Elsie Reford’s Fishing Book

An avid fisherman like Elsie Reford chronicled every fish she caught, registering its weight, noting the fly used to catch the fish, the conditions of the water (rising or falling) and the date. The most important detail was the fly used. Fishermen thought that certain flies would bring success with similar conditions.

This beautiful album was created and compiled in 1923 by her close friend, Lady Aileen Roberts, who was a frequent visitor to Metis from England. She was the eldest daughter of a famous British soldier, Field Marshal Lord Roberts of Kandahar. She assembled the book as a gift to her friend and painted watercolours to accompany the photographs and information on Elsie’s successes on the river.