BOOK REVIEW: The Catch – The Story of Fishing in Australia

By Anna Clark

While ostensibly a history of angling in Australia, this very well-illustrated and expensively produced book makes numerous more than passing references to commercial fishing, whaling, pearling, turtle hunting and indigenous fishing.

That is what makes it of particular interest to readers of this website. Remarkably, too, those references are not antagonistic as they usually are in books about angling. The sections on commercial activity are generally fair and realistic.

Of course, with its angling focus, it will be of only passing interest to commercial operator readers. However, its brilliant illustrations and engaging style make it a very good read. It reminds this reviewer of the need for a really detailed and comprehensive history of the wider Australian commercial fishing industry. There has been nothing since the pathetic effort by the late, unlamented, Peter Pownall of some thirty plus years ago.

It’s probably a little early, but this book would make an excellent Christmas present. 

Available from NLA Publishing, Canberra, Australia.

Web: www.bookshop.nla.gov.au