With the passing of a great author, something much more significant is lost than a new title every few years. First and foremost a man is gone. Beyond that, the fly fishing world has lost a voice. Today I reflect a bit on Gierach’s impact on the fly fishing world. From adding popular phrases to …
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. …
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. …
Did you have an opportunity to read my review of Marina Gibson’s new release, Cast, Catch, Release? If so, hopefully you signed up for a chance to win one of five copies of the book I’m giving away. Moreover, hopefully your name is one of the five listed below. Why? Because that is where I …
I don’t celebrate Earth Day. But I think about the environment quite a bit. And I do so from within a worldview that forces me to reckon with nature, my place in it, and the entire trajectory of the created order. If you have been around Casting Across for any length of time, you are …
“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 …
This installation of “fly fishing accusations” is all about dogmatic opinions. Included are convictions regarding: wading boot soles angling literature the exclusivity claims of Christianity Does that last one sound like it might not fit in with the others? Well, if the feedback I received from a recent article is any indication: it certainly does. …
