June. July. August.

Summer means bass chasing poppers, stripers crashing in the surf, and long hikes to still-chilly mountain trout creeks. These three months have a lot going for them. I’m not too fond of the heat, but I’m quite partial to the fishing… and the vacations, the evenings on the deck, and the ever-so-subtle easing of life’s pace.

For the last few years I’ve been pushing myself to read more. I’ve certainly read more quality. (Would you believe that thousands of  pages of early 20th century Dutch theology is what I gush about if asked?) I’ve also made a concerted effort to read quantitatively.

I don’t read to simply add to a list. I don’t listen to audiobooks on 2X speed to warp through a semester of British lit over the course of a week. First, I’ve diversified. Theology, history, classics, mystery, and fly fishing all make the grade. It keeps my brain interested and it fuels my creativity in ways that pounding the same note over and over again never will. Second, I set goals.

And I’ve got an attainable goal for you:

Pick three fly fishing books and read them this summer.

One for June, one for July, and one for August. Even if you pick three 300-page tomes, you’re looking at less than 10 pages a day. That is the equivalent of scrolling on Instagram for 10 minutes or reading 10 unnecessary emails. Or watching the commercials during  half of a baseball game. I could go on. The point is that you can do it.

I’ve written ad nauseum about the wonderful literary heritage that we all owe so much to within fly fishing. Technique, travel, and narrative all have their own special place on the angler’s bookshelf. The best loved works usually incorporate all three. A book can take you places while you’re reading it, spur you to get outside, and propel you to fish better when you’re out there. All that, for 10 pages a day.

You can do it. If you’re a reader, simply add a few fishing books to your stack. If you’re not a reader, fly fishing books usually have enough pictures to give you that shot in the arm so you’ll turn the next page. Read something new. Reread something you’ve read a few times already. Read the (short story!)  Big Two-Hearted River or the marginally longer A River Runs Through It. Do it so you can say you’ve done it and so you can lay hold of that air of fly fishing cultural legitimacy.

A simple summer reading challenge is a great way to build some good book-habits. Stick to it, and it will stick to you in ways that you’ll truly appreciate.

Want a suggestion? Here are a few.

Let me know what you plan on reading below!