Water has a primal, hypnotic power that attracts us, something vividly evident in the beautiful fly-fishing essays in Upstream in a Dream. While water seeks its level downstream, fly-fishers are at the mercy of a force that draws them upstream to the headwaters. As they fish, events in their lives and their reactions to the natural world merge into one meditative cycle. In that cycle, life’s big events – becoming a father, losing a loved one and navigating relationships – are in Upstream in a Dream presented in heartfelt, often humorous, essays that possess the poetic, contemplative rhythm of fly-fishing. While fish are the main attraction in local waters and further afield, the consolations of time in nature impress themselves on reader and writer, making Upstream in a Dream a must-read for fishers and lovers of beautiful nature writing. Escape to the water and enjoy the author's mindful, soulful engagement with the natural world, which has led to stories that invite further reflection on the environment and human nature, and the changing state of both. Hamish Brooks learnt to fly-fish when he was twelve on a trip to the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales. He has enjoyed writing about fishing for almost as long, even though, thirty years later, Upstream in a Dream is his first book. In between fishing and his other passion, surfing, Hamish was for eight years the managing editor of local newspapers the Surf Coast Times, Bellarine Times and Armstrong Creek Times. He has also had work published in The Age and The Australian and worked in government and corporate communications. He now works as a freelance writer, editor and media consultant. He lives in Ocean Grove with his wife and two young daughters.
