Beneath the Black Water - Jon Berry

I was looking for some reading over the closed season and was reminded of a book I had seen in the summer titled Beneath the Black Water.

I think what caught my attention regarding this book was the rider that said " The search for an ancient Fish " together with the cover photograph which was to my mind obviously taken in Scotland.

On having a flick through the book during the summer, my suspicions were confirmed and I had stumbled upon a book by an author who's passion was ferox trout. Jon's passion or obsession seems to have been fired in much the same way as many a ferox angler. The stories of ancient ugly " cannibal " trout and the stuffed fish you find in the glass display boxes of northern hotels which most certainly bely this myth.

This book for me was more than a simple angling tome which can oft be devoid of human interest concentrating far too much on the piscatory of fishing. The book I felt was more a story of a journey both personal and piscatorial and you definately get a feel for the man behind the angler as well as being placed firmly on the bank or in the boat as the case may be.

Perhaps this may not be a book for purist fly anglers as the modus operandii in the pursuit salmo ferox is more often than not trolling but then again, maybe it is, as it's pretty good read which should appeal to those anglers who simply enjoy a good  old fashioned fishing yarn.

Bruce Sandison - Rivers and Lochs of Scotland

Well, this is my first book review and the fact that it is to be about a book by such an esteemed author as Bruce Sandison should speak volumes in itself.



The book Rivers and Lochs of Scotland is a definitive and absolute factual compendium of information for any angler who lives in or wishes to visit Scotland for some " wild or not so wild fishing ". It is an update of Bruce's previous book of the same title and has been hailed by many as the " Bible " for fishing in Scotland.

I could waffle on and wax lyrical about this book but feel the best way to give the prospective wild fishing angler in Scotland a grasp of this book is to provide a couple of extracts from the foreword to the book as written by Michael Wigan.

" There are some subjects that dedicated writers make their own. Mention trout lochs in Scotland and the name of Bruce Sandison jumps to mind. It is his precinct completely. "

" This book will not be superseded. And if you catch more fish on the west shore when Bruce said the east was best, if you successfully fish the loch clockwise instead of widdershins as he suggested, remember: nothing stays the same. Fish surprise. Even that fishless loch could one day be stocked.

So if one day you are wading the shore of some faraway loch and you find fishing towards you a tall, hatless, weather-beaten man projecting line like an arrow into the wind, pass by on the landward side, and tip your bonnet to our long-time guardian of the wild waters. "

So, should you require a definitive guide to fishing in Scotland with loch and river information, which flies to use, where to get permits or local information on your chosen location, look no further than Rivers and Lochs of Scotland by Bruce Sandison.

In his own words and introduction to the book, Bruce thanks everyone who has helped in some part in it's production and cites: " riparian owners, angling clubs and associations, individual anglers and Fred Carrie's excellent Wild Fishing Scotland site at http://www.wild-fishing-scotland.co.uk/ where he again thanks the members of the Wild Fishing Scotland forum for their support and unfailing courtesy "


About the Author: Bruce Sandison is a highly respected writer, journalist and author of various books, including the definitive anglers' guide, The Rivers and Lochs of Scotland. He has contributed to most angling magazines over the years and his work has also appeared in a wide range of UK newspapers and journals, and on BBC radio and television.


Tight Lines.

Fishinscotland