After 30 years of general practice in Sidmouth, Duncan Hall has swapped his stethoscope for a pen and written a book Fly fishing the world on a shoestring
Duncan said retiring after 30 years of general practice has caused him ‘significant angst’ and he will miss his patients, but writing this book has provided him with a ‘useful distraction’.
He said: “The book is a curated anthology of fly-fishing experiences from all parts of the globe.
“Most of these have been self-organised trips, anywhere from the Amazon to the Arctic, and many more places besides.
“Starting on the rivers Otter and Sid aged six, with my father and Sidmouth’s famous fly tier, Jim Nice, medical training and work got in the way, until I re-discovered my passion in 1989, from a supposed ‘once-a-lifetime-experience’ fishing while working as a locum G.P in New Zealand: It has proved impossible to put the fishing genie back in the bottle.
Duncan Hall with one of the fish he caught
– Credit: Duncan Hall
“Perhaps, my favourite fly fishing location, is in the Arctic countries; not in the snowy winters, but after the snow-melts.
“Here, frequently with fishing friends- many from Sidmouth, I return year on year in search of fresh Atlantic salmon.
“Sadly Covid put paid to our planned Russian trip for 2020. Nature unfolds on the riverbank, at dawn and dusk, while most people sleep, but at this special time, the bears feed, the ospreys hunt and otters play.
“It’s a perfect place of solitude, not just to cast a fly down an undisturbed salmon pool, but to absorb the wonderful spectacle of nature. Staring for hours at the Aurora Borealis, on a cold Russian night, is just one of my indelible memories.
Aurora Borealis captured by Duncan Hall
– Credit: Duncan Hall
“In my chapter ‘Atlantic Salmon- Russia’, I have tried to capture this experience with my camera and in text.
“My book is highly illustrated with high resolution photographs and has been professional edited and constructed with twenty eight chapters encompassing not just fishing anecdotes but travel experiences interwoven with geopolitical facts.
“Feedback from my friends, family and a recent radio interview with BBC Radio Devon reassures me that the book might be an interesting read for anyone, even those who have never picked up a fly rod.”
The book is on sale now with Paragon books, and Waterstones.
Duncan Hall’s book is available
– Credit: Duncan Hall
For more information, visit Duncan’s website www.Bigsalmon.co.uk
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