Jones regime of wholesale exploitation. Worse still, they are sold to export for a pittance for fish meal and crayfish pot bait use. But then Jones regards the commercial corporates as his mates. They might even donate money to his election campaign next year I suppose?