Still Life with Brook Trout

In these brilliant, witty, perceptive essays about fly-fishing, the natural world, and life in general, John Gierach, the acknowledged master of fishing writers demonstrates that fishing, when done right, is as much a philosophical pursuit as a sport.Gierach travels to Wyoming and Maine and points in between, searching out new fly-fishing adventures and savoring familiar waters with old friends. Along the way he meditates on the importance of good guides ("e;Really, the only thing a psychiatrist can do that a good guide can't is write prescriptions"e;), the challenge of salmon fishing ("e;Salmon prowl. If they're not here now, they could be here in half an hour. Or tomorrow. Or next month"e;), and the zen of fishing alone ("e;I also enjoy where my mind goes when I'm fishing alone, which is usually nowhere in particular and by a predictable route"e;). On a more serious note, he ponders the damaging effects of disasters both natural and man-made: drought, wildfires, and the politics of dam-building, among others. Reflecting on a trip to a small creek near his home, Gierach writes, "e;In my brightest moments, I think slowing down...has opened huge new vistas on my old home water. It's like a friendship that not only lasts, but gets better against the odds."e; Similarly, Still Life with Brook Trout proves that Gierach, like fly-fishing itself, becomes deeper and richer with time.