Botham on fishing : an autobiographical guide, almanac and compendium of fishing lore and legend

Sir Ian Botham, best known as one of cricket's true greats, is also a fisherman of knowledge and passion.

In this book he shares his love of the sea and the riverbank - from the hours of concentration casting for salmon or trout in quiet pools with only his Jack Russell for company, to the adrenalin surging moments when the arm-wrenching force of a 1,000lb Blue Marlin hits the line.

As a cricket commentator he travels the world and at each stop he is able to slip away and try his hand at whatever local fishing delights are to be found.

The result is a wide experience of fish and fishing from every corner of the globe.

Packed with anecdotes and stories, this book also includes instructions and diagrams, compendia of equipment and bait, sections on Botham's favourite rivers and how to fish them, and guides to everything from the life cycle of a game fish to the particular intricacies of Spey casting.

Threaded throughout are the author's own experiences, both in Britain and around the world, and the book is illustrated with many of his own personal photographs.