What started as an embarrassingly juvenile book purchase—motivated by a peculiar horn-shaped fishing device—becomes a delightful journey through Victorian Ireland with one of its most charming rogues.

Meet Captain John Joseph Dunn, writing under the pseudonym "Hi Regan," whose 1886 fishing guide "How and Where to Fish in Ireland" reveals far more than just angling advice. Follow this cashiered military officer, debtor's prison alumnus, and perpetual charmer as he transforms his obsession with Irish waters into literary gold.

From moldy book rescues to railway maps missing modern counties, discover how Dunn navigated Ireland's waterways while dodging creditors. Explore his fishing wisdom (including Victorian midge repellent recipes involving paraffin), his tactical hotel reviews, and his encounters with Irish landlords and constables.

But there's more to this blackguard than meets the eye—learn how his passion for Irish independence, his role in the Home Rule movement, and his gift for storytelling created a fishing guide that's still in print today. Plus, discover the surprising literary legacy of his feminist daughter, who became far more famous than her roguish father.

Features readings from "How and Where to Fish in Ireland" (1886) and explores the social history of Victorian Ireland through the eyes of its most endearing scoundrel.

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