The Orvis Story

bluejayee · Post by **bluejayee** » 05/06/08 07:57

Hi Guys, The Orvis Story is a really nice coffee table size book with lots of insider pictures and information. Paul Shullery is an American Fly Fisher contributor so I tend to trust him. Besides it's a well written history of the most important fly tackle company. Check it out, you'll like it. Jay Edwards

Cane Head · Post by **Cane Head** » 05/06/08 09:02

Paul Shullery is the least of all things an American Fly Fisher contributer. Paul did American Fly Fishing - A History which I think should be read by anyone before they're allowed to pick up a cane rod. He also wrote Cowboy Trout - Western Fly Fishing As If It Mattered which is an excellent work on the history of fly fishing out here in the West. Go to Amazon.com and do an author search for Paul Schullery and see the multitude and magnitude of books that he's authored and/or co-authored.

Yes - The Orvis Story, first published in 1980 is a nice little read for Orvis fans. If you're not an Orvis fan then it will seem like a very long adverstisement for Big O.

Cane

tedgolden · Post by **tedgolden** » 05/06/08 09:15

I think it falls under the catagory of "vanity press." With a complete lack of objectivity, one gets what one pays for.

gt05254 · Post by **gt05254** » 05/07/08 11:57

LOL BIGTIME - anyone who thinks that Paul Schullery writes with a "complete lack of objectivity", no matter the subject or publisher does not know the man at all. An honorary doctorate from Montana State. Wallace Stegner Award from Univ. Colorado Center of the American West. Roderick Haig-Brown award from FFF. Wrote and narrated PBS film "the living Edens: Yellowstone". And all the books. Yupper, complete lack of objectivity. no doubt about it. Just another one of those darn historians bending the truth to fit whatever whoever is paying the freight wants to see printed.

It's interesting: people never seem to ride the fence about Orvis. They either love 'em or hate 'em. And I guess you get to be guilty of whatever by associating with them. Consider me guilty.

pcg · Post by **pcg** » 05/07/08 13:16

Schullery has certainly done some fine work. Funny that so many of us are quick to denigrate. If I didn't know better, I'd steer clear of the book. Orvis has played an undeniably important role in America's tackle history. It's an enjoyable read.

BobB · Post by **BobB** » 05/07/08 13:33

Respectfully, I agree with Mr. Golden. No disrespect intended to Mr. Schullery, but I am simply not a fan of his style.
I'm sure his credentials are beyond reproach.

Bob

gt05254 · Post by **gt05254** » 05/07/08 13:46

Both his credentials and his character are beyond reproach. We're all entitled to our opinions, of course. And most of us like to air them out occasionally. Makes for entertaining, and occasionally amusing, reading.

BobB · Post by **BobB** » 05/07/08 13:57

It certainly does.

BluDun55 · Post by **BluDun55** » 05/07/08 14:36

For the record, I am a huge Paul Schullery fan. His contributions to our fly-fishing literature
are profound, including Shupton's Fancy, Royal Coachman, Cowboy Trout, The Rise etc.
He wrote a significant history of our sport: American Fly Fishing. And this does not even scratch
the surface if you consider his books on bears, Yellowstone etc.
He served as Director of the American Museum of Fly Fishing.
The Orvis Story (which I've read in the 1980 original edition and the glitzed up 2006 limited edition re-write) is a VERY small
portion of his work. For my money The Orvis Story is worth a read. How many fishing enterprises are still operating that started in 1856? They must be doing something right and having Paul Schullery involved is one of them.
I agree with Gary completely.

J

quashnet · Post by **quashnet** » 05/07/08 16:03

The unexpected debate about Paul Schullery led to at least one good thing: it caused me to open my copy of American Fly Fishing: A History (1987), in which I found a letter to me from Paul Schullery, dated August 27, 1982 and personally signed by him, thanking me for joining the American Museum of Fly Fishing (actually, this was so long ago that in those days the institution was called the Museum of American Fly Fishing).

Schullery was Executive Director of the Museum from 1977 to 1982, so when he wrote the letter he must have known that he'd be moving on to hopefully greener pastures. Nevertheless, in those pre-laptop days, with much else to do and his mind possibly elsewhere, he saw to it that a warm, well-written letter of thanks got sent to a newbie member. And for over a quarter-century I've remained a Museum member. So I guess that turned out to be a good investment of his time.

No

hits a home run at every at-bat. I could live without Shupton's Fancy and I've never read The Orvis Story. But if he had never written anything other than American Fly Fishing: A History, Schullery would still have made an immensely important literary contribution that bamboo fly fishers are uniquely prepared to appreciate.

gt05254 · Post by **gt05254** » 05/08/08 02:21

Paul is a dear friend, as is Leigh H. Perkins, Sr. of Orvis. My skin can get a little thin when they are referred to in less than delightful terms...so if I came on strong about them (Orvis in LHP's case)...well, one can only hope for a little understanding occasionally.

tedgolden · Post by **tedgolden** » 05/08/08 03:03

I have no axe to grind with either Orvis or Paul Schullery who I consider a fine author. It is a pleasant and informative read. I am just offering my opinion of this book in particular. Puffery, no other way to put a shine on it.

gt05254 · Post by **gt05254** » 05/08/08 03:12

One thing is for sure: In the exceedingly harsh and competitive world of retail sales, if you don't blow your own horn - one way or another - no one else will. So a body can consider the book puffery, informative, or just pretty to look at...and Orvis works on its next 150 years.

Flyman615 · Post by **Flyman615** » 05/08/08 03:24

I guess I have a nasty habit of not looking for authors' ulterior motives, if any. I believe The Orvis Story contains a fair amount of interesting information you can't easily get anywhere else. As a long-time Orvis customer and rod-owner, I appreciate that and choose to take it at face value.
And having worked for "big corporations" for most of my adult life I understand, or at least I think I do, that many of us tend to have a knee-jerk, negative reaction to such organizations and their very existence. Too bad and quite myopic, IMO.

Finally, I have several of Mr. Schullery's books and I've enjoyed them all, but perhaps not equally.

Regards,
Flyman

SnooKen · Post by **SnooKen** » 05/08/08 11:25

It is my belief that Mr. Schullery collaborates with a team of ghost writers, including Haig-Brown and Travers. His writing shines with well phrased and considered history, science and insight as well as a very obvious love of his subject matter. Like all authors each of his work's voices speak differently to every reader. Having not read the Orvis tome I can have no opinion on it but do have great respect for the considered thoughts posted by all here.

Ken

gt05254 · Post by **gt05254** » 05/08/08 12:25

What Ken said. Well said, Ken.

creakycane · Post by **creakycane** » 05/09/08 14:17

Schullery's "American Fly Fishing" and "The Rise" are exceptional books, worthy of every angler's library (now that sounds like an ad!). I fondly recall puchasing his book with Varley "Freshwater Wilderness" on a trip to Yellowstone in the 80's, and spending evenings reading after a productive day's fishing - good book for Yellowstone. While natural history is not my interest, I would suspect he has some excellent contributions in his Yellowstone and wildlife works - most certainly well-written and informative.

gt05254 · Post by **gt05254** » 05/09/08 15:08

And the best photo he ever included in one of his books is on page 111 of "The Rise". Just an incredible example of tightly looped distance casting (sadly, on a river that doesn't really need that.) And, in the same book, he wisely quotes one of the world's ruffed grouse experts on page 146 (sadly, the expert is discussing something of dubious legality). Obviously, Paul Schullery sure knows how to pick 'em. LOL bigtime, Gary T.

Post by **Whitefish Press** » 05/10/08 04:34

One of the things I've always admired about Schullery is his diversity. His history of American Fly Fishing was and is an impressive work of scholarship written in a style that is neither too academic nor too simple--no small feat. It stands as one of the landmark achievements in fly fishing history, and a serious work that no one who appreciates the background to this sport can afford to miss. He writes with an admirable passion and a keen sense of awareness of the environment, and no better example is "The Rise." As for the the central work of this thread, there is a reason it is called "An Orvis Story" and not "A History of Orvis." I don't believe his intent was to pen a definitive history of Orvis, but rather to write an entertaining and informative appreciation of Orvis from the perspective of someone who has a deep awareness of where the firm has come from. Can anyone honestly say, from that perspective, that he didn't fulfill his goal?

We are, of course, all entitled to our opinions on various authors. As for me, I very much enjoy Schullery and appreciate the significant contributions he has made to the field of fishing history.

-- Dr. Todd

gaddis · Post by **gaddis** » 05/15/08 17:32

I've read the original 1980 edition several times and have enjoyed it. It's not for the Orvis bashers but then who would expect it to be.