Fishing for a Living

Contributor to newspapers and magazines in Canada, Britain and United States on travel- and transportation themes.

Author: Empress of Britain: Canadian Pacific's greatest ship (Erin: Boston Mills, 1992).

Reviewer for CBRA since 1993.

This is an engaging account of the boats and people employed in the
fishing business on the B.C. coast. Far from a dry historical or
statistical chronicle of the events of the last hundred years, it is
written with great affection by an author who has drawn on his long
association with West Coast commercial fishing. The three dozen or so
chapters describe the elements that constitute what could be called the
fishing industry, except that “industry” is hardly the best term. It
is, rather, a way of life, as this book amply demonstrates.

Fishing, whether for salmon, halibut, or herring, appears to be based
on a symbiotic relationship involving boat-building yards, the boats
themselves, and the packing companies that buy the catches. But even
more, it involves people: fishermen—and a few women—who have a
strong sense of individualism as well as the fortitude to face the
dangers of a demanding occupation. The author has interviewed families
involved in fishing for several generations, has listened to one skipper
telling how he brought home a record catch and another describe how his
boat sank, has questioned boat builders about their construction
methods, and has faithfully recorded their stories. One owner states
that “a boat is just a piece of equipment, a bunch of nails and a few
planks.” He obviously spoke in jest; one thing that the book makes
clear is that the boats possess distinctive personalities and that often
a bond unites boat and skipper.

Haig-Brown writes with an easy style, seldom lapsing into the technical
jargon of the fishing trade, thus making his handsome book accessible to
a wide audience. The 200 photographs illustrate every aspect of fishing;
it is particularly gratifying to note the remarkably high quality of
their reproduction.