Prior to becoming a Richmond-based lawyer, John Skapski was a commercial gillnet fisherman who gained his MA in Creative Writing. His account of professional fishing is Green Water Blues (Harbour 1978). It was preceded by poetry in In the Meshes (Sono Nis, 1970) by Jan Mieszko Skapski, with a cover illustration by Phil Corlie. Both Green Water Blues and In The Meshes, are based on his experiences operating a gillnetter, which he still owns. He was born in London, England in 1945, lived briefly in South America, and came to B.C. in 1953. He initially studied engineering at UBC before graduating in Creative Writing. His third collection is Tides at the Edge of the Senses (Libros Libertad Publishing 2007).