Fishing...and that is important in my book

I have to say almost all of the best friends I have made...fished...and many of my most memorable experiences came with fishing. I just hung up the phone with Carlene...and thought about this...friendship and fishing...

Since ancient man caught his first fish, telling the story has been almost as important as the catching. To confirm this theory, just ask any angler about his or her last catch... then pull up a chair.

Given that tendency to embellish, once homo sapiens developed language it was inevitable fishing literature would develop as a genre. And judging by the collection of fishing books, a fine genre it has become.

From Izaak Walton's groundbreaking "Compleat Angler" to contemporary titles by well-read authors like John Gierach, the history of fishing is chronicled in print.

"The Accomplished Lady's Delight," a 17th-century guide for the Englishwoman includes a chapter on fishing along with advice on cooking, distilling and making medicines, and a chapter on fishing. ..."Among all these things a woman should know to do there is a chapter on fishing and a picture of her bringing home the bacon.." yes indeed.

Perhaps the most valued work for Western fly anglers is "Dry Fly Entomology" by Frederic M. Halford. He pioneered dry fly-fishing in the late 19th century in England, and then helped introduce it to America.

"Dry Fly Entomology" has 100 flies included in the book -- real flies tied by Halford, rather than pictures. This is a treasure.

Zane Grey who is best known as a writer of Western thrillers, actually wrote three fishing books... "An American Angler in Australia," "Tales of Freshwater Fishing" and "Tales of Tahitian Waters.

During his fishing adventures Grey set numerous deep sea, all-tackle records and is pictured in Tales of Tahitian Waters with” a strange green fish."

My personal favorite is "Under Cottonwoods" by Laramie author Stephen Grace. Grace's work is described as a "novel of friendship, fly-fishing and redemption."

Fishing...

"A fishing pole is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool on the other" Samuel Johnson

It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming.
John Steinbeck

Fly fishermen are born honest, but they get over it.
Ed Zern

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.
Henry David Thoreau

And wasn't Christ a fisher for men?

Indeed...friendships and fishing...so sit back...and enjoy...the restorative memory of a river...and fly fishing..




This is the stuff of life...