A random errand led to my being face-to-face with a $20 fly rod/reel/line combo. It even came with flies. Around me, people were shopping for car batteries and Barbie dolls. I examined the reel. I assessed the flies. I debated scanning the QR code on the package. It wasn’t for me, but it didn’t look …
My four boys love the outdoors. My four boys also love reading. Needless to say, there was a lot of interest when I opened up All Fish Are Awesome earlier this week. Noel Vick’s book follows the simple formula that makes children’s books readable and re-readable (and if your child chooses, the latter can be …
This week marks 9 years of Casting Across. Since October of 2015, three posts a week have been published on the people, places, and things that go into the pursuit of fish. First and foremost, Casting Across is a creative outlet for me. It has been a way for me to flex muscles in a …
There is a very good chance that the first four or five fishing books you’ll name fall into one of the main literary sub-genres: memoirs, novels, techniques, or guides. And although there are enough quality entries in those categories to keep you going for quite a while, perhaps you’re looking to switch things up. How …
I never met the man either. But from those interviews of him that I’ve read or heard, I’m confident that he’d have a few sardonic quips about some of the superlatives I’m about to assign to him. I’ve never reviewed a John Gierach book because they’re the best. His books are the best in the …
I love reading. I love fly fishing. It goes without saying that I truly enjoy a good fly fishing book. For nearly nine years, I’ve been sharing books with those reading and listening to Casting Across. From guidebooks to technical volumes to famous pieces of literature, there have been recommendations of all shapes and sizes. …
Fly fishing books have been an important part of the sport for hundreds of years, taking different forms and meeting various needs. Even when so much information is available at the tap of a smart phone, tangible media is incredibly valuable. Whether it be a novel assisting in winter escapism or a tattered, dog-eared, highlighted …
Why? Why read, let alone purchase one more compilation of loosely collected fly fishing stories? Why not, if the stories are compelling? If they are well-written? If they resonate with you and with me even if our experiences and lives differ significantly? If the words elicit that special mix of escapism and entertainment? If the …
I have a soft spot for books filled with two- and three-page stories. Perhaps it is because I grew up reading outdoor magazines. It could be that I prefer to write in a short format. Or, it may very well be the case that I have succumbed to the short attention span beguiling so many …
Recently I spent an afternoon perusing used book stores in a local town. Along with the fatigue associated with bending over, craning my neck, and constantly shifting from reading vertically to horizontally, I noticed something else. There were a lot of intriguing fly fishing books. Twaddle aside, I appreciate and truly enjoy all angling literature. …
