Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith Pens Book On Rods, Reels, and Guitars

Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith has written a book, but it’s not what you might think. Smith is an extremely avid angler and his book explores the guitar legend’s lifelong love of and passion for fishing. “Monsters of River & Rock: My Life As Iron Maiden’s Compulsive Angler,” out now on BMG Books, includes Maiden tidbits and insights into songwriting in some places, but make no mistake: the vast majority of the anecdotes and stories concentrate on fishing. The triumph of “Monsters of River & Rock,” and Smith’s writing style, is that it will appeal to anglers and non-fishers alike.

Whether you love to cast bait at the crack of dawn or have never fished in your life, “Monsters of River & Rock” holds mass appeal. Through Smith’s engaging, informative and humorous anecdotes, Maiden fans and fishermen who have never heard of the iconic British heavy metal band will find much to enjoy.

The book traces Smith’s obsession with the rod and reel from his days as a boy fishing canals in England with industrial factories looming in the background to exotic trips - made on his own and during Maiden tour stops and recording destinations over the past 40 years - through Europe, Australia and New Zealand, South America, Canada and many more fishing hotspots.

Smith engages the reader, putting you riverside and on the water through his adventurous quests for chub, bass, bonefish and the ever-elusive Double Tench, with encounters with bears and even a Tasmanian devil along the way.

While blasting guitar riffs and chords through amplifiers to sold-out arenas and being in the stillness of nature for hours at a time while waiting for a bite may seem to be polar opposites, there’s actually quite a bit of comparison, in terms of the preparation and hard work that goes into fishing, playing concerts and recording albums.

“Monsters of River & Rock” is a thoroughly enjoyable read that will give metal fans a new appreciation for fishing, anglers a better understanding of the rock-and-roll life, and those who already embrace both a knowing nod of the head.

We recently had the pleasure to speak bait, line, hook and heavy metal with Adrian Smith:

What was the impetus for writing “Monsters of River and Rock.” Is this something you had been planning for a long time?

Somebody suggested it in a half joking way and one thing led to another. I wrote a few test chapters. At first it was going to be purely a fishing book. But then I decided to include some music in it. It seemed to go hand in hand, my twin passions. Once I got interest from a publisher I worked on it during tours over a period of a year-and-a-half.

How do you think the book appeals to Maiden fans who aren’t anglers and fishermen who aren’t heavy metal fans?

There is some technical stuff on fishing; I didn’t want to dumb it down. I wanted it to be mainly a fishing story. But a lot of it is anecdotes and funny stories and things that happen while you’re fishing and that I think crosses over. Some of the stories happened while recording Iron Maiden albums. There’s a story from when we were recording the “Powerslave” album in Nassau, Bahamas. I was fishing out the front of the studio and I crossed my lines with Robert Palmer. That’s where an example of fishing and music can become joined together literally. He was fishing from his balcony. He came out and he turned to me and said, ‘in the whole of the Caribbean you had to cast across my line.’ He was only half-joking. And then he turns up later in the chapter as well in the studio, and he brings it up again. It was slightly bizarre but it was quite funny.

The book covers a lifetime of fishing stories and your quests for catching all matter of fish. Does one stand out for you?

The Big Tench would have to be up there. For American anglers it’s like catching a double digit Large Mouth Bass. It took me 10 years to catch one so that would have to be the one. Sturgeon fishing in the Fraser River in British Columbia was also memorable for different reasons. It wasn’t personal satisfaction. It was more of being in awe of the surroundings and the sheer size and power of the fish and going on a jet boat and the massive river and the powerful current. That’s another memorable occasion.

How would you compare fishing and Iron Maiden? Is a successful fishing trip akin to having a great concert or recording session?

I suppose whenever you achieve something you set out to do, whether it’s going on stage and thinking you’ve played well and the band’s played well and that feels good, or coming away from the riverbank and maybe you’ve been out there with friends that’s a good feeling also.

Yet it’s very different being near a river and the tranquility and calm as opposed to the production and sheer volume of an Iron Maiden concert.

That’s the beauty of fishing for me. The yin and yang. It balances the craziness of the rock lifestyle. Some people don’t understand that. I was once fishing for sturgeon and the guide on the boat was blasting Black Sabbath and AC/DC. I had to ask him to turn it down. He thought that’s what I wanted to hear, and it was the last thing I wanted to hear, though I do love them.

You write about the importance of patronizing your local fishing shop as opposed to ordering equipment from the Internet. Why is that important to you?

I think our lives are becoming more impersonal and more detached. I do write about having fond memories of going to the tackle local shop owned by my Uncle Stan who was a real character. I loved it because you could hear the men talking and telling stories about all the big fish they caught and I hung on every word. It’s like the soul of fishing, like going to guitar shops. You go to a store you can try the stuff and talk about it, whether it’s a rod or a guitar, and talking to other people. We mustn’t lose that.

What advice would you give to those inspired by this book to start fishing, especially young people?

I was lucky that I had my father and my Uncle Stan that showed me the right way to fish, and to treat fish with a certain amount of respect. If you don’t have a mentor a lot of information you can get on the Internet. I would say it’s important to start off small. A lot of people want to catch big fish straightway and you might get discouraged if you don’t. Start small and always treat the fish with respect. They’ve given you a lot of pleasure; you owe it to them to put them back in the water.