This βelegiac tribute to the elusive art and ineffable pleasure of fly-fishingβ (Kirkus Reviews) shows us why lifeβs most valuable lessonsβand some of its best experiencesβare found while fly-fishing.
For John Gierach, βthe master of fly-fishingβ (Sacramento Bee), fishing is always the answerβeven when itβs not clear what the question is. In All Fishermen Are Liars, Gierach travels around North America seeking out quintessential fishing experiences, whether itβs at a busy stream or a secluded lake hidden amid snow-capped mountains. He talks about the art of fly-tying and the quest for the perfect steelhead fly (βThe Nuclear Optionβ), about fishing in the Presidential Pools previously fished by the elder George Bush (βI wondered briefly if Iβd done something karmically disastrous and was now fated to spend the rest of my life breathing the exhaust of this elderly Republicanβ), and the importance of traveling with like-minded companions when caught in a soaking rain (βAt this point someone is required to say, βYou know, there are people who wouldnβt think this is funββ). And though Gierach loses some fish along the way, he never loses his passion and sense of humor.
Wry, contemplative, and livelyβthat is to say, pure GierachβAll Fishermen Are Liars is a joy to readβand, as always, the next best thing to fishing itself. βFrom the early daysβ¦to his present cult status, Gierachβs candor and canniness at the waterβs edge have been consistentβ¦His grizzled, laconic persona is engaging and the voice of the common anglerβ (The Wall Street Journal).