Paul Knight is a hugely experienced fisherman who has travelled the globe with rod and line. He has worked on offshore trawlers as well as fished idyllic salmon streams. Paul has written for a range of fishing magazines for more than 20 years. His wide experience, remarkable network of fishing friends and wonderful writing style make him the perfect author of such a collection of unforgettable tales.

Acknowledgements xi Introduction 1 Part One Captured Monsters. Salmon on the Flood 7 World Record in a Rowing Boat 12 Attrition and Slime 17 Brownie of a Lifetime 22 Bananas, Coca-Cola and Tarpon 27 Spinners, Rod Tops and Pike 33 Who Needs a Record? 38 Part Two Interfering Animals. Glen Coe Infamy 45 Alaskan Melee 50 Crossed Lines on the Lochy 55 Deveron Monsters 60 Interfering Claws and Teeth 64 Kodiak Bears and Steelhead 69 Part Three Ghosts. Maire's Cottage 77 Sea Trout and Standing Stones 82 King Henry's Horsemen 87 The Viking's Lover 92 Silhouette in the River 97 Part Four Amazing Days. Orkney Olives and Sea Trout 105 Storm-Tossed Salmon 110 Australian Marlin and Sashimi 115 Colonial Flashback 121 Greedy Australian Trout 126 Tigers, Cats and Elephants 131 Cascades and the French Line Fisherman 136 Part Five Extraordinary Tales. The Obnoxious Major 143 Don't Fool with the Joker! 148 CBA Pot 153 Anchors and Lemonade 158 Bones, Permit and Tarpon 163 Irish Eel Escapology 169 Thomas, Tiger Fish and the Old Bull Elephant 174 Performing Pike 180 Part Six Research and Reminiscences. Things Ain't What They Used to Be 187 From Whitehall to the Great Barrier Reef 192 Unconventional Tactics 197 Mahseer and Funeral Pyres 202 In Search of a Record Salmon 207 Roach to Perch to Monster Pike 212 Dynamite and Goonch 218 Arctic Salmon and Icebergs 223 Part Seven Lost Leviathans. Cornish Man-Eater 231 Capture ... Escape ... Recapture ... 236 Teifi Ghost 241 Palace Pier Monster 246