Stour Diaries - Fishing the Suffolk Stour

In Stour Diaries, Chris McCully shares his angling exploration of the lovely Stour valley, delving deep into its history, culture and ecology as he immerses himself in the landscape of his new home. Over a period of five years, after returning to England from the Netherlands, he comes to know and love the river, from its chalkstream-like source to its muddy estuary fifty miles away, constantly trialling different ways of going after its multiple fish species. Chris fishes for these species - including dace, chub, perch, pike, tench, bass, mullet and flounder - using methods that vary from long-trotting to fly-fishing. He also looks at the fly-life of the river and its beautiful natural habitat as well as providing a historical context to the region, with details of Constable and Gainsborough, Anne Boleyn, ancient rural churches and Anglo-Saxon fish traps. There are also tales from perhaps the most haunted house in Britain, and legends of dragons. Along the way, as he experiments and learns, he reflects on life and fishing and what it means to be an angler in England.