Pete Tyjas has sat down and read James Gilbraith's Terminal Chancer. Could he put it down?
We last heard from James Gilbraith back in Issue 23 of ESF when he sent us an extract from his book, Terminal Chancer, that he was hoping to get published.
A year or so later I am pleased to say that he has done so and a copy arrived just the other day.
It is about James, or Boo as he is known, and his friends and how their lives revolve around salmon fishing, most notably on the Ribble in Lancashire. It starts with a friend who takes to the roof of his house in a deep state of anguish after spending 11 seasons having not caught a salmon and follows a season's fishing written in a modern and refreshing style.
The book revolves around the 2013 salmon season and involves him trying to wrestle the Salmon Weasel Award ( the cover, in case you were wondering) away from the clutches of his friend Lamont. Without giving away too much the Salmon Weasel award is won by the angler who catches the most salmon in a season when they should really be somewhere else, like work.
I liked the style of writing very much and can’t ever recall laughing out loud when reading a fishing book but I did this many times and I defy you not to do the same.
The Ribble may not be considered to be a big name river but it really doesn’t matter as the characters who fish it and the rich stories that revolve around it are about much more than epic struggles with large salmon, much more.
For me, this is a book that takes salmon fishing from how it is sometimes perceived and made it interesting to a wide range of people. To be honest, you don’t even have to be a salmon angler to enjoy this, if you fish you’ll still enjoy the read. It is about real anglers who fish in the real world. I like that.
For me, it is a small landmark in angling literature that is different but something I can very much relate to and feel it speaks my language.
I hope this book gets the success it so deserves.
So does Boo win the Salmon Weasel Award? I’d buy the book if I were you and find out. You won’t regret it.
Buy Terminal Chancer HERE