Millbrook guide Philip Weigall is the author of seven flyfishing books: 

My new guidebook is out now. I’ve completely revised it and added the Snowy Mountains section. It’s full colour with over 120 images, around 200 waters covered, and 12 overview maps. It’s available from most bookstores and tackle shops, or you can contact the publisher Australian Fishing Network at www.afn.com.au. RRP is $29.99

Fishing Season is published by Exisle Publishing. Copies available at www.exislepublishing.com and all good book stores. RRP $34.99

    

Reviews (New Zealand): “It is axiomatic that a book should never be judged by its cover. I was immediately taken by this book’s cover, as by its overall presentation. The content, then, should have disappointed but, to the contrary, it was very much a match for the cover. This is not a book with glossy photographs of trophy back-country trout. It is a series of anecdotes and gentle musings. written by an Australian fly-fishing guide, and beautifully illustrated. Some of the stories in fact relate to New Zealand, but the majority are Australian-based, with fly fishing for Victorian trout predominant. Murray cod, salmon at sea, and the game fish of the Gulf of Carpentaria also feature, as do the problems of cooking in the bush, the vagaries of the angling character, and even the comparative dangers of snakes and wasps. This book captures much of the essence of fishing. It may well become a classic.” — John England “Fishing Season is cast in the mould of old, retaining elements that produce a ‘classic’ feel, without losing contemporary appeal. The production quality is superb, with design, writing style and physical attributes creating a synergy that puts it in the classy league and therefore, likely to command a coveted position amidst the libraries of those who appreciate quality. Bound in traditional hardback and cased with jacket, Fishing Season is beautifully tactile and much of the pleasure in reading it comes from the feel of it in your hands; from the lightly embossed, crisp burnished jacket and high-grade paper that transports the story, to the wonderfully executed thumbnail paintings used to introduce each chapter. It even smells ‘bookish’. These elements, when combined with the refined writing, promote Fishing Season from the ranks of just another fishing book, to one with perhaps a broader appeal. While essentially a contemplative book about the fly fishing experience, I think it will pique the interest of readers who have no yearning for fishing because it has qualities that transcend the subject matter. Philip Weigall is obviously an accomplished angler but his ability with the pen, rather than the rod, is the making of this book. He is a wordsmith who crafts a good story, unlike the natural storyteller who fluidly spins a yarn. His style is evocative but uncomplicated, and he writes with clarity and an eye for good imagery: creating a brooding atmosphere one moment, while deftly toying with a little levity in another. Weigall quietly draws you into the story while keeping you at arm’s length, so that you are only ever a voyeur to his adventures. You are invited to sit at his campfire, but upon the log on the other side of the flames. It’s a case of, “I brought you this far, now go and find the fun on your own.” The book, as the name would suggest, is physically divided into four obvious sections – winter, spring, summer and autumn. This is a little contrived because the structure is more just a framework on which to hang a selection of his reflective writing, but it works. It works because the stories are engaging, random and meandering, much like a tiny stream that holds promise of a trophy trout... ....I’ve mentioned nothing of the stories because they are best revealed page by page, as a stream is discovered pool by pool.” — Daryl Crimp Reviews (Australia): “Fishing Season is typical Weigall fare, which will be music to the ears of many. The stories are short and extremely well crafted, full of creative and vibrant writing…Phil’s well-honed style is tried and tested, and Fishing Season is true to his reputation as a leading flyfishing author in Australia…Overall, this collection of short stories is solid, and should find its way into plenty of Father’s Day gift boxes (this is when you can expect to find it in your bookstores).” — Daniel Hackett, Riverfly Tasmania “In his sixth book, Fishing Season, Philip Weigall takes us through a year of seasons as a fly fisher. Philip reflects on seasons past and events that have made them memorable to him and are worth sharing with others. The book contains 26 stories that vary from a tantalising four pages to more substantial offerings of about three times that size. This is a book to read and enjoy while you are relaxing, perhaps with a glass of red, although it’s so easy to become lost in Philip’s imagery that the latter can frequently be forgotten. This is a rare book, one that can be enjoyed by fishers and non-fishers alike. And I mean fishers, as the appeal of this book goes beyond those besotted with the lure of the fly. Travel with Philip from the streams of Victoria’s highlands to the rivers and lakes of New Zealand to the tropical waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria and beyond as he reveals memories of his experiences as he chases fish on the fly. Learn why he is rarely asked to be responsible for meal planning, how giant rays hunt crabs on land and how every season is special if you enjoy what you are doing.” — Freshwater Fishing magazine