Paul Sheehan's delightful book makes a very good introduction to Irish game fishing and fisheries. Without any pretension to being a comprehensive directory of Irish game fisheries, Irish Game Fishing manages to convey the flavour of fishing in Ireland - warts and all. The author doesn't shy away from describing the unimproved state of some fisheries; the leaky boats and diabolical outboards he describes will be familiar to anyone who has visited the isle. At the same time, the descriptions of the best water are so lyrical that they give me the wish to fish. Take his description of the fishing on Carra: 'It is the most beautiful lough in Ireland. As your boat's bow heads through the shallows the approaching lough bed seems to rise to meet you, and although you are in four or five feet of water you can see its finest detail with unusual clarity. Solitary limestone rocks loom suddenly and then disappear away under the keel. It is like moving through air.'

There is some very fine writing and plenty of good advice on fish and fishing here, so even if you have no plans to set foot in Ireland, Paul Sheehan's book is definitely worth a read; it will make you want to go.

Still in print and hopefully will remain so for a long while.