BARMIEST ANGLING BOOK OF THE YEAR THE SONG OF THE SOLITARY BASS FISHER BY JAMES BATTY

In the literature of angling, books usually fall into one of two types – the ‘how-to’ guide or the storybook. This one brilliantly combines both.

Hailing from the crusty edge of Cornwall, James ‘Leakyboots’ Batty is one of those rare British eccentrics you feared were going extinct.

“Anglers are among the most trustworthy people you meet,” he assures us. “They tell so many lies about fish that got away, they have none left for everyday life.”

Or how about his take on predatory ethics? “Bass aren’t politically correct. Their watchword is ‘look out for the handicapped. Then eat them.’”