The Meditative Fisherman - by Bryan Archer (Paperback)

About the Book

Explore the world's most spectacular fishing venues, through fish, flies and history's great thinkers.

Book Synopsis

Immerse yourself in the waters of the world according to Bryan Archer, fisherman, autodidact and philosopher. This serene memoir is a love letter to the rivers he has fished and the people he has fished them with, the flies he has used and the people who came before him.

Written with great affection and skill, this book visits some of the world's most spectacular fishing venues, exploring their history, their fish and their flies, and takes us into the lives and works of the great thinkers, writers and friends that have accompanied the meditative fisherman on his journey round the globe.

Review Quotes

"It is a delight!" - Professor Bruce Hood, Writer 'The Self Illusion'

"It's a charming, waywardly candid little book - chapeau!" - Tim Parks, Writer 'Out of my Head'

"It's an uncommon journey laced with fleeting youth, changing health, considerate mindfulness, devoted practitioners and enough lovely locations to bring together a man's life, immersed in water." Todd Corayer, FishwrapWriter.com

"I havent read anything like this since Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance...Lake, brook or river, Bryan has travelled widely, and The Meditative Fisherman is an enjoyable travelogue of diverse experiences that complement a journey in which his undertanding of what it is to be a human develops with his piscatorial abilities....[it] documents his novel and stimulating thoughts about what it is to be a thinking, conscious and improving person, which constitutes a rather unique fishing book." - Issue 28, Fallon's Angler

"A warm account of a physical quest for the perfect fish, alongside a spiritual journey. The book is beautifully written and illustrated and I think would appeal to anyone with an interest in travel, fishing and who has wondered about their place in the world." - Amazon Review

"In equal measure I was charmed and instructed by this book as it flitted from great days out with Buzzers, Coch Y Bonddu and the Grey Wulff to Meditation, Philosophy and Neuroscience. I think there is something for everyone here although I should declare a special interest, as I am a fly fisherman who is fascinated by the workings of the subconscious. This is a genuine meditative travelogue drawn from many years of casting into the unknown to see what lies beneath the surface. I loved reading it." - Amazon Review

"A fantastic book, it flows beautifully and immerses the reader in the clear waters of fishing in beautiful locations, meditation and musings on rivers and the life that runs through all of us. Some incredible research into the history of fly fishing and he sheds light on some intriguing historical figures (such as the fishing nun) and also on various spiritual approaches open to human beings." - Amazon Review