Download or read book A Fly Rod with a Soul written by Per Brandin and published by . This book was released on 2020-12 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Casting a Spell written by George Black and published by Random House. This book was released on 2009-03-12 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thirty-five million Americans–one in eight–like to go fishing. Fly fishers have always considered themselves the aristocracy of the sport, and a small number of those devotees, a few thousand at most, insist upon using one device in the pursuit of their obsession: a handcrafted split-bamboo fly rod. Meeting this demand for perfection are the inheritors of a splendid art, one that reveres tradition while flouting obvious economic sense and reaches back through time to touch the hands of such figures as Theodore Roosevelt and Henry David Thoreau. In Casting a Spell, George Black introduces readers to rapt artisans and the ultimate talismans of their uncompromising fascination: handmade bamboo fly rods. But this narrative is more than a story of obscure objects of desire. It opens a new vista onto a century and a half of modern American cultural history. With bold strokes and deft touches, Black explains how the ingenuity of craftsmen created a singular implement of leisure–and how geopolitics, economics, technology, and outrageous twists of fortune have all come to focus on the exquisitely crafted bamboo rod. We discover that the pastime of fly-fishing intersects with a mind-boggling variety of cultural trends, including conspicuous consumption, environmentalism, industrialization, and even cold war diplomacy. Black takes us around the world, from the hidden trout streams of western Maine to a remote valley in Guangdong Province, China, where grows the singular species of bamboo known as tea stick–the very stuff of a superior fly rod. He introduces us to the men who created the tools and techniques for crafting exceptional rods and those who continue to carry the torch in the pursuit of the sublime. Never far from the surface are such overarching themes as the tension between mass production and individual excellence, and the evolving ways American society has defined, experienced, and expressed its relationship to the land. Fly-fishing may seem a rarefied pursuit, and making fly rods might be a quixotic occupation, but this rich, fascinating narrative exposes the soul of an authentic part of America, and the great significance of little things. George Black’s latest expedition into a hidden corner of our culture is an utterly enchanting, illuminating, and enlightening experience.
Download or read book Simple Fly Fishing written by Yvon Chouinard and published by Patagonia. This book was released on 2014-04-15 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern-day fly fishing, like much in life, has become exceedingly complex, with high-tech gear, a confusing array of flies and terminal tackle, accompanied by high-priced fishing guides. This book reveals that the best way to catch trout is simply, with a rod and a fly and not much else. The wisdom in this book comes from a simpler time, when the premise was: the more you know, the less you need. It teaches the reader how to discover where the fish are, at what depth, and what they are feeding on. Then it describes the techniques needed to present a fly at that depth, make it look lifelike, and hook the fish. With chapters on wet flies, nymphs, and dry flies, its authors employ both the tenkara rod as well as regular fly fishing gear to cover all the bases. Illustrated by renowned fish artist James Prosek, with inspiring photographs and stories throughout, Simple Fly Fishing reveals the secrets and the soul of this captivating sport.
Download or read book Fly Fishing Treasures written by Steve Woit and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An inside view of a community of extraordinary people: the leading collectors, dealers and auctioneers of antique fly fishing tackle.
Download or read book A Fly Rod of Your Own written by John Gierach and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-04-04 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “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).
Download or read book Slack Line Strategies for Fly Fishing written by John Judy and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2002 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In any definition of fly fishing, there has to be room to explore and to discover new ways of doing things. For me new knowledge is at the heart and soul of fly fishing. --John Judy, from Slack Line Strategies for Fly Fishing While many fly fishermen cherish the thrill of straight line power casting, a growing number of fishing experts are discovering that slack line casting is what really catches fish. In Slack Line Strategies for Fly Fishing, John Judy makes the case for slack line casting as an invaluable approach to fly fishing that all anglers can use to improve their chances of success. The book covers the basics, such as rod selection and water current pattern identification, as well as advanced strategies, such as how to locate and land the elusive steelhead. Filled with expert information, this entertaining book of instruction and example is an innovative addition to the fly fishermen's library.
Download or read book Handcrafting Bamboo Fly Rods written by Wayne Cattanach and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2005-11-01 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The bamboo fly rod still represents the pinnacle of the fly-fishing art; its apparent simplicity and delicacy belie the craftsmanship and strength that are the hallmarks of all great rods. A growing number of people have tried to learn the art of making bamboo rods from a shrinking number of secretive craftsmen. The revised and expanded Handcrafting Bamboo Fly Rods is the definitive reference for beginners and experts alike. Wayne Cattanach begins by explaining the qualities that distinguish bamboo from all other materials: It has a tensile strength akin to steel, yet it is very light. He describes the process that will take anyone from lengths of hard, raw bamboo to a beautiful finished rod with clear, step-by-step instructions and illustrations, including how to find the best supplies; select tools and materials; make heat treaters and binders; cut culms; straighten bamboo strips; plane and stagger strips; bind strips; apply finishes; mount the reel seat, ferrules, and tip-top; and much more. This is surely the most thorough book available for those who wish to make and fish their own bamboo fly rods.
Download or read book Fly fishing the Sacred Art written by Eric Eisenkramer and published by SkyLight Paths Publishing. This book was released on 2012 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the spiritual potential hidden in every cast of the fly rod. "For us, fly-fishing is about more than catching fish. We have been skunked on the stream too many times to count, and stood shivering in our waders in 45-degree water long after sundown. Yet, every chance we get, we head back to the river in search of trout and something more." --from Rabbi Eric's Introduction "Early in my fly-fishing career I remember telling a friend that there is so much to learn! Some forty years later, that is still true. Every trip I learn something new about rivers, fish and the natural world. Most importantly, I learn something new about myself. Every encounter with the waters of our planet draws me deeper into who I am and who I want to become." --from Reverend Mike's Introduction In this unique exploration of fly-fishing as a spiritual practice, an Episcopal priest and a rabbi share what fly-fishing has to teach us about reflection, awe and the wonder of the natural world, the benefits of solitude, the blessing of community and the search for the Divine. Tapping the wisdom in the Christian and Jewish traditions and their own geographically diverse experiences on the water, they show how time spent on the stream can help you navigate the currents and eddies of your own inner journey.
Download or read book Blood Knots written by Luke Jennings and published by Skyhorse. This book was released on 2012-05-15 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Blood Knots is a brilliant and dramatic memoir of an angler’s life. It places Jennings in the front rank of natural history writers. As a child in the 1960s, he was fascinated by the rivers and lakes around his home. Beneath their surfaces waited alien and mysterious worlds. With library books as his guide, he applied himself to the task of learning to fish. His progress was slow, and for years, he caught nothing. But then a series of teachers presented themselves, including an inspirational young intelligence officer, from whom he learned stealth, deception, and the art of dry-fly fishing. So began an enlightening but often dark-shadowed journey of discovery. It would lead to bright streams and wild country, but would end with his mentor’s capture, torture, and execution by the IRA. Blood Knots is about angling, about great fish caught and lost, but it is also about friendship, honor, and coming of age. As an adult, Jennings has sought out lost and secretive waterways, probing waters at dead of night in search of giant pike. The quest, as always, is for more than the living quarry. For only by searching far beneath the surface, he suggests in this most moving and thought-provoking of memoirs, can you connect with your own deep history. Jennings offers here a striking, elegiac narrative for lovers of unique memoirs and the finest fly-fishing literature.
Download or read book A River Runs through It and Other Stories written by Norman MacLean and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2017-05-03 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New York Times–bestselling classic set amid the mountains and streams of early twentieth-century Montana, “as beautiful as anything in Thoreau or Hemingway” (Chicago Tribune). When Norman Maclean sent the manuscript of A River Runs Through It and Other Stories to New York publishers, he received a slew of rejections. One editor, so the story goes, replied, “it has trees in it.” Today, the title novella is recognized as one of the great American tales of the twentieth century, and Maclean as one of the most beloved writers of our time. The finely distilled product of a long life of often surprising rapture—for fly-fishing, for the woods, for the interlocked beauty of life and art—A River Runs Through It has established itself as a classic of the American West filled with beautiful prose and understated emotional insights. Based on Maclean’s own experiences as a young man, the book’s two novellas and short story are set in the small towns and mountains of western Montana. It is a world populated with drunks, loggers, card sharks, and whores, but also one rich in the pleasures of fly-fishing, logging, cribbage, and family. By turns raunchy and elegiac, these superb tales express, in Maclean’s own words, “a little of the love I have for the earth as it goes by.” “Maclean’s book—acerbic, laconic, deadpan—rings out of a rich American tradition that includes Mark Twain, Kin Hubbard, Richard Bissell, Jean Shepherd, and Nelson Algren.” —New York Times Book Review Includes a new foreword by Robert Redford, director of the Academy Award–winning film adaptation
Download or read book Habit of Rivers written by Ted Leeson and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2006-11-01 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 1994, this book was a fly-fishing phenomenon in the way Howell Raines’s Fly Fishing Through the Mid-Life Crisis was. Taking his fishing hobby to near metaphysical levels, Ted Leeson tells about his passions: rivers, trout, and fly fishing. With wry humor and rare insight, he explores questions that engage most fishermen: What is it about rivers that draws us so irresistibly, and why does fly fishing seem such an aptly suited response? Above all, The Habit of Rivers is about ways of seeing the wonderfully textured world that emanates from a river.
Download or read book Fly Fishing with Darth Vader written by Matt Labash and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-02-09 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most gifted and entertaining journalists writing today, Matt Labash can extract comic humanity from even the most wary politicians, con artists, and rogues—while shedding wisdom about the rich corners of our American experience. Fly Fishing with Darth Vader pulls together the best of Labash’s feature writing and includes his masterful profiles of the outrageous characters who populate America’s periphery, his loving and lacerating portraits of New Orleans and Detroit, and his hilarious tirades on the health hazards of Facebook and the virtues of dodgeball. Among other must-read essays, Labash chronicles Al Sharpton’s eating habits, fishes the Snake River with Dick Cheney, and investigates the “great white waste of time” that is our neighbor to the north. Labash was born with a natural appreciation for the American scoundrel and a sense that life is one big chance for laughter. For those reasons, Fly Fishing with Darth Vader will be cherished and talked about for years.
Download or read book Father s Day Creek written by Dan Rodricks and published by . This book was released on 2019-05-12 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where would you want to be if you knew the world would end tomorrow? How would you want to remember life on Earth? For the sake of sanity and soul, everyone should have a place in the outdoors they consider their personal sanctuary, a "spirit-home" that restores faith in the natural world even as climate change threatens it. Award-winning journalist and long-time angler Dan Rodricks describes the little piece of paradise he found through fly fishing -- Father's Day Creek, his name for a river in Pennsylvania that he considers The Last Best Place on Earth. The book challenges readers to identify their own Last Best Place and spend time there. The story unfolds over three hours on a single Father's Day morning. While prospecting for trout, the author reflects, hour by hour, on his experiences with a fly rod and more than 50 years of fishing with his father, friends and children. The book offers advice on fly fishing and parenthood, and explores the wonders of finding one's "spirit-home" midst the noise of modern life. The foreword, by fly fishing legend Lefty Kreh, was composed just a month before his death in 2018.
Download or read book Reflections of a Fly Rod written by Mark Usyk and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-01-01 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fish stories are like opinions. Everybody's got one. The difference is, people actually enjoy a good fish story. In his first book, Mark Usyk sets out to prove that he not only has a couple, but that he knows how to tell them as well. But are they really all fish stories? Or is he trying to unlock the mysteries of the universe as only an angler can? From his time as a cell tower climber with a bunch of fly rods packed alongside his climbing gear, to his days spent at a grungy and thankless production factory job indoors and all but cut off from the great outdoors, to memories of simpler days and the ones that got away, here are 61 short stories told by a self-proclaimed marginal fly fisherman. Whether they're about fishing or something more is up to you to decide.
Download or read book The Spirituality of Fly Fishing written by Jody Martin and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-03-21 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nearly everyone who has picked up a fly rod has experienced the "otherness" of fly fishing, its inherent beauty, its sense of calm and purpose, its power to heal. Fly fishing is, for many men and women, a deeply meaningful and spiritual activity. In this sensitive and beautiful volume, Jody Martin addresses that spirituality directly, introducing fly fishing to beginners and offering it as a form of ministry to anyone who might wish to teach the sport as part of a spiritual or therapeutic program. The Spirituality of Fly Fishing is simultaneously a concise primer, demystifying and clearly explaining what is basically a simple sport, and a paean to the higher powers that drive us all. Replete with quotes and writings from a wide variety of authors and faith traditions, this slim book has been endorsed by Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Casting for Recovery, Reel Recovery, and Joey's Foundation, all of which use fly fishing as part of a healing or mentoring program. Proceeds from the book support both Project Healing Waters and Casting for Recovery. Tastefully illustrated with stunning photographs and paintings by some of today's foremost artists, including John Juracek, Ken Takata, Matt Shaw, James Nelson, Tony Czech, Louis Cahill, and Joseph Tomelleri, the book is far more than just another entry into the world of "how to do it" fly fishing books. The Spirituality of Fly Fishing serves as an introduction, an offering, and a benchmark for anyone who might wish to dive deeper into the streams of spirituality that nourish our souls. No fly fisher should be without this book in his or her library. (from Morgan Creek Publications)
Download or read book Home Waters written by John N. Maclean and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2021-06-01 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Beautiful. ... A lyrical companion to his father’s classic, A River Runs through It, chronicling their family’s history and bond with Montana’s Blackfoot River.” —Washington Post A "poetic" and "captivating" (Publishers Weekly) memoir about the power of place to shape generations, Home Waters is John N. Maclean's remarkable chronicle of his family's century-long love affair with Montana's majestic Blackfoot River, the setting for his father's classic novella, A River Runs through It. Maclean returns annually to the simple family cabin that his grandfather built by hand, still in search of the trout of a lifetime. When he hooks it at last, decades of longing promise to be fulfilled, inspiring John, reporter and author, to finally write the story he was born to tell. A book that will resonate with everyone who feels deeply rooted to a landscape, Home Waters is a portrait of a family who claimed a river, from one generation to the next, of how this family came of age in the 20th century and later as they scattered across the country, faced tragedy and success, yet were always drawn back to the waters that bound them together. Here are the true stories behind the beloved characters fictionalized in A River Runs through It, including the Reverend Maclean, the patriarch who introduced the family to fishing; Norman, who balanced a life divided between literature and the tug of the rugged West; and tragic yet luminous Paul (played by Brad Pitt in Robert Redford’s film adaptation), whose mysterious death has haunted the family and led John to investigate his uncle’s murder and reveal new details in these pages. A universal story about nature, family, and the art of fly fishing, Maclean’s memoir beautifully captures the inextricable ways our personal histories are linked to the places we come from—our home waters. Featuring twelve wood engravings by Wesley W. Bates and a map of the Blackfoot River region.
Download or read book The Feather Thief written by Kirk Wallace Johnson and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-04-24 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As heard on NPR's This American Life “Absorbing . . . Though it's non-fiction, The Feather Thief contains many of the elements of a classic thriller.” —Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air “One of the most peculiar and memorable true-crime books ever.” —Christian Science Monitor A rollicking true-crime adventure and a captivating journey into an underground world of fanatical fly-tiers and plume peddlers, for readers of The Stranger in the Woods, The Lost City of Z, and The Orchid Thief. On a cool June evening in 2009, after performing a concert at London's Royal Academy of Music, twenty-year-old American flautist Edwin Rist boarded a train for a suburban outpost of the British Museum of Natural History. Home to one of the largest ornithological collections in the world, the Tring museum was full of rare bird specimens whose gorgeous feathers were worth staggering amounts of money to the men who shared Edwin's obsession: the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying. Once inside the museum, the champion fly-tier grabbed hundreds of bird skins—some collected 150 years earlier by a contemporary of Darwin's, Alfred Russel Wallace, who'd risked everything to gather them—and escaped into the darkness. Two years later, Kirk Wallace Johnson was waist high in a river in northern New Mexico when his fly-fishing guide told him about the heist. He was soon consumed by the strange case of the feather thief. What would possess a person to steal dead birds? Had Edwin paid the price for his crime? What became of the missing skins? In his search for answers, Johnson was catapulted into a years-long, worldwide investigation. The gripping story of a bizarre and shocking crime, and one man's relentless pursuit of justice, The Feather Thief is also a fascinating exploration of obsession, and man's destructive instinct to harvest the beauty of nature.
