PRESS RELEASE 

Passion for Pike by Ad Swier (Westerlaan 2006) 

The long awaited book Passion for Pike by Ad Swier will be published at the end of November 2006.  Launch date is 24^th November – see below. 

Passion for Pike is published by Westerlaan Publishers, in close co-operation with Coch-Y-Bonddu Books (Wales). You can look forward to a sturdily-bound 240 page hardcover text with full-colour illustrations. 

Ad Swier spent the last two years writing this book, which is entirely dedicated to pike fly-fishing. It’s typical of Ad to have convinced a large number of well-known national and international writers to contribute to his enterprise. You won’t be altogether surprised to find contributions from eminent Dutch writers and fishermen such as Henk Rusman, Rudy van Duijnhoven and Arjan Willemsen, but may be more surprised to find further distinguished contributions from Larry Dahlberg and John Betts (USA) and from a number of British and Irish writers - Simon Ellis, Russ Nicholas, Leon Roskilly, Frank Barbé and Shane Garret.  By means of liberal bribery with chocolate, Ad also persuaded Chris McCully to edit the whole book for publication.  Chris still hasn’t recovered, but the others have – and are still pike fishing, with enviable success, using exactly those streamers and techniques they discuss within the covers of Ad’s book. 

Passion for Pike is beautifully illustrated from cover to cover with pictures of pike streamers tied by Ad Swier’s fly-fishing friends and acquaintances from around the world.  These pike streamers have long proved their worth, and their lineage can be traced back to virtually every location where pike (and musky) can be caught.  Ad also provides the funny, poignant, thought-provoking reflections for which he’s well-known, and the book as a whole states a clear case not only for the challenge and mystery of fishing for pike using streamers, but additionally for the maintenance and management of European stocks of that magnificent wild predator, the pike. 

Last but not least, the book contains a number of paintings, illustrations and pictures – some never before seen in the public domain - made by Ad himself.

Passion for Pike may be purchased for approx. Euro 30. 

Ad Swier will launch Passion for Pike at the Angling and Fishing Boat Exhibition at the Veemarkthal, Utrecht on 24-26 November, and will thereafter be present at some further angling shows (even in the UK).  Ad will be very pleased to sign your copy of his new book.