Dumb Luck and the Kindness of Strangers

Author: John Gierach
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1501168606
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 240

Book Description
Witty, shrewd, and always a joy to read, John Gierach, “America’s best fishing writer” (Houston Chronicle) and favorite streamside philosopher, has earned the following of “legions of readers who may not even fish but are drawn to his musings on community, culture, the natural world, and the seasons of life” (Kirkus Reviews). “After five decades, twenty books, and countless columns, [John Gierach] is still a master” (Forbes). Now, in his latest original collection, Gierach shows us why fly-fishing is the perfect antidote to everything that is wrong with the world. “Gierach’s deceptively laconic prose masks an accomplished storyteller…His alert and slightly off-kilter observations place him in the general neighborhood of Mark Twain and James Thurber” (Publishers Weekly). In Dumb Luck and the Kindness of Strangers, Gierach looks back to the long-ago day when he bought his first resident fishing license in Colorado, where the fishing season never ends, and just knew he was in the right place. And he succinctly sums up part of the appeal of his sport when he writes that it is “an acquired taste that reintroduces the chaos of uncertainty back into our well-regulated lives.” Lifelong fisherman though he is, Gierach can write with self-deprecating humor about his own fishing misadventures, confessing that despite all his experience, he is still capable of blowing a strike by a fish “in the usual amateur way.” “Arguably the best fishing writer working” (The Wall Street Journal), Gierach offers witty, trenchant observations not just about fly-fishing itself but also about how one’s love of fly-fishing shapes the world that we choose to make for ourselves.

Good Flies

Author: John Gierach
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493015567
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 181

Book Description
The favorite fly patterns of one of the country's top angling writers, revised and updated.

Fool's Paradise

Author: John Gierach
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0743291735
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 227

Book Description
A lighthearted and lyrical new collection of observations on fly-fishing by the author of Still Life with Brook Trout features whimsical complaints about what the author believes is wrong with the world, both within and outside the fishing community. 50,000 first printing.

All Fishermen Are Liars

Author: John Gierach
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1451618336
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
This “elegiac tribute to the elusive art and ineffable pleasure of fly-fishing” (Kirkus Reviews) shows us why life’s most valuable lessons—and some of its best experiences—are found while fly-fishing. For John Gierach, “the master of fly-fishing” (Sacramento Bee), fishing is always the answer—even when it’s not clear what the question is. In All Fishermen Are Liars, Gierach travels around North America seeking out quintessential fishing experiences, whether it’s at a busy stream or a secluded lake hidden amid snow-capped mountains. He talks about the art of fly-tying and the quest for the perfect steelhead fly (“The Nuclear Option”), about fishing in the Presidential Pools previously fished by the elder George Bush (“I wondered briefly if I’d done something karmically disastrous and was now fated to spend the rest of my life breathing the exhaust of this elderly Republican”), and the importance of traveling with like-minded companions when caught in a soaking rain (“At this point someone is required to say, ‘You know, there are people who wouldn’t think this is fun’”). And though Gierach loses some fish along the way, he never loses his passion and sense of humor. Wry, contemplative, and lively—that is to say, pure Gierach—All Fishermen Are Liars is a joy to read—and, as always, the next best thing to fishing itself. “From the early days…to his present cult status, Gierach’s candor and canniness at the water’s edge have been consistent…His grizzled, laconic persona is engaging and the voice of the common angler” (The Wall Street Journal).

A Fly Rod of Your Own

Author: John Gierach
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1451618360
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
“After five decades, twenty books, and countless columns, [John Gierach] is still a master,” (Forbes) and his newest book only confirms this assessment, along with his recent induction into the Flyfishing Hall of Fame. In A Fly Rod of Your Own, Gierach brings his ever-sharp sense of humor and keen eye for observation to the fishing life and, for that matter, life in general. Known for his witty, trenchant observations about fly-fishing, Gierach’s “deceptively laconic prose masks an accomplished storyteller…his alert and slightly off-kilter observations place him in the general neighborhood of Mark Twain and James Thurber” (Publishers Weekly). A Fly Rod of Your Own transports readers to streams and rivers from Maine to Montana, and as always, Gierach’s fishing trips become the inspiration for his pointed observations on everything from the psychology of fishing (“Fishing is still an oddly passive-aggressive business that depends on the prey being the aggressor”); why even the most veteran fisherman will muff his cast whenever he’s being filmed or photographed; the inevitable accumulation of more gear than one could ever need (“Nature abhors an empty pocket. So does the tackle industry”); or the qualities shared by the best guides (“the generosity of a teacher, the craftiness of a psychiatrist, and the enthusiasm of a cheerleader with a kind of Vulcan detachment”). As Gierach likes to say, “fly-fishing is a continuous process that you learn to love for its own sake. Those who fish already get it, and those who don’t couldn’t care less, so don’t waste your breath on someone who doesn’t fish.” A Fly Rod of Your Own is an ode to those who fish that “brings a skeptical, wry voice to the peril and promise of twenty-first-century fishing” (Booklist).

Trout Bum

Author: John Gierach
Publisher: Graphic Arts Books
ISBN: 0871089793
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 167

Book Description
Trout Bum is a fresh, contemporary look at fly fishing, and the way of life that grows out ofa passion for it. The people, the places, and the accoutrements that surround the sport make a fishing trip more than a set of tactics and techniques. John Gierach, a serious fisherman with a wry sense of humor, show us just how much more with his fishing stories and a unique look at the fly-fishing lifestyle. Trout Bum is really about why people fish as much as it is about how they fish, and it is ultimately about enduring values and about living in a harmony with our environment. Few books have had the impact on an entire generation that Trout Bum has had on the fly-fishing world. The wit, warmth, and the easy familiarity that John Gierach brings to us in Trout Bum is as fresh and engaging now was when it was first published twenty-five years ago. There's no telling how many anglers have quit their jobs and headed west after reading the first edition of this classic collection of fly-fishing essays.

A Spinster's Luck

Author: Rhonda Woodward
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101573716
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 243

Book Description
From Rhonda Woodward, a writer with “sparkle and heart,” comes a beloved Signet Regency Romance—available digitally for the first time. Luck has always eluded Celia Langston. When her parents passed away ten years ago, she had to make her own way in the world, forsaking a come-out Season in London—and any chance at marriage. But Celia, now a governess, has never been one for self-pity. Rather, at the age of six-and-twenty, she has accepted the lot Fate has dealt her—that of a spinster…With his handsome face, reputation for bravery in the war, and princely fortune, the Duke of Severly has never suffered for want of female companionship. The crème de la crème hang on his every word. So when he takes notice of his nephews’ governess—for even the plainest of gray dresses cannot conceal her regal poise and delicious curves—Severly surprises even himself. For one, he has never admired a woman below his station, let alone a governess. For another, Celia seems to hold a grudge against him. But her rejection of him only fans the flames of his desire, and Severly knows he’s in for a long and difficult chase…“Rhonda Woodward shows a definite flair for the Regency period.”—The Romance Reader“A talented writer.”—Rakehell“[Rhonda Woodward has] historically accurate writing that shines.”—All About Romance

No Shortage of Good Days

Author: John Gierach
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 074329176X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
A collection of fly-fishing essays reflect the author's visits to regions ranging from the Smokies to the Canadian Maritimes, where he explored such interests as fishing etiquette, mosquitoes, and the charms of third-rate streams.

My Secret Fishing Life

Author: Nick Lyons
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780871137500
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 187

Book Description
Beyond his life as an English professor, book publisher, and writer, Lyons has always had a "secret fishing life", explored in this collection of wise, gentle, and witty essays. Illustrations.

A River Never Sleeps

Author: Roderick L. Haig-Brown
Publisher: Skyhorse
ISBN: 1632201097
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Book Description
Few books have captured the haunting world of music and rivers and of the sport they provide as well as A River Never Sleeps. Roderick L. Haig-Brown writes of fishing not just as a sport, but also as an art. He knows moving water and the life within it—its subtlest mysteries and perpetual delights. He is a man who knows fish lore as few people ever will, and the legends and history of a great sport. Month by month, he takes you from river to river, down at last to the saltwater and the sea: in January, searching for the steelhead in the dark, cold water; in May, fishing for bright, sea-run cutthroats; and on to the chilly days of October and the majestic run of spawning salmon. All the great joy of angling is here: the thrill of fishing during a thunderstorm, the sight of a river in freshet or a river calm and hushed, the suspense of a skillful campaign to capture some half-glimpsed trout or salmon of extraordinary size, and the excitement of playing and landing a momentous fish. A River Never Sleeps is one of the enduring classics of angling. It will provide a rich reading experience for all who love fishing or rivers. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for fishermen. Our books for anglers include titles that focus on fly fishing, bait fishing, fly-casting, spin casting, deep sea fishing, and surf fishing. Our books offer both practical advice on tackle, techniques, knots, and more, as well as lyrical prose on fishing for bass, trout, salmon, crappie, baitfish, catfish, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.