I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Henry Gilbey for some time. Around the time that Henry made his first TV shows, “Fishing with Henry”, I started to run a charter boat and because of our similar age and common love of angling, it wasn’t long before our paths crossed. I’ve spent time with him fishing, filming and I was lucky enough to feature in his first book, Adventure Fishing, so I suppose there’s no better place for me to start than how I see the author. But first I will say, as I have said before in reviews where I know the owner, if I thought this product was fit for the bin - it would be there and not reviewed here.

Henry Gilbey is as you see him on Sky TV. He’s always upbeat, smiling, full of enthusiasm and talking fishing. The way he uses funny words like “flobber” and sentences like “you’re mother was a wrasse” are not an act. This is the real Henry - heavy metal music to boot!

Henry has a deep passion for angling which manifests through him as an excitement which is infectious. Henry’s mission in life, stated by him on his own website says “I am totally dedicated to trying to give fishing the positive and inspirational coverage it deserves” and it is this attitude that has taken him far. His first passion is for fishing photography and in UK Sea fishing publications, his pictures stand out a mile. They tell a thousand words, portraying angling for what it really is – not just a hobby but a lifestyle; far from anorak and full of excitement, action and adventure! Henry is one of few that can take our sport and make it relevant to the next generation and it’s not hard to see why!

When I first saw the title of Henry’s new book “Eyewitness Companions Fishing” I thought what a strange title, has he gone mad? But I soon found out Eyewitness Companions is a series by DK (Dorling Kindersley books) covering different subjects like sports and travel, and Henry’s new book on fishing fell under this umbrella. When trying to describe the Eyewitness book range, all I can say is they’re like an encyclopaedia, but then again - as my 11yr old daughter would say - “they’re so not!”

I have lots of fishing encyclopaedias – the Practical, the Concise and John Wilsons, but Henry’s Eyewitness Companions Fishing is different. Whereas these past encyclopaedias are huge, heavy and only have a use on my bookshelf for reference, Eyewitness Fishing is small, compact and more user friendly - the size of a good novel. Funny I should say that, it also reads well too.

Encyclopaedias usually present information in a single format – whereby you pick one up, find out what you want and then put it back on the shelf again, but Eyewitness Fishing is not at all like this. Yes it has information which can be referenced, but the chapters are well ordered and well written - it’s a story-like guide to angling that you’ll want to read from cover-to-cover.

Its smaller format does not compromise on information; my feelings are that it contains more information, and definitely more current information on our sport, than many other fishing encyclopaedias on the shelves today. Its size also means that it doesn’t have to live on a bookshelf – it could also live on the coffee table, by the bed, or even in the tackle box of a learner for quick reference to tackle, rigs, baits and tactics, although it would be shame to ruin it.

 The photographs in this book also set it apart from any other encyclopaedia that has gone before it. Henry’s pictures throughout, as you would expect, tell a thousand words as usual. They are absolutely stunning and portray angling as Henry sees it – “Just Awesome!” and how angling really is.

Eyewitness Companions Fishing covers the history of fishing, fishing basics, getting started, tackle, skills & strategies - freshwater, saltwater & fly fishing; fish species both freshwater and saltwater and more. The book ends with Henry’s World of fishing – an overview of some of the most exciting fishing from around the globe ranging from the UK, to Alaska, from Ireland to the USA and from Norway to Africa. Now I love learning about other countries angling too and this is where I had to stop and say “awesome” myself.

If I had to sum up Eyewitness Companions Fishing in a few words, I would say it’s a uniquely fresh and funky modern Encyclopaedia on angling, which contains all the information any angler would need to know. As for Henry, well DK couldn’t have picked a more unique, fresh, funky and modern angler to complete this task. With Eyewitness Companions Fishing, Henry has certainly fulfilled his conquest to “give fishing the positive and inspirational coverage it deserves”. He should be proud.

This book is a must for any angler, be it to read cover-to-cover like a book, for a new angler to learn the completeness of angling; or in the usual way a fishing encyclopaedia would be used by an experienced angler for regular reference.

To find out more Eyewitness Companions Fishing visit www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk
To purchase a copy of Eyewitness Companions Fishing visit www.amazon.co.uk
To find out more about Henry Gilbey visit www.henry-gilbey.co.uk