Books published by Merlin Unwin Books

"[The author] ... gathers together photographs and stories of 50 extraordinary villages he has visited on his travels around the country"--Front jacket flap.

This is a ground-breaking fly tying book. It is the first to have a QR code/YouTube link for every single pattern demonstrated. You can now watch the whole process online then turn to the matching chapter in the book to find the recipe and follow all the step-by-step instructions so that you can tie your own fly in your own time. It has an online link with the author - expert tyer Barry Ord Clarke - who you can contact direct if you run into any difficulties! He will respond to all questions. The book's focus is on techniques: world-class fly tyer Ord Clarke demonstrates with crystal-clear photographs his own 'takes' on how to tie your own excellent flies - simply and quickly!

This compact, little pocket book - the first ever to feature the natural insect next to its matching artificial fly - arms the angler with all the information he needs to select the right fly from his flybox. Superb photographs of aquatic insects (larvae, pupae, adults) with the artificial flies positioned alongside them Times of hatching The geographical distribution Whether it is a river fly or a lake fly, or both Life cycles of the insects Clues from the river and from the trout's behaviourPeter Lapsley contributes regularly to Flyfishing & Flytying and is author of several fishing books. He is a qualified national game angling instructor.Dr Cyril Bennett is one of the UK's leading entomologists, specialising in river insects. His photographs of insects - some never before captured on camera - add a unique element to this book.

Maynard Davies, the last of the traditional bacon apprentice-boys, and now retired master-curer, shares here with the reader his lifetime's knowledge of the art of smoking and curing. In this practical manual Maynard explains, step-by-step, how he did it all in his day -- from choosing the best raw ingredients, to building one's own smokehouse, to the secrets of making the best sausage. After working in the profession for 60 years, Maynard wants to pass on his expertise to the next generation, in the hope that enthusiasts will get as much satisfaction from producing their own hams, bacons, sausages and countless other products, made with pride from the best ingredients, as he has always done.

Britain's hedgerows abound with forgotten remedies for countless health problems.Julie Bruton-Seal, practising medical herbalist, together with her co-author, the editor and writer Matthew Seal, have responded to the growing interest in natural medicine by aiming this book at the amateur who wants to improve his or her health in the same way that mankind has done for centuries around the world: by using local wild plants and herbs.There are clear instructions about which plants to harvest, when, and over 120 recipes showing how to make them into teas, vinegars, oils, creams, pillows, poultices or alcohol-based tinctures. Julie and Matthew explain which ailments can be treated, and what benefits can be expected.As well as being packed with practical information on using 50 native plants, Hedgerow Medicine also gives a fascinating insight into the literary, historic and worldwide application of these herbal remedies.

Journalist and Editor Michael Clayton worked his way up from local newspapers to BBC war correspondent, with radio and magazine experience inbetween. From the sharp end of the action in Vietnam, to the violence of the Troubles in Belfast and the tragedy of the East Pakistan revolt, Clayton is well placed to compare the varying challenges of journalism on different media platforms.The rivalry between the BBC and ITV, the bravery of war cameramen, dealing on assignment with corrupt officials, the TV preference for close-to-the action film as opposed to insightful reportsof the effects of conflict: Clayton has experienced itall over a 70-year career.His insights into the ethos of the BBC, the colourful characters he reported and filmed alongside, and his resulting views of humanity, war and crime - Clayton's autobiography in journalism is honest, wry and full of insight.

People love mushrooms. They want to pick them and eat them. but when they get home and try to check them, the fears crowd in. The reference books are vague. Too many dangerous look-alikes. Is the colour in that photograph exaggerated? A field mushroom suddenly seems worryingly like a Destroying Angel....the mushrooms are all discarded.Here is a mushrooming guide with a totally new, positive approach. Forget all the other 500 species. You only need to know these twelve. And you need to know them fully, without a shadow of a doubt.Alex Schwab's mushrooming rules are few but they are fixed rules. His key identification points leave no room for uncertainty. And he promises you these mushrooms will all taste delicious.Mushrooming without fear for the first time.

No need to travel halfway round the globe to spot iconic wildlife - it's right here on our doorstep in the UK and Steve Wright, keen amateur naturalist, travels from the Isle of Man to Norfolk, to the Orkneys, Northern Ireland and everywhere in-between on his various short holiday expeditions, clutching his specific wildlife wish-list for each trip. The result is an inspiring and engaging diary of his personal encounters with white-tailed eagles, otters, bottlenose dolphins, fulmars, puffins, osprey, sand lizards, even red-necked wallabies. And the characters he meets on the way. He hears snipe drumming, watches a shrew in Wales, admires pilot whales off Lewis. Steve's wildlife travel diaries give excellent practical tips, such as bird-hide etiquette, how to identify birds on the wing, how to consult local wildlife rangers about what might be spotted on each outing and where to find that species. But most importantly his highly-readable wildlife travels are a call to others to book themselves in to pubs and small hotels the length and breadth of Britain and follow his example, for a series of fun British wildlife safaris.

What is an idiom? It's a turn of phrase designed to convey a meaning which is different from the literal meaning of the words. But this is a fun take on the subject. Artist and writer Steve Palin has combined another of his passions: his love of animals, birds and insects - to come up with a delightful book in which he has illustrated and explained his favourite wildlife idioms. Cat among the pigeons, big fish in a small pond, a kangaroo court - these idioms have inspired some of his joyous paintings in this book, each paired with his short explanation of how the term came to be used.

Why should we eat our weeds? Because they are delicious, they're nutritious, they're too good to waste. And they're free!This is more than just a recipe book, more than a foraging book. Professional herbalist and best-selling author Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal have both shared their expertise in Eat your Weeds! to give us the fascinating background to these overlooked wild plants, their historic uses, their medicinal benefits today and their culinary delights.Weeds are amazing beings that we have failed to see and failed to eat. But with these 90 delicious plant-based recipes, that is about to end.

I hardly remember life without a rod in my hand, writes James Batty in the opening sentence of his autobiography in fishing. When his American wife moved with him to Cornwall, she saw his family photo album and commented that there was hardly a single picture of him in which he wasn't fishing. This witty, wacky account is James' tale of his obsession with his hobby of fishing, wherever his work took him around the world, seeking out lemon sharks in the Gambia, Striped Bass in New York and salmon in British Columbia. James' genre of writing is a mixture of John Gierach and Bill Bryson: his style is wry, witty and incisive.The end result is an entertaining insight into the mind of a dedicated angler, full of fishing anecdotes, tips and thought-provoking ideas.Extracts from the bookThe great thing about anglers - especially when we meet fellow anglers - is that we don't try to hide our nuttiness. Pointless, I'm holding a rod, so are you, game over. We both know we're talking to a person who's a few bananas short of a bunch.When you reckon you're going to catch something, you make more effort. If you think the session's a lost cause, 'one last cast' translates into, well, one last cast. Unthinkable. If you feel you're in with a chance it reverts to its normal meaning: half a dozen chucks with the diving plug, then a few with the slider just in case, and ten minutes on the sandeel shad because you really never know.Guiding is not a job I'd do again, not as long as there's alternative employment cleaning out the grease traps at fast food restaurants or hand sorting the output of sewage farms.They'll take jelly-fry under an inch long when the water's full of plump sandeels, and I don't know why. But it's the mysteries that keep us fishing.The fish can't see my modest reel or my battered rod until it's too late to say, 'I have my pride, I refuse to be landed on that old shite'.My financial situation was as tight as a toreador's Y-fronts.Wave and weather are a mystery, like who's going to win next year's Grand National, where the stock market's going, or why people watch television shows about forgotten minor celebrities eating baboons' foreskins. Long range forecasts are as reliable as horoscopes, just less entertaining. Maybe the Met Office should juice them up, 'The month will be marked by deep Atlantic lows, even deeper discounts at your local supermarket. Don't be too proud to pick up some sausages.' Or they could tell the truth: 'Expect a combination of sunshine, rain, freezing fog, calm days, violent storms, blizzards, and perhaps a plague of frogs. Dress warmly but don't forget to pack a swimsuit.'

This exceptionally clear and easy-to-use beginner's guide shows you exactly how to create universal fishing flies, step-by-step. Each of the 12 patterns is linked by QR code to a YouTube video showing the author tying the fly in question.12 key trout patterns demonstrate the most important flytying techniquesFlying AntElk Hair CaddisThe F-FlyHare's Ear NymphCopper NymphPheasant Tail NymphHair Wing DunKlinkhamerMontana NymphWoolly BuggerZebra MidgeZonkerThe book also includes Barry's recommendations for a beginner's flytying kit and materials and lots of useful advice and tips.

Jim Corbett became the hero of thousands of impoverished local families in the remote Indian region of Kumaon when, throughout the 1920s and 30s, he answered their pleas to rid them of the man-eating tigers and leopards which were ravaging their populations. Man-eaters roamed a region of hundreds of square miles over several years, killing the defenceless villagers at will: for example the Champawat man-eater had killed over 434 people in six years, the Panar maneater over 400.Jim, one of 15 children, was born in 1875 to the local post-master in Nainital, and taught himself as a barefoot boy in his local jungle to become, in his spare time one, of the most skilled trackers of his day, fluent in the local dialects, patient beyond endurance and an excellent shot.Duff Hart Davis' biography threads together the life of this very private, unassuming Indian railway clerk. Often through Jim's own written words, Duff sets out the highlights of Jim's adventures in sequence and in context, thus thowing light on Jim's remarkable character.

Enjoy your woodland walks even more. Season by season, this colourful book shows you which wild flowers appear in Britain's woodlands throughout the year. Fascinating facts about each species are covered. Learn the names and habits of each wild woodland flower as they appear, from early Spring to the year's end, how to identify different woodland habitats and to spot the clues about the woodland's history.

From famous poets such as Wordsworth and Ian McEwan to modern thriller writers such as Reginald Hill and Val McDermid, the awe-inspiring Fells, crashing waterfalls and dramatic still waters of the Lake District have inspired writers for centuries. In this illustrated anthology, Margaret Wilson has selected the best Lake District literary extracts, each of which photographer Helen Shaw has paired with a stunning local landscape.

In spring 1973, Michael Brown, a young freelance travel writer, took a phone call from a friend: 'Why don't you come down to Somerset and see these things called elvers - they migrate up river at night on the high tides and the local's fish for them. It's called elvering.'And so began a lifetime's career, full of ups and downs, as a self- employed eel fisherman: from the enchantment of catching them by moonlight, to driving them in battered vans across Europe, to smoking mature eels, to selling them - Michael and his long-suffering wife Utta have never looked back.A heart-warming tale of running a small business on a shoe-string; and a passion for eels which never faded.

Shropshire dairy farmer Roger Evans continues to delight his fans with his daily highlights from the farm and his views on everything from how to manage a happy milking herd to the state of the local wildlife and the views of the rural community in his local bar. Funny, topical and informative farmer's diary.

Author and illustrator Steve Palin presents images and explanations conveying which materials and symbols relate to which marital anniversary.

Father and son professional photographers John and Mike Hayward have worked together to share their enthusiasm for the county they live in and love. Their joy in the Shropshire landscapes, towns and villages shines through on every page. The dedication needed to catch that shot of hot air balloons hovering over Old Oswestry hill fort in early morning, or sunset at Pole Bank pond, the highest point on the Long Mynd, cannot be over-estimated. And the pleasure they take in capturing the people of this county - from the Severn Valley Railway steam enthusiasts at Highley, to cricketers at the idyllic village ground at Burwarton, to the priest blessing his congregation in the dodgem cars at Ludlow's May Fair - is clear from every shot. Fans of the Haywards' first book A Year in Shropshire will find over 160 new images of the county here, each one reminding them why Shropshire is one of England's most glorious counties.

""I need to start thinking like a shooter, for shooters and fishers, even though they are often the same person, think very differently." So writes author Laurence Catlow as his fishing season on the lonely northern rivers comes to an end, and he prepares for his next shooting season on his own small shoot on the edge of the Pennines. Many sportsmen enjoy both shooting and fishing, and in That Strange Alchemy, Catlow examines - fishing and shooting memories and why they differ - why both sports are so important to him - the loss of his shooting dog and the undertaking of a new one - best fishing days and how these differ from best shooting days - the anxieties of running a guest shooting day - fishing in middle age compared to in youth Catlow writes with great wit, modesty and insight."

A Celebration of Britain's 59 species. There are 59 species of British butterfly and each one deserves a couple of stunning photographs, some interesting facts about its life cycle and a poem dedicated to it. Lifelong butterfly lover and poet Jonathan Bradley and his photographer friend Yealand Kalfayan have done just that in this colourful and inspiring book.