Being, Nothingness, and Fly Fishing: How One Man Gave Up Everything to Fish the Fabled Waters of the West [Hardcover]

Michael Checchio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2001

Destined to become a classic.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The title was taken from another writer's spoof on meditative fly-fishing tomes, a group this amusing book certainly is not among. Checchio (A Clean, Well-Lighted Stream) simply appreciates the straightforward angling pleasures available near streams where game fish thrive and writes unpretentiously about his experiences on a variety of scenic waterways. Along the way, he describes the majestic views, fish he has caught and released, nature in general, environmental concerns, and numerous quirky characters that have crossed his path. It's all done with an enviable sense of humor that might come easily to a guy who gave up a steady job in 1988 so that he could "fish his brains out." Drawn primarily from outdoors magazines, the essays range from tales of fly-fishing for trout on legendary rivers such as Wyoming's Firehole and Idaho's Snake to the author's discovery of steelhead thrills on Oregon's Umpqua and Washington's Kalama. A charming but optional purchase for most public libraries. Will Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Checchio, a former Atlantic City crime reporter, describes how he gave up his job to move to the West and go trout fishing. A self-taught fly fisherman, Checchio tired of New Jersey rivers and felt the lure of the great western trout streams: the North Umpqua, Henry's Fork, Silver Creek, Hat Creek, and the McCloud River. He captures the magnificence of these rivers and streams vividly, although in the process he seriously undervalues trout fishing in the East. The first half of the book wanders somewhat awkwardly between angling how-to book and memoir, but Checchio hits his stride midway, seamlessly mixing accounts of his adventures in the West with both the history of the various rivers and some intriguing sketches of westerners such as William Randolph Hearst and Zane Grey. Writing with the same poetry and perception that characterized his earlier Clean Well-Lighted Stream (1995), Checchio carves a spot on the river for himself beside such premier angling memoirists as Bill Barich, Nick Lyons, and William Plummer. John Rowen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 226 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585743410
• ISBN-13: 978-1585743414
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #910,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good blend of travelogue, US history, and flyfishing guide, January 16, 2002

By 

Philip Carl "EcoAngler" (Half Moon Bay, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Being, Nothingness, and Fly Fishing: How One Man Gave Up Everything to Fish the Fabled Waters of the West (Hardcover)

This book accompanied me over the Christmas holiday, and proved to be an excellent read. The author's passion for flyfishing is evident thoughout the text. Flyfishing, however, is not the only dimension to this book. Michael Checchio also has a keen sense of place, and shares interesting bits of history, people he meets, and natural settings he visited during his flyfishing junket through the Western United States. It reads similar to a travel journal, so it will appeal to readers who want to know more about the western states.

And of course, its biggest appeal will be to those of us with a passion for flyfishing. To that extent, the book can even serve as basic guidebook to fishing places such as Yellowstone, Henry's Fork, and steelhead waters in Northern California and Oregon. Aftering reading the book, you'll understand why the author quit his well-paid job in New Jersy and moved west.