In every coastal town in Australia, there's a bait shop and a boat ramp. Fishing rods are strung up in laundries and garages around the country, waiting for their next outing. Walk over a bridge, look across to a wharf and there will be people casting a line. Many people have a special fishing spot, and families pass on tips from generation to generation and exchange fishy tales of amazing catches and near misses.

Bringing her personal passion for throwing in a line, author and historian Anna Clark celebrates the enduring pleasure of fishing in The Catch. She charts its history, from the first known accounts of Indigenous fishing and early European encounters with Australia's waters, to the latest fishing fads; from the introduction of trout and fly-fishing, to the challenges of balancing the needs of commercial and recreational fishers.

Originally published to accompany an exhibition at the National Library of Australia, now with updated material and all new photographs.