A Collection of Fishing Stories from Across the Globe, by a Master Storyteller. To the uninitiated, it might be somewhat surprising to discover that fly fishermen tend to be rather contemplative sorts. During those dark nights and long seasons when fishing is not a promising endeavor, we settle down to the next best thing, reading our vast libraries of ancient fishing lore, interspersed with the odd philosophical tome. And when we do, we usually don’t want to read proverbial stories about “landing the big one,” or lengthy how-to expositions on how to catch the aforementioned big one. Rather, we tend to prefer stories that place our beloved piscatorial pastime within the larger context of life and nature. Stories that, as Hamza describes, “…sparks a light. A light that is both familiar and comforting.” Such is The Zen of Home Water, the latest angling book by Jerry Hamza. Hamza is a John Volker for the new millennium. His book is interspersed with stories about monster brook trout, beautiful North woods streams and lakes, quirky backwoods guides, and legendary fly hatches. Through it all, he shows us one of the most profound truths of life, that “It takes the acquisition of wisdom to understand that a happy life is actually a mosaic of small and insignificant events…we string together moments in life—like pearls becoming a beautiful necklace.” The iridescent pearls that Hamza strings together are many and include the importance of “freestyling”, that uncontrollable escape impulse that implores us to drop whatever we are doing and head to the stream, any stream, with fly rod in hand. Another recurring theme is the need to unplug from the modern, electronic world. He instructs us how to trespass (with bartered permission) and fish those waters that look so inviting yet so out of reach to the (usually) law abiding. His recipe for squirrel stew is not jealously guarded but freely shared. And his stories of catching giant brook trout in the Maine North Woods allow the reader, who usually can’t participate in such acts of angling greatness, to at least know that they are occurring to someone, somewhere. Hamza is a member of that peculiar subset of anglers, the bamboo rod aficionado. While acknowledging the cold, hard fact that bamboo rods are nothing more than conglomerations of “expensive blades of grass,” he also realizes that these handmade treasures passed down to us from previous generations will hopefully outlive us (and our car doors) and that we are merely their caretakers for a time. Although the dreaded “g” word (i.e., graphite) does make a brief appearance, Hamza is definitely one of those anglers who would rather hold an aged, organic creation of the bamboo rod maker’s art than the latest admittedly efficient chemical concoction straight from the laboratory. This puts him squarely in the tradition of John Gierach, although Hamza’s writing is better and his stories more entertaining. Hamza’s own home waters are dual--Maine’s Grand Lake Stream area and the southern shore of the Lake Ontario region. There are echoes of Thoreau’s Maine Woods in his stories of remote lakes and plentiful trout. And while he takes us all around the country when relating his angling exploits (Kerouac’s On the Road is a particular favorite of his), it is evident that the concept of “home water” carries a lot of weight with him. His beloved “Zen Lake”, with its less than perfect history and many small fish, could be the home water of any of us.
More than a collection of fishing stories, A Place on the Water is a passionate and eloquent exploration of subjects with broad appeal: love of land and water, informed and unsentimental appreciation of nature, and outrage at changes that threaten to obliterate places we can no longer afford to take for granted. Jerry Dennis’s sparkling prose and Glenn Wolff’s captivating illustrations transport us to a world we recognize from childhood: a place of limitless range and possibility, shimmering with life, where the very next cast will be the one that hooks something enormous and wonderful. PRAISE: “A Place on the Water is a collection of lyrical, haunting essays, set in northern Michigan. Many are about fishing, but that does not necessarily mean they are to be enjoyed strictly by anglers. Hemingway’s Big Two-Hearted River was about fishing, too, but can be read for pleasure if you have never wet a line…Dennis covers a lot of ground, then; but there is throughout the book a kind of constant tone, as sharp and precise as the scent of cedar. And it stays with the reader long after he has put down the book.” —Geoffrey Norman, author of American Way “Eloquent essays about the author’s adventures exploring his love of land, water and nature in his beloved Michigan…Enjoyable reading with beautiful, evocative illustrations.” —Sports Afield "Jerry Dennis is one of a handful of superb writer who love angling deeply and write memoirs full of warmth, eloquence, and wit. A Place on the Water is a book of many robust—and fragile—miracles." —Nick Lyons, author of Spring Creek
Terrestrials, a broad category of potential fish food ranging from land-dwelling insects to mice, are one of the most important food sources for trout around the world. Whether you tie or buy your flies, this collection of cutting-edge advice from experts around the world will help you catch more fish. • First comprehensive book of contemporary terrestrial patterns--grasshoppers, crickets, ants, beetles, and more • Over 600 patterns and recipes from around the world • Tying steps for 15 essential pattern styles plus fishing techniques, tips, and tricks from experts on rivers and still waters • Stunning photos and detailed illustrations
Bass and panfish flies tend to be relatively easy to tie, and Fly Tyer’s Guide to Essential Trout Flies will take advantage of this near-universal appeal. At 128 pages and with the popular, hidden-spiral binding, the title is both accessible and utilitarian.
Terrestrials, a broad category of potential fish food ranging from land-dwelling insects to mice, are one of the most important food sources for trout around the world. Whether you tie or buy your flies, this collection of cutting-edge advice from experts around the world will help you catch more fish. First comprehensive book of contemporary terrestrial patterns--grasshoppers, crickets, ants, beetles, and more Over 600 patterns and recipes from around the world Tying steps for 15 essential pattern styles plus fishing techniques, tips, and tricks from experts on rivers and stillwaters Stunning photos and detailed illustrations
Midges may be small, but in many streams and lakes around the world they are the most important year-round food source for trout. Rick Takahashi and Jerry Hubka team up to provide readers with the most comprehensive midge pattern and fishing techniques resource to date. Stunning photos and detailed illustrations show the life cycle of the naturals, fishing and rigging techniques for a wide range of waters, and over 1,000 midge patterns. Whether you tie or buy your flies, this collection of cutting-edge advice from experts around the world will help you catch more fish. First comprehensive book of contemporary midge patterns Over 1,000 midge patterns and recipes from around the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada Tying steps for 15 essential pattern styles plus fishing techniques, tips, and tricks from experts on rivers and stillwaters
The Great Lakes sport fisheries (both in the lakes and the streams that flow into them) are extremely popular and key recreational outlets for anglers around the country who want premier fishing for trout, steelhead, salmon, bass, and other species on the fly fishing frontier such as drum and carp. Jerry Darkes, in his successful book, Fly Fishing the Inland Oceans, only scratched the surface of the innovative fly patterns coming out of the Great Lakes region. Now, working with professional photographer Jimmy Chang, Darkes goes beyond that to compile in this book the first ever collection of GL patterns (steelhead, salmon, brown trout, musky) by contemporary tiers of the region. Over 600 patterns and recipes cover the historically important patterns from well-known tiers such as Schweibert and George Griffith and Swisher and Richards as well as flies that are on the cutting edge from tiers such as Kevin Feenstra, Walt Grau, Jon Kluesing, Rick Kustich, Jeff Liskay, Dave Pinczkowski, Ray Schmidt, Greg Senyo, and Matt Supinski.
This modern, all-encompassing manual on the art of streamer fishing teaches new techniques for catching trophy-sized trout on a fly. Streamers are the most effective of all fly patterns for the seduction of large trout, because they imitate the look and behavior of the smaller fish these trophies feed on. Sooner or later, every angler seeking the thrill of landing a trout over 20 inches--a dream fish for most--will need to understand the particular art of streamer fishing. Included in this guide: New information on the feeding behavior of large trout and what it means for the angler Detailed, illustrated casting and fishing techniques for a variety of conditions Advice on netting and releasing trout safely, as well as photographing them Color photographs of new and classic patterns, with complete tying recipes
The Last Cast By: Jerry Quinto Jerry, or Jedge, as his father likes to call him, began his first fly-fishing trip with his father at ten years old. Throughout their lives, Jerry and his father create memories and bond over their fishing excursions. Through the good times and the struggles, cancer and Alzheimer’s, fishing has always been their way to stay connected to nature, and each other. Follow along for their successes and failures, adventures and tragedies, all the way through the last cast.
In this remarkable collection of essays and stories, winner of the Best Book of the Year Award from the Outdoor Writers Association of America, Jerry Dennis demonstrates why he has emerged as one of America's finest writers on nature and the outdoors. In prose that has drawn comparisons with John Voelker, Sigurd Olson, and Aldo Leopold, Dennis celebrates the simple pleasures and complex challenges of family life, the allure of giant trout, the sacredness of secret places, and such wonders as bad weather, quirky fishing companions, and the occasional naked angler. Ranging from northern Michigan to Iceland, Chile, and the fabled rivers of the American West, The River Home is a passionate record of a life lived fully, crafted with clarity, insight, and good humor—by a writer gifted with an instinct for what matters. PRAISE: "This bright and sharply written book is a guide to a life lived consciously, a prerequisite and bonus of the sport done well." —Lisa Faye Kaplan, USA Today “Collections of essays about the outdoors and fishing crowd the shelves, but Dennis’s fresh writing and marvelous insights merit special attention. This fine collection will appeal to fans of Hal Borland, W.D. Wetherell, and Nick Lyons, as well as to those who enjoy the essays of fiction writers William Tapply and Thomas McGuane.” —Booklist “Even if you’ve never pulled on a pair of waders, you should read this funny and wise book about fly fishing – and a lot more.” —Georgia Times-Union “In this book, Dennis elevates the typical ‘outdoor’ essay, usually a mere recollection of adventures while hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing, or pursuing other outdoor activities. He has transcended the typical by blending in elements of ‘nature’ writing: observation, research, speculation about the world in which the sportsman places himself.” —The Oakland Press
Nick has agreed to assist the rangers in Yellowstone Park, someone has introduced Lake Trout into Yellowstone Lake and they are eating the native Cutthroat trout, But something more serious is going on in the park. Written at ability level grades 1-3, interest grade level 5-12 with a Lexile Level of 370 and a Guided Reading Level of L, in three formats, Computer Book, Audio Book and Paperback Book.
Autobiography of sheep farmer Jerry Burdon, Jerry farmed Mt Burke station which lies between Wanaka and Hawea. The item contains information on his family, his family lineage, his farming activities, his love of fishing and more.
Come along with me as I take a drift down a cascading coastal river or float tube a quiet beaver pond in a forested glade on the sides of a dormant volcano. It is hard not to be moved by the richness and beauty as I ply the various waters in search of a variety of aquatic and marine animals. I will delve into some of the nuances of my first and most favorite method of fishing using flies tied by myself and a few others. The many outings have served as a source of inspiration and amazement as I have witnessed everything from massive migrations of salmon to something as beautiful and delicate as the construction of a caddis fly. Let your imagination kick in, relax, and enjoy the words and images as I bring forth a world of enjoyment and learning.
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