“What is the most unbelievable thing that has happened on the river?” After guiding for decades, Ryan Johnston has probably heard that query more than a few times. The result is Reelly.
In asking a question like that, some people are looking to be amazed. Some are probably looking for dirt. Johnston’s book is not a tawdry list of misbehaving, rude, or clueless clients. There are a few individuals who grace the pages of Reelly that might make you wince a bit, but this isn’t an opportunity for a fly fishing guide to vent. While “unbelievable fly fishing guide stories” may elicit the idea of one worst day ever after another, this book does something different. And it does something better.
In a straightforward but engaging manner Reelly lays out dozens of remarkable moments from a guide’s decades at the oars. Most of the situations would be the most talked about scenario of your season. Some may very well be the pinnacle of your angling career. For Johnston, enough things like this have happened that it was probably wise to record it all for memory’s sake.
But because he did, you have an opportunity to hear about these unbelievable moments too.
The pace of the book is quick. Short chapters can be digested on a quick coffee break or right before bed. Even if you are not a voracious reader, this is the kind of book you could pick up and chip away at over a few weeks. The people are relatable, both in their failures and successes. It helps that Johnston is a good communicator. In each of the 20-plus chapters, he sets up a premise and illustrates it with a few entertaining anecdotes.
One big takeaway for anglers reading Reelly is a better grasp of the multifaceted nature of guiding. New anglers, and unfortunately seasoned vets who have been hiring guides for decades, may not appreciate all that a professional does. Guiding is more than rowing a boat to the right spots. As Johnston shares, he ends up teaching, counseling, babysitting, and performing minor surgery out on the water. All of this has to happen with the expectation that a few good fish end up in the net, too.
The unbelievable moments fly fishers experience on a trip are often a product of their hired guide’s labor and accumulated wisdom. Without explicitly saying that in the book, Johnston shares the attention given to his craft and his clients.
Ultimately, this is the real allure of Reelly. The charm is truly Johnston’s passion for fishing and, much more pertinent to the book, helping people enjoy fishing. He has an optimism and enthusiasm that he communicates well. In a simple, readable work his ethos is evident. Even the few stories that border on “guide horror” are presented with a nod toward the silver lining.
No one fishes because it is predictable. And no one hires a guide for mediocre results. Unbelievable is what we’re casting for. And Reelly is a fun way to remind ourselves that it is possible.
Johnston is also the cofounder of Cast Hope, a nonprofit committed to getting kids involved and invested in angling and the outdoors.
Check out Reelly: Unbelievable Fly Fishing Guide Stories on Amazon.