An invitation to fish the lakes and rivers of Chile and Argentina was a dream any fisherman would seize, and [in Fisherman's Winter] Haig-Brown converts the opportunity into a record that combines enchanting travel reading with a book on fishing that even a non-fisherman can enjoy. One gets a feel of the country and the people, particularly Chile…. [The] book is focussed on the fishing, and the factual data—which those who would follow in his footsteps need to know—is painlessly introduced along with personal experience…. While he is tactful in expressing his preference, one senses that Argentina, while it provided some superb fishing experiences, did not capture his heart as did Chile. An appendix supplies practical information on birds, trees, plants—and data on tackle—and on costs. Haig-Brown is my favorite writer on a subject on which I have no working knowledge.

"'Fisherman's Winter'," in...