Biographies

Arthur Romilly Fedden (1875-1939) He was the son of Henry Fedden of Henbury, Glocestershire, and he studied art under at Bushey, at the Académie Julian in Paris, and also in Spain. He lived in France near the Seine and painted there. He also wrote two books: (1918) and (1919). His wife Katharine Douglas was a writer and translator. He illustrated a book of hers on the Basque country. Herkomer Modern Water Colour Golden Days from the Fishing Log of a Painter in Brittany From the Web page of Gourmetfly.com (): http://www.gourmetfly.com/Tournob.htm Romilly Fedden was a tall man, a true poet, a talented painter and a great instinctive fly fisherman. For all these reasons he loved and spent a lot of time in Brittany before 1914. This was the end of an era many sportsmen called the golden age. But as we say, “there is more to fishing than catching fish”, there is also much more in Golden Days… In fact Golden Days is based on fishing and travel notes, but was written in the trenches of the 1st world war. Though Fedden was in his 40’s at the beginning of conflict, and that for many, he was a rebel in many aspects of his secluded artist’s and fisher’s life, soon he joined the Army and the nightmare of combat. It is said that he hated war so much that he had to do it… Golden Days is a fly fishing book telling us a lot about peace and happiness. Golden Days, was first published in 1919, and met immediate success. A&C Black Ltd London, published it again in 1949. It is a book for all lovers of simple pleasures linked to gifts of nature and for all lovers or future lovers of the wonderful land of Brittany. Romilly Fedden died in 1939, probably because he didn’t want to see a second war ? (If you like reading in French, Golden Days has been recently re-published here under the original title: Golden Days, par Romilly Fedden aux éditions Ouest France). A quotation from Golden Days: “When dressing dry-flies, we must always keep in mind the fish’s point of view rather than our own.”