Fish stories are like opinions. Everybody's got one. The difference is, people actually enjoy a good fish story. In his first book, Mark Usyk sets out to prove that he not only has a couple, but that he knows how to tell them as well. But are they really all fish stories? Or is he trying to unlock the mysteries of the universe as only an angler can? From his time as a cell tower climber with a bunch of fly rods packed alongside his climbing gear, to his days spent at a grungy and thankless production factory job indoors and all but cut off from the great outdoors, to memories of simpler days and the ones that got away, here are 61 short stories told by a self-proclaimed marginal fly fisherman. Whether they're about fishing or something more is up to you to decide.

Originally published in 1994, this book was a fly-fishing phenomenon in the way Howell Raines’s Fly Fishing Through the Mid-Life Crisis was. Taking his fishing hobby to near metaphysical levels, Ted Leeson tells about his passions: rivers, trout, and fly fishing. With wry humor and rare insight, he explores questions that engage most fishermen: What is it about rivers that draws us so irresistibly, and why does fly fishing seem such an aptly suited response? Above all, The Habit of Rivers is about ways of seeing the wonderfully textured world that emanates from a river.

Take a break from whatever you are doing and enjoy some time on the water. Reflections on Fly Fishing: Streamside Notes From Colorado Waters contains 10 years of Colorado fly fishing adventures condensed into 40 pages of photographs accompanied by short essays. What do you see and feel as you step into the river? Cold flowing water, beautiful Colorado landscapes, insects in all stages of their brief lifespans and (if you are Lucky) surprisingly large trout. This isn't the book you take to the river with you. It is the book you keep at home and read when you can't get there. Perfect for winter evenings, rainy days or any Tuesday. Join me at the river as you browse through the images and read the text. Step into your waders and follow me…

After he was handed an old broken-down bamboo fly rod, Frank Soos waited several years before he cautiously undertook its restoration. That painstaking enterprise becomes the central metaphor and the unifying theme for the captivating personal essays presented here. With sly wit and disarming candor, Soos recounts fly-fishing adventures that become points of departure for wide-ranging ruminations on the larger questions that haunt him. Coming to terms with his new rod in “On Wanting Everything,” Soos casts a skeptical eye on the engines of consumerism and muses on the paradox of how a fishing rod that becomes too valuable ceases to be useful. “The Age of Imperfection” begins as a rueful account of his botched repair work but soon changes into an insightful reflection on the seductiveness of perfection and finishes as an homage to the creative power that comes from mistakes. In “Useful Tools” Soos takes a decidedly pessimistic look at the age-old quest to combine the good with the beautiful and concludes with an eloquent appreciation of a good tool put to an unintended use. “On His Slowness” offers fresh new perceptions about the human costs of the ever-accelerating pace of contemporary life and the increasingly hard work of resisting it. More than a meditation on suicide, “Obituary with Bamboo Fly Rod” engages the issue of individual human responsibility and the ultimate question of “How to be” with equal parts humility and wonder. This elegant volume is handsomely illustrated with the full-color paintings of Alaskan artist Kesler Woodward. Rich in wisdom and physical appeal, Bamboo Fly Rod Suite is a distinctive and rewarding book with wide-ranging appeal.

Mixing memoir, history, adventure, folklore and descriptions of the deep, this is a meditation on the excitement and pleasures of fishing. Robert Hughes traces his love of fishing back to his boyhood on Sydney Harbour, and recounts the high and low points of his career with rod and reel.

Author's Note When Franklin Delano Roosevelt died quietly on April 12, 1945, the lives of millions were forfeited. Had he lived, it is a certainty that Dean Acheson would never have risen from deserved obscurity to become Secretary of State. Ineptitude and error caused the death and dislocation of millions. Korea and Vietnam were needless tragedies. That is part of what this work is about. Arrogant, self-righteous men cause war and corporals pay for it. That is part of what this work is about. This is the story of boys forced to grow up too soon and become battlefield legends. Live heroes are often made by the sacrifice of dead ones. That is part of what this work is about. This is the story of our black budget, the hidden government, the shadowy figures who lurk in the anterooms of power, and are unanswerable to anyone. That is part of what this work is about. -Dean Will Ross 667 pages

The perfect fly fishing book for today's novice, enthusiastic amateur, as well as the devoted angler is part narration of the author's own angling obsessions and adventures, part practical how-to, and part meditation on a connection to the natural world.

Recompense: Streams, Summits and Reflections is a compilation of essays, some of which have been previously published. Divided into personal, experiential pieces, regional, historical selections and fishing tales, this book is a collection of expositions that exemplify the humbling effect nature and culture can have on the human soul. A story of the loss of one of the worlds great alpinists is contrasted by a recollection of a high-profile rescue high on Maines Mount Katahdin and a two-year old boys first rock climb. Cultural lessons learned during expeditions to Bolivia and Patagonia parallel interpretations of climbing and skiings development in New England and the societal uniqueness of rural Washington States trout fishing community. Recounts of intimidation in the intensive care unit and memories of fishing the open waters of Montana highlight the impact of the natural world on interpersonal relationships and their effect on the mind of a doctor in training. Recompense: Streams, Summits and Reflections is a balanced selection of essays that will delight readers.

Discover the spiritual potential hidden in every cast of the fly rod. "For us, fly-fishing is about more than catching fish. We have been skunked on the stream too many times to count, and stood shivering in our waders in 45-degree water long after sundown. Yet, every chance we get, we head back to the river in search of trout and something more." --from Rabbi Eric's Introduction "Early in my fly-fishing career I remember telling a friend that there is so much to learn! Some forty years later, that is still true. Every trip I learn something new about rivers, fish and the natural world. Most importantly, I learn something new about myself. Every encounter with the waters of our planet draws me deeper into who I am and who I want to become." --from Reverend Mike's Introduction In this unique exploration of fly-fishing as a spiritual practice, an Episcopal priest and a rabbi share what fly-fishing has to teach us about reflection, awe and the wonder of the natural world, the benefits of solitude, the blessing of community and the search for the Divine. Tapping the wisdom in the Christian and Jewish traditions and their own geographically diverse experiences on the water, they show how time spent on the stream can help you navigate the currents and eddies of your own inner journey.