Still Life with Brook Trout - (John Gierach's Fly-Fishing Library) by John Gierach (Paperback)

About the Book

Gierach's latest masterwork of streamside philosophy is a witty account of all that makes fishing unique and addictive.

Book Synopsis

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 ("Really, the only thing a psychiatrist can do that a good guide can't is write prescriptions"), the challenge of salmon fishing ("Salmon prowl. If they're not here now, they could be here in half an hour. Or tomorrow. Or next month"), and the zen of fishing alone ("I also enjoy where my mind goes when I'm fishing alone, which is usually nowhere in particular and by a predictable route"). 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, "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." Similarly, Still Life with Brook Trout proves that Gierach, like fly-fishing itself, becomes deeper and richer with time.

Review Quotes

"As always, Gierach deserves prominent placement among fishing's A-list literary writers."

-- Booklist

"Gierach has earned well-deserved recognition as one of fly-fishing's finest modern scribes."

-- Library Journal

"One of the very best storytellers....Gierach recognizes the unspoken little truths about fishing that somehow in total help reveal the whole crazy thrill of it all."

-- Steve Grant, Hartford Courant

About the Author

John Gierach was the author of more than twenty books about fly-fishing. His writing appeared in Field & Stream, Gray's Sporting Journal, and Fly Rod & Reel. He wrote a column for Trout magazine and the monthly Redstone Review. Gierach passed away in 2024.