60's fishing hook recently re-released

Waimarino Bulletin, Issue 4, 12 August 1988, Page 17

60's fishing hook recently re-released

A book that will be of considerable interest to anglers in the Waimarino was relaunched by former Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir David Beattie, at a function in Turangi recently. Sir David described it as a 'classic'. When 'Freshwater Admiral' was first launched in Wellington in 1960 it became an immediate 'hit' with trout fishermen in the central North Island and, following the demise of A.

H. and A. W. Reed, the first publishers, copies of the book became something of a collectors item much sought after by members of the angling fraternity based on Lake Taupo and the Tongariro River. It has been virtually unobtainable for nearly 3 0 years. With only 500 copies available in the limited Sporting Heritage Series re-print run from the Haleyon Press 'Freshwater Admiral' may yet again become a rare collectors item but

the price ($75 including GST) may deter some buyers. However, allowing for inflation over the past 28 years buyers of the book who snapped up the original edition in 1960 for £1 2s 6d must have considered they had made a good investment. In a foreword to that original edition, Lord -Cobham, then Governor General of New Zealand, writes: "This is a book to delight the enthusiast as well as the non-fisherman for it is equally stocked with fishing lore and great

stories ... Although the book is primarily about fishing it is equally good reading for the expert and the tyro. I trust and believe that it will make a significant contribution to angling literature not only in New Zealand but wherever there are people anxious to learn about the art as it is practised in one of the most famous fishing districts in the world." That first edition was launched by the British High Commissioner, Sir Francis Cumming Bruce, at his residence 'Homewood' in Karori, Wellington, in 1960 and was attended by some 70-80 invited guests. The second edition was re-launched by Sir David Beattie at the Tongariro Lodge in Turangi on May 27 this year and was attended by about the same number of guests including two who were at the original launching ,

28 years earlier. One was Mary Anstruther of Turangi who was the author's constant companion and fellow angler since

he arrived in New Zealand until his death in 1969 and who wrote the foreword to this second edition. The other was Dennis

Beytagh of Ohakune whose maps, diagrams, end-papers and book jacket design feature in both editions of the book.