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Nick Walker reviews Trout Bum (1988) by
John Gierach
Trout Bum by John Gierach is a compilation of essays that follow the author through his adventures as a fisherman in western Colorado and beyond. Gierach generally focuses his stories on one of two subjects; either he tells stories of his explicit fishing conquests or he profiles the events that precede, coincide with or follow his fishing adventures. One thing is clear though: Gierach is a fisherman at heart, and no matter what he writes about it always in some way closely ties into the sport of fly fishing. In another recent review, I talked about a disease (whether it is a real disease is up for debate) referred to by Robert Traver as trout madness. If anyone out there has a case of trout madness, it is John Gierach. This guy almost literally lives and dies to fish, and his passion for all things aquatics gushes from the pages of his book. Each of Gierach's essays in Trout Bum is unique in some way. In one essay he talks about his collection of split cane poles and why even in this technological age where everyone seems to be racing to get there hands on the next and best rods, he continues to fish with split cane. I found this chapter interesting because not only does Gierach collect split cane rods, but he also fishes with split cane every time he goes fishing! In another essay called “Headwaters,” Gierach tells in detail of one of his fishing trips in which he hikes and fishes all the way up one of his favorite streams. The aspect of this essay that I really enjoyed was that I could truly feel Gierach's enthusiasm for the natural world seep from his writing. Although the essay is based on a fishing trip, Gierach takes time to point out the things in the natural world that make the sport of fishing so enjoyable to many of us. He makes the reader realize that time spent on the water is not always about the fish one might catch, but by the environments that one must seek to find fish, and he paints a pretty picture of his home waters in western Colorado. To be sure, Gierach is a trout enthusiast, but he is not a “trout snob,” as some fly fisherman can be from time to time. Gierach loves all fish, and his chapter of fly fishing for bass makes the reader realize that although he is a top-notch trout fisherman, Gierach is also a top-notch fisherman in general. He is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get dirty if it means some fast and furious fly-fishing action. One thing that I found quite peaceful about Gierach's style is his ability to remain utterly and completely modest. There is no question that he is an accomplished fisherman and fly tier, but not once does he go out of his way to make sure the reader is aware of his acumen. However, he will go out of his way to point out his shortcomings as a fisherman, and he does so often. In my mind, his modesty makes reading about his knowledge and skills so much more enjoyable, because rather than feel like I was reading a text book about entomology or the physics behind a the fly cast, I really felt like I was reading stories about the guy next door, who just so happens to be an avid fly fisherman. If I want to read instructional material I will go buy a “how-to” book, but when I want to be entertained by colorful stories about fly fishing, I will go pick up another book by John Gierach.-- NW Statistics About This Book Click here to go back to Book Reviews. |
