Dances With Trout

There are few writers who can make you laugh out loud, nod in agreement and long to be standing beside a trout stream – all within the space of a single chapter. John Gierach was a master of that rare gift. In this much-loved classic, Gierach wanders far beyond his familiar Colorado trout streams, travelling in search of fish, good company and, above all, the stories that inevitably follow anglers wherever they go. From trout in Alaska and salmon in Scotland to unlikely adventures in Texas and beyond, every destination becomes an excuse for another wonderfully observed tale. As always, the fish are only part of the story. Gierach reflects on getting lost, fishing after dark, fly selection, eccentric companions and the countless small absurdities that accompany a life devoted to fly fishing. His observations are both hilarious and disarmingly true, as only Gierach could write. Of ice fishing, for example: "There's something about sitting on a frozen, windswept lake staring down an eight-inch hole that looks like a primitive equivalent of watching television." Warm, witty and quietly philosophical, Dances with Trout reminds us that the richest rewards in fly fishing are often found not in the fish we catch, but in the places we go, the people we meet and the stories we bring home. A modern classic and an essential addition to every fly fisher's library. New. Softcover, 22cm x 14cm, 208 pages.