Road and Reel

Two Great Fly Fisherman & Writers

If you’ve ever ran into that fishing couple or watched any of my YouTube videos with my buddies, this is what it’s like. They both know their stuff, but one is a story teller and the other is straight to the fact. They are great compliments to each other and do an excellent job of communicating their tips and techniques. It’s a very quick read (or listen) and I recommend this book for every fly angler. It’s filled with valuable tips and tricks that are worth the time.

This One Hits Close To Home

I mean it. This book hits very close to home. Time is valuable and it’s the one thing we will never get back. This book is written by William Finnegan who is better known for writing a book on surfing that I’ve never read. This one popped up in a recommendation and I had a 5 hour drive to a fishing hole so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s a great story about a father that has his own passions and hobbies in life and no matter what he tries, his daughter doesn’t care for them. One day, his daughter falls in love with an indoor rock wall and this seemingly shy and introverted girl enters the rock climbing world like a storm. Her father wants to spend time with her so he starts climbing as well, but she soon exceeds his capabilities and he has to struggle to keep up. It reminds me of my oldest daughter. I don’t know if she’ll follow in my footsteps, but I know one day I’ll follow in hers if she lets me and it’ll be tough to keep up!

A Beautifully Angry Book About Us

I believe every Edward Abbey book is worth reading and some more than once. This is one that I have read countless times. It reminds me of the book, Walden by Henry David Thoreau. Walden is another good read about the solitude found on a lake and the over consumption of nature, but Desert Solitaire is filled with the fire of Edward Abbey and his desire for nature to be left alone. This book was written in the few years he spent working in Arches National Park in the 60’s. It was published in 1968 and is somehow still just as relevant. I find myself in similar quiet places by myself and it feels like a secret that I have to share. I want everyone to see what I’m seeing, but I want them to put in the same work as I did to get there. Edward Abbey didn’t care if anyone ever saw it and as I get older and see what people do to wild places, I am beginning to understand exactly where he was coming from. If it’s a little too forward or confronting, give Walden a try.

Post Apocalypse At Its Finest

I know this one stands out (get it?), but sometimes I want to get lost in a made up world with people I don’t know and there is nothing like a good book about the end of the world, especially when it has to do with a deadly virus that escaped from an underground military lab. It’s even better because it’s about several groups possibly taking the last road trip of their lives. Remember, this is a Stephen King book and that man can write! I’ve read and listened to this book and it makes those long trips feel like a trip to tackle shop.

A Great Read For Anyone Outside

Steven Rinella is a excellent storyteller and you can tell the passion he has for nature in the way that he writes. This is a great book about why he hunts, fishes, thrives outdoors. It is written in a way that shows that he truly admires everything nature has to offer and isn’t out to kill everything he can because he can. He is a conservationist and a realist. Every hunt, every fishing trip, every walk in the woods is a teachable moment and he wants to share that with us. This is a great book filled with stories, close calls, campfires and good food and it’s another favorite of mine.

Life & Fishing Have A Lot In Common

John Gierach has written a few different books and I used to read his articles in Field and Stream. This book is a collection of essays written from the perspective of a fly fisherman. I read this book when I first started fly fishing and I didn’t get a lot of what he was talking about. If I didn’t catch fish, I was upset and it ruined my day. John has taught me that it’s not about that. Fishing is what you make of it and it’s a lot like life. Some days, everything goes right and others are spent tangled in a tree. This book is so refreshing to read now that I’m older and I’m sure anyone that enjoys fly fishing will enjoy it too.