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About The Book

Discover the answer to life’s most pressing problems through the joy of fly-fishing from master philosopher John Gierach, “the dean of fly-fishing” (Kirkus Reviews), who is “arguably the best fishing writer working” (The Wall Street Journal).

Once again, John Gierach tells the world why the pastime of fly-fishing makes so much sense—except when it doesn’t. In this “shrewd, perceptive, and wryly funny” (The Wall Street Journal) book, he recalls the joys of landing that trout he’s been watching for the last hour—and then losing an even fatter one a little later. Joy and frustration mix in Gierach’s latest appreciation of the fly-fishing life as he takes us from his home waters on the Front Range of the Rockies in Colorado to the fishing meccas all over North America. From fishing lodges in Alaska to memories of the local creek in the Midwest where he grew up, Gierach celebrates the indispensability of the natural world around us.

About The Author

Photograph by Michael Dvorak/@mikedflyphotography

John Gierach was the author of more than twenty books about fly-fishing. His writing appeared in Field & Stream, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and Fly Rod & Reel. He wrote a column for Trout magazine and the monthly Redstone Review. Gierach passed away in 2024.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (March 21, 2023)
  • Length: 224 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781501168666

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Raves and Reviews

“The dean of fly-fishing turns in another celebration of the free, unfettered life spent working a quiet stream. . . . Just the thing for any fan of fly-tying and artful casting.”

– Kirkus Reviews

"Shrewd, perceptive and wryly funny. . . . Mr. Gierach, the man who coined the term 'trout bum,' is arguably the best fishing writer working."

– Bill Heavey, The Wall Street Journal

“Gierach’s inviting, down-to-earth, and humorous work shares a deep love of fly-fishing and the ways it can be a metaphor for life.”

– Publishers Weekly

“I’ve never met John Gierach in person, but after reading him I believe I’ve camped with him, fished with him, laughed with him. In his writing he knows to stay invisible, to let you slip into the story in his place. . . . You believe it is you doing these things, seeing these things, smelling, hearing and tasting them. And, of course, now and then everything goes right, and you come up tight to that trout, and you turn to see him smiling. You’ve got All the Time in the World, so enjoy every journey, every cast, every laugh.”

– Pete Fromm, author of A Job You Mostly Won't Know How To Do and If Not For This

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High Resolution Images

  • Author Photo (jpg): John Gierach
    Photograph by Michael Dvorak/@mikedflyphotography
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More books from this author: John Gierach

More books in this series: John Gierach's Fly-fishing Library