The first thing to say about this book is that you do not need to like fishing or be interested in the sport of fishing to read it. As you would expect from the title it is about fishing, but it is actually more about the two men doing the fishing, the British comedians and comedy actors, Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse. It is as much about them as it is fishing. They share something in common in that they both faced a serious heart health issue. Whitehouse had three stents put in, while Mortimer had a triple bypass. The book, and the BBC TV show that has now been running for five series, is about their friendship and Life, both before and after having been close to death.
They are both in their sixties now, an age I know something about. They are perhaps aware that they may be on, as the saying goes, borrowed time, and so they are making the most of it. Fishing has become a big part of that for them, and I suppose they are fortunate in that they have been able to make the TV series as a job of work. In five series, they have travelled around the UK and occasionally overseas to fish and ponder life.
Both still have a child like approach to life, especially Mortimer. Working in comedy has probably given them the chance to never grow up or be overtaken by the seriousness of life. Whitehouse is very serious about fishing and its history, and this comes out in the book. While it is an easy read, it does go through the history, traditions and technical side of fishing. Those chapters are written by Whitehouse, who has been a lifelong fisherman. His knowledge comes to the fore, while Mortimer is like the apprentice, taking it all in.
Except that Mortimer doesn't always take in what he is being told. You can see this quite often in the TV series as Whitehouse shows frustration with his apprentice. “Don't wind” as in winding the caught fish in, can frequently be heard from Whitehouse. There is an art and technique to landing a fish, and overuse of winding the rod to pull the fish in is not part of it. Mortimer is always caught winding, his innocent reply is always “I'm not winding” with a cheeky grin on his face. The fish regularly escapes as Whitehouse holds back his disappointment. I'm tempted to say anger, but they remain mates. Bob is like a child at heart.
So, if it's your thing read the book, but if you don't, you can watch some episodes of the TV series as they are on YouTube. If you like TV with scenery, a nice view, travel to different places, it's wonderful, calming, and funny. Funny as in silly. As Mortimer asks, what's the tomato in your life? I suppose we all have a tomato in our life, or perhaps we are still looking for it.
