<((()>< The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing

[Hellmtflies]

It's not often that one thinks about the "Why" of why we fish. It's been discussed and bantered about by other authors along the way. And, at times, it comes close to the understanding as to why we really engage in this pursuit. But, to date, for me at least, Mark Kurlansky has written perhaps the best thought provoking discussion on this topic. His just released "The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing" has me locked into the best attempt at understanding this great mystery. His examples and verbal display on this topic are more than engaging. They rivet me into this aspect of our game. You may be familiar with Kurlansky from his books "Cod" and "Salt". All top shelf. The book is published this year by Bloomsbury Publishing. Enjoy!
Mark

P.S. I have no financial interest in the publication. It can be purchased via Amazon for $24.95 or, as I did, at Costco for $16.99.

[dale]

I just saw this book in a real bookstore this AM, while just browsing with family on a short vacation. I'll start tonight!

Thanks for the preview.

Dale

[JabaliHunter]

Is the US Edition already out? Amazon U.K. says it is due for publication on 10th June

[Hellmtflies]

Is the US Edition already out? Amazon U.K. says it is due for publication on 10th June

Yes, the US is out.

[JabaliHunter]

Thanks

[flyrodman]

It's not often that one thinks about the "Why" of why we fish. It's been discussed and bantered about by other authors along the way. And, at times, it comes close to the understanding as to why we really engage in this pursuit. But, to date, for me at least, Mark Kurlansky has written perhaps the best thought provoking discussion on this topic. His just released "The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing" has me locked into the best attempt at understanding this great mystery. His examples and verbal display on this topic are more than engaging. They rivet me into this aspect of our game. You may be familiar with Kurlansky from his books "Cod" and "Salt". All top shelf. The book is published this year by Bloomsbury Publishing. Enjoy!
Mark

P.S. I have no financial interest in the publication. It can be purchased via Amazon for $24.95 or, as I did, at Costco for $16.99.

A gift from one of my daughter's clients. Just finished reading the book and highly recommend

[SalmoNewf]

I’m about halfway through and still waiting for something to appeal to me. A couple of Kurlansky’s anecdotes about his own fishing are good but most of the book consists of a superficial regurgitation of fly fishing’s history already written about by much better writers. Much of it in Luke’s broad generalizations that are patently false. He could have used a good editor as he makes many claims and then contradicts them within a few sentences. One convoluted sentence supposedly about Charles Cotton ends up implying that Roderick Haig-Brown lost the “family fortune” through drinking and carousing rather than Cotton.

[creakycane]

Kurlansky's "Basque History of the World" and "Salt" are very, very good reads.

[SalmoNewf]

I haven’t read the Basque and salt books but I did read “Cod”. Like the new book, “Cod” covers a lot of ground that I’m very familiar with with generations of cod fishermen on my father’s side of the family and having worked in marine fisheries as a biologist for some years before switching careers in my late 20’s. Like “The Unreasonable…” the cod book has a few good bits but badly needed a good fact checker and a more importantly, a good editor. Kurlansky is a bit like the guy who corners you at a party with all kinds of stories and opinions he heard somewhere.

[JohnMD1022]

I’m about halfway through and still waiting for something to appeal to me. A couple of Kurlansky’s anecdotes about his own fishing are good but most of the book consists of a superficial regurgitation of fly fishing’s history already written about by much better writers. Much of it in Luke’s broad generalizations that are patently false. He could have used a good editor as he makes many claims and then contradicts them within a few sentences. One convoluted sentence supposedly about Charles Cotton ends up implying that Roderick Haig-Brown lost the “family fortune” through drinking and carousing rather than Cotton.

I’m also about half-way through, and so far, I’m in agreement with you.

Among other things, he rhapsodizes over the Big Wood River. And this within a few miles of one of the world’s great spring complexes.

[JohnMD1022]

I’m about halfway through and still waiting for something to appeal to me. A couple of Kurlansky’s anecdotes about his own fishing are good but most of the book consists of a superficial regurgitation of fly fishing’s history already written about by much better writers. Much of it in Luke’s broad generalizations that are patently false. He could have used a good editor as he makes many claims and then contradicts them within a few sentences. One convoluted sentence supposedly about Charles Cotton ends up implying that Roderick Haig-Brown lost the “family fortune” through drinking and carousing rather than Cotton.

I’m also about half-way through, and so far, I’m in agreement with you.

Among other things, he rhapsodizes over the Big Wood River. And this within a few miles of one of the world’s great spring complexes.

Upon completing this book, I kept it in my truck until we were close to a Little Free Library, and in the box it went.

I did not consider it worth donating to my local fly shop’s sale shelf, which is what I have done with a number of good fishing books that were using shelf space in my library, but worth reading.