There's an old saying that a good book is like an old friend, and every so often it's worth paying that friend another visit. Over the past few evenings in between tying flies I've been rereading Tom Harland's The Silver Invicta, and I'm glad I did.
Tom Harland doesn't just write about catching fish. He writes about the places, the people, the wildlife and the moments that make a day on the water memorable. His stories are honest, thoughtful and often quietly humorous, capturing the highs, lows and unpredictability that every fly angler will recognise.
A lifelong fly fisherman from the Scottish Borders, Tom has fished everywhere from the Tweed and the Western Isles to New Zealand, although his greatest love is the wild brown trout lochs of Assynt in the north-west Highlands. Away from fishing he works as a social worker, and perhaps that understanding of people is reflected in the warmth and authenticity of his writing.
The Silver Invicta encourages you to slow down and savour each chapter. Whether you've spent a lifetime with a fly rod or simply enjoy well crafted stories about Scotland's wild places, there's something here to enjoy.
As someone who enjoys tying, fishing and exploring the history of our sport, I found myself nodding along more than once. There are passages that made me smile, others that stirred memories of my own days on Highland lochs, and a few that reminded me why fly fishing is about so much more than what's at the end of the line.
For me, it's a book that improves with every read. Like a favourite loch, you notice something new each time you return.
If The Silver Invicta isn't already on your bookshelf, it deserves a place there.
