A Good Life Wasted - Or Twenty Years as a Fly Fishing Guide

“A Good Life Wasted – Or Twenty Years as a Fly Fishing Guide” by Dave Ames. Most fly fishers have, at one time or another, daydreamed about giving up the day job, moving to Montana and spending their lives chasing trout. Dave Ames actually did it. In this wonderfully entertaining memoir, Ames recounts two decades spent guiding on some of the most famous trout rivers in the American West. Along the way there are demanding clients, unforgettable fishing days, questionable life choices, shoestring finances, river-town characters and all the chaos that accompanies a life built around trout rather than common sense. Written with warmth, humour and a healthy dose of self-deprecation, the book offers a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of the guiding profession: the triumphs, frustrations, absurdities and occasional moments of brilliance that rarely make it into glossy fishing magazines. Ames has a knack for finding humour in situations that would drive lesser guides to drink, while also sharing the hard-earned wisdom that comes from thousands of days spent on the water. Yet beneath the laughs lies a deeper question: what truly constitutes a successful life? Through stories of friendship, wilderness, freedom and trout streams, Ames reflects on the trade-offs between wealth and happiness, security and adventure, and whether a life spent following rivers might actually be time very well spent. Funny, honest and immensely relatable, this is the sort of book that will resonate with anyone who has ever glanced at their watch during a meeting and wished they were standing in a river instead. New, the ideal git. Softcover, 23cm x 15.5cm, 224 pages.