Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;"The solution to any problem -- work, love, money, whatever -- is to go fishing, and the worse the problem, the longer the trip should be."andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; In andlt;Iandgt;Standing in a River Waving a Stick,andlt;/Iandgt; John Gierach visits his favorite trout-filled waters, from the Colorado foothills to British Columbia and points between, recounting both memorable fishing spots and memorable fish. With his trademark combination of wit and wisdom, he discusses such topics as the differences between fishing in ponds and fishing in streams; what makes a good fly pattern; the ethics of writing about undiscovered trout waters; and the fly-fisher's progression from Stage One -- "when you fish from dawn to dusk without a break, get quickly drunk on something cheap, [and] spend the night wrapped in a wet blanket" -- to something slightly more civilized. andlt;BRandgt; Gierach takes in his surroundings with the keen and appreciative eye of a naturalist, whether he's observing the hatching patterns of flies, catching subtle clues to the presence of potentially big fish nearby, or taking note of the local denizens in his wry and philosophical way ("Rural people understand that life is basically a dangerous, unmanageable mess, so when things go wrong, their suspicions are confirmed and it's just a blessing no one was killed"). andlt;BRandgt; Rich in fishing lore, humor, and the seasoned know-how that has won Gierach a devoted readership, andlt;Iandgt;Standing in a River Waving a Stickandlt;/Iandgt; is sure to delight readers everywhere -- fly-fishers or not.
Review
Jessica Mazwell andlt;Iandgt;The Register-Guardandlt;/Iandgt; (Eugene, Oregon) [The] prose flows across the page at the same graceful tempo as a well-cast fly line. Cover-to-cover, chapter and verse, it never falters, never stops.
Review
Jessica MazwellThe Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon)[The] prose flows across the page at the same graceful tempo as a well-cast fly line. Cover-to-cover, chapter and verse, it never falters, never stops.
Review
Patti Ross andlt;Iandgt;San Antonio Express-Newsandlt;/Iandgt; This is the next best thing to standing by a beaver pond full of trout on a perfect spring day.
Review
Jeff MacGregor andlt;Iandgt;The New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; As fine a representation of outdoor writing as you're likely to find -- wise, funny, and well wrought.
Synopsis
Brilliant, witty, perceptive essays about fly-fishing, the natural world, and life in general by the acknowledged master of fishing writers.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;With his inimitable combination of wit and wisdom, John Gierach once again celebrates the fly-fishing life in andlt;iandgt;Standing in a River Waving a Stickandlt;/iandgt; and notes its benefits as a sport, philosophical pursuit, even therapy: and#8220;The solution to any problemand#8212;work, love, money, whateverand#8212;is to go fishing, and the worse the problem, the longer the trip should be.and#8221; After all, fly-fishing does teach important life lessons, says Gierachand#8212;about solitude, patience, perspective, humor, and the sublime coffee break.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Recounting both memorable fishing spots and memorable fish, Gierach discusses what makes a good fly pattern, the ethics of writing about undiscovered trout waters, the dread of getting skunked, and the camaraderie of fellow fishermen who can end almost any conversation with and#8220;Well, itand#8217;s sort of like fishing, isnand#8217;t it?and#8221; Reflecting on a lifetime of lessons learned at the end of a fly rod, Gierach concludes, and#8220;The one inscription you donand#8217;t want carved on your tombstone is and#8216;The Poor Son of a Bitch Didnand#8217;t Fish Enough.and#8217;and#8221; Fortunately for Gierach fans, this is not likely to happen.
About the Author
John Gierach is the author of numerous books on fly-fishing, including At the Grave of the Unknown Fisherman, Standing in a River Waving a Stick, Dances with Trout, Another Lousy Day in Paradise, and No Shortage of Good Days. His work has appeared in Field & Stream, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and Fly Rod & Reel, where he is a regular columnist. He also writes a column for the monthly Redstone Review. He lives in Lyons, Colorado.
Table of Contents
andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;1. The Happy Idiotandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;2. A New Pondandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;3. Grizzly Centralandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;4. An Embarrassment of Richesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;5. Fish Campsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;6. Beliefandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;7. Boatmenandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;8. Patternsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;9. Getting Stuckandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;10. Getting Skunkedandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;11. Pondsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;12. Second Natureandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;13. The Fly Boxandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;14. McCookandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;15. Taking It Personallyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;16. The Right Thingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;17. Where to Fishandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;18. Stage Twoandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;19. Big Thompsonandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;20. The Lakeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;21. States of Mindandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;22. Jordan Riverandlt;BRandgt;