Shortlisted for the Richard Jefferies Award 2022Growing up in Shetland with its myriad lochs and burns Malachy Tallack and his brother would roam the island in search of trout and in so doing discovered a sense of freedom of wonder and an abiding passion.But why is it that fishing or the mere contemplation of catching a fish can be so thrilling and so captivatingWhy is it that time spent beside water can be imprinted so sharply in memoryWhy is it that what seems a simple act of casting a line waiting and hoping can leave so much room for mysteryHere awardwinning author and singersongwriter Malachy Tallack tells the story of his own infatuation with fishing a pastime that has brought him joy and frustration since early childhood. And in bringing together memoir nature writing and reflections on culture and history he explores why angling means so much to so many.Beautifully written and hugely engaging it is a book about attention about nature and that sense of wonder it is about a way of engaging with the world of reaching out and feeling it reach back.