Favorite books on fly fishing

The Optimist: A Case for the Fly Fishing Life, by David Coggins

This book was recommended to me by a companion on a fishing trip to Patagonia.  I enjoyed reading it so much that I purchased an e-copy and have re-read it several times.  Coggins’ book comprises eight short stories that highlight different fly-fishing experiences; from ‘cutties’ in Montana, to stripers in New York, brookies in Maine and ‘bows in Patagonia, among others.

He complements his stories with great prose that evokes the reasons we as fly anglers are likely to be captivated by the sport.  In his introductory chapter he remarks on author Tom McGuane writing “that it is long stretches of silence that give fishing its purpose”.  He then confirms this with his own assessment that “catching a fish without waiting is a distorted experience”.

Although “fishing requires skill and experience”, by doing everything “exactly the way you want to” it can still result in not catching a fish.  This is because fly fishing “requires an act of faith” and “we only control part of the equation.  The fish has to complete the loop”.

This book is a very easy read, in part because of Coggins’ pleasant and engaging writing style.  The stories take place in some fascinating destinations that are likely on many anglers’ bucket lists, and Coggins does not get to be the hero very often, which makes it more enjoyable.  In fact, his first two stories on Wisconsin ‘smallies’ and Montana ‘cutties’ acknowledge that fishing companions have “a front-row seat to your failures” and that “important things are learned through failure”…otherwise, “they wouldn’t be worth knowing.”

The way he sums up his case for a fly fishing life is a microcosm of my fly fishing philosophy.  He recognizes that fishing results vary, which makes him keenly aware of what is out of his control. “What works one day is comically ineffective the next”, but we “still try to improve still try to learn.”

His recently released follow up, called The Believer, is also a good read, but it did not captivate me in the same way as The Optimist.

The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing, by Mark Kurlansky

If you prefer a book that follows a clear, linear narrative, then this book on fly fishing by Mark Kurlansky will be a difficult read.  Grinding through a novel by Kurlansky is like going down a very deep rabbit hole several times a day.  Or like visiting your grandmother’s attic with its disorderly display of some interesting artefacts buried alongside more useless keepsakes.

But if the reader can persevere, there are some outstanding nuggets of fly-fishing lore contained in this book.  His chapter on Fisherwomen chronicles the first known fishing clubs for women, legendary catches by women anglers and the contributions to the sport of fly-fishing by Mary Orvis Marbury, the daughter of Charles Orvis.  He also covers the fly-tying prowess of Carrie Stevens, who revolutionized streamers by creating the grey ghost, as well as the accomplishments of Joan Salvato Wulff, wife of Lee Wulff.

While Kurlansky’s ruminations are at times distracting or needlessly meandering, he does capture the essence of fly fishing as an “unreasonable virtue” by highlighting the divide between the angler and non-angler.  “The one who does can never explain the urge to the one who doesn’t.”

A Reel Job: Short Stories & Thoughts from the River, by Ryan Johnston

I am not recommending this book for its prose.  Rather, the content was compelling in that it highlights just how challenging it is to be a fishing guide.  The stories that Ryan Johnston has compiled in this short book make it abundantly clear that the life of a fishing guide is anything but idyllic.  Between unreasonable clients, uncooperative weather and fishing conditions, as well as a desire to facilitate a “thankful mindset” in his clients, his life as a guide can seem exceptionally stressful.

He crafts some pretty amazing stories in A Reel Job, including: how a blind fishing guide copes with this exceptional occupational hazard; the pressures of guiding clients on the challenging One Fly Tournament; putting an experienced client on trophy fish early in an excursion, only to have the client start dictating how and where he wants to fish (surprise! No fish hooked); and an astonishing lack of respect and decorum by many fellow fly-fishing guides.

By the way, Johnston’s second book Reelly does not add anything more compelling to the great stories of A Reel Job.

Good reads and tight lines!