Misadventures Of A Fly Fisherman

Now in paperback, Jack Hemingway's autobiography, a warm and candid memoir that looks at the major events and personalities of our lifetime from the unique perspective of being Ernest Hemingway's son. 16 pages of black-and-white photographs.

The inimitable author of the hugely popular Crosscurrents and River Music, whom Kirkus called "one of the finest nature writers in print," comes back with a third hilarious and observant opus on the nature of knavery in the sport of fly fishing.

Have you ever been so passionate about something that it occupies your every waking moment? In his latest collection of essays, celebrated writer and life-long angler James R. Babb reflects on his ardent preoccupation with the sport of fishing—one so strong that it often keeps him awake--and further recounts many of his most memorable adventures from a life spent casting flies across the globe. From the majestic lakes and streams of northern Maine, to the smaller brooks of eastern Tennessee and crossing the Atlantic to the lochs of Scotland and the chalk streams of southern England, Fish Won’t Let Me Sleep transcends international boundaries to demonstrate that the joy of fishing is universal. Fish Won’t Let Me Sleep brims with over two dozen chapters on varying aspects of the sport. In “Roamin' the Gloaming,” Babb hilariously comments on some of the more peculiar idioms of his chosen passion. The aptly titled “Snide and Prejudice,” reflects on the companionship, friendships, and occasional animosities that arise from fishing with others. And in “Simple Gifts,” Babb muses on the eternal bane and gift of all fly fishermen—the weather. Echoing the tone of great writers such as Mark Twain, Annie Dillard, and John Gierach, Babb’s poignant prose and witty observations are true testaments to the unparalleled wit of an American master. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for fishermen. Our books for anglers include titles that focus on fly fishing, bait fishing, fly-casting, spin casting, deep sea fishing, and surf fishing. Our books offer both practical advice on tackle, techniques, knots, and more, as well as lyrical prose on fishing for bass, trout, salmon, crappie, baitfish, catfish, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Kreh, the Johnny Cash of fly-fishing writers ("Baltimore Sun"), takes his readers on an angling journey through the last half-century. He relates tales of fishing expeditions with Fidel Castro as well as solo battles with some of the most elusive fish in the world. 10 color photos.

Witty, shrewd, and always a joy to read, John Gierach, “America’s best fishing writer” (Houston Chronicle) and favorite streamside philosopher, has earned the following of “legions of readers who may not even fish but are drawn to his musings on community, culture, the natural world, and the seasons of life” (Kirkus Reviews). “After five decades, twenty books, and countless columns, [John Gierach] is still a master” (Forbes). Now, in his latest original collection, Gierach shows us why fly-fishing is the perfect antidote to everything that is wrong with the world. “Gierach’s deceptively laconic prose masks an accomplished storyteller…His alert and slightly off-kilter observations place him in the general neighborhood of Mark Twain and James Thurber” (Publishers Weekly). In Dumb Luck and the Kindness of Strangers, Gierach looks back to the long-ago day when he bought his first resident fishing license in Colorado, where the fishing season never ends, and just knew he was in the right place. And he succinctly sums up part of the appeal of his sport when he writes that it is “an acquired taste that reintroduces the chaos of uncertainty back into our well-regulated lives.” Lifelong fisherman though he is, Gierach can write with self-deprecating humor about his own fishing misadventures, confessing that despite all his experience, he is still capable of blowing a strike by a fish “in the usual amateur way.” “Arguably the best fishing writer working” (The Wall Street Journal), Gierach offers witty, trenchant observations not just about fly-fishing itself but also about how one’s love of fly-fishing shapes the world that we choose to make for ourselves.

Beyond his life as an English professor, book publisher, and writer, Lyons has always had a "secret fishing life", explored in this collection of wise, gentle, and witty essays. Illustrations.

Witty and heartfelt, Sixty Seasons looks back over more than half a century of fly fishing and writing about fly fishing. Steve Raymond returns with an informative and delightful collection of memories, stretching over his sixty seasons spent fishing. Raymond takes the opportunity to write passionately about the full cast of his life, as well as how fly-fishing interacts with his life as a journalist, and vice versa. He offers sage advice about books, writers, rods, methods, and guides. He deftly ranges from joyful topics to bittersweet moments to a tongue-in-cheek quiz designed to test your fly-fishing sophistication. Other contemplations include: Essays on fishing for trout, steelhead, bonefish, and carp Surviving a career in journalism Fishing for Atlantic salmon vs. Pacific salmon The impending future of outdoor sports It is with good humor, precision, and thoughtful insight that Raymond reels you in. Sixty Seasons is a must-have for anyone who loves fly-fishing or the natural world.

From childhood on, Ernest Hemingway was a passionate fisherman. He fished the lakes and creeks near the family’s summer home at Walloon Lake, Michigan, and his first stories and pieces of journalism were often about his favorite sport. Here, collected for the first time in one volume, are all of his great writings about the many kinds of fishing he did—from angling for trout in the rivers of northern Michigan to fishing for marlin in the Gulf Stream. In A Moveable Feast, Hemingway speaks of sitting in a café in Paris and writing about what he knew best—and when it came time to stop, he “did not want to leave the river.” The story was the unforgettable classic “Big Two-Hearted River,” and from its first words we do not want to leave the river either. He also wrote articles for The Toronto Star on fishing in Canada and Europe and, later, articles for Esquire about his growing passion for big-game fishing. Two of his last books, The Old Man and the Sea and Islands in the Stream, celebrate his vast knowledge of the ocean and his affection for its great denizens. Hemingway on Fishing is an encompassing, diverse, and fascinating assemblage. From the early Nick Adams stories and the memorable chapters on fishing the Irati River in The Sun Also Rises to such late novels as Islands in the Stream, this collection traces the evolution of a great writer’s passion, the range of his interests, and the sure use he made of fishing, transforming it into the stuff of great literature. Anglers and lovers of great writing alike will welcome this important collection.

The annual Robert Traver Fly-Fishing Award features a distinguished original work of short fiction or nonfiction that embodies an implicit love of fly-fishing, respect for the sport and the natural world in which it takes place, and high literary values. Now, for the first time, the winners of this prestigious award are collected in one volume, which promises to satisfy not only fly-fishing aficionados but general readers who appreciate the outdoors experience.