Now that summer is here, many of us are excitedly heading out into the backcountry to engage in that favorite American pastime: fishing! Never mind the vampiric mosquitoes and questing ticks that diligently patrol our state’s beautiful alpine lakes and rushing rivers—if you’re dripping in insect repellant, you’re good to go. The secret al(lure) of fishing sometimes lies less in catching that “big one” than in spending quiet time in nature while contemplating life’s big questions. So, dust off your fishing pole or fly rod and do just that after checking out some of these titles for inspiration.
Casting Into the Light: Tales of a Fishing Life by Janet Messineo
There are many styles of fishing; author Janet Messineo decided early on in life to pursue the art of surf casting on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. In a sport often dominated by men, she worked a series of waitressing jobs in support of fishing in her off time. Undoubtedly, the patience required of waitressing served her well in learning the skills necessary to excel in surf casting. Along the way, she recounts the experience of fishing at night, buffeted by fierce winds and torrential rains, slightly fearful of the nocturnal monster she might hook, shaking off the alternate terror of drugs and alcohol through her love of fishing and life with her poet husband and adopted autistic son with whom she shared her love of the sport.
The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies by Ian Whitelaw
Well, if you’re a fly-fishing newbie like myself, you will be fascinated by this book. For a sport that has existed for over 2000 years, there are seriously an endless array of flies and their many variants. This book showcases those that have stood the test of time, along with some fun historical tidbits. So, rather than stir the ire of that fly shop owner in committing the cardinal sin of randomly touching flies with your grubby, oily fingers, check this book out instead and marvel at the beauty of an expertly tied fly.
Hemingway on Fishing by Ernest Hemingway
Ah, Hemingway. You either love him or loathe him. Maybe your take on him is rooted in being assigned The Old Man and the Sea in high school when a rumination on perseverance and aging couldn’t be further away from your raging teenage hormones. But maybe you absolutely love Hemingway and his economical, understated prose in which case this book is for you, a compendium of his writing that celebrates his life-long love of fishing.
How to Think Like a Fish by Jeremey Wade
This book will delight fans of Jeremy Wade, star of the Discovery Channel’s Fishing Monsters. Unlike his first book that chronicled his pursuit of, well, big and scary river monsters from around the globe, this book strikes a different pose. Focusing on the science, art and serendipity of angling, the book also is a reflection on a life dedicated to fishing and the many epiphanies that occur when you’re spending hours waiting for the Big One. Fishing gives a person all the space and time in the world to contemplate the universe and our place in it—ask anyone who remarks at the end of a day spent fishing, “Where does the time go?” only to add, “Just one more cast…”
52 Rivers: A Woman’s Fly-fishing Adventure by Shelley Walchack
Being a librarian myself, it was a revelation and absolute delight to come across this book. After helping to organize a national library conference that embraced risk and reward, Walchack gave up her job as a librarian with the Colorado State Library to outfit a camper, buy some camera equipment and a computer and hit the road with the goal of traveling 7 Rocky Mountain States and fishing 52 rivers. The content of her blog and photos clearly reflects her passion for angling. Oh, and it’s really well-written, winning a Gold Medal in the Regional Non-Fiction category at the 2015 IPPY Awards (Independent Publisher Book Awards). Shhhh! I see a fish…
A River Runs Through It and Other Stories by Norman Maclean
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without including the book for which this book list is named, right? Many of you likely have seen the movie but as we often say in Libraryland, the book is usually better than the film (although the movie was pretty good, too, having won an Academy Award in 1992). Robert Redford directed the film and also provides a forward in this volume. The book has since established itself as a classic of American Western literature. At turns raunchy and elegiac, it earns every one of its accolades.