A Girl's Pocket Guide to Trouser Trout: Reflections on Dating and Fly-Fishing [Paperback]

Gail Rubin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 13, 2004

Are you angling for trout but hooking only Other Fish in the Sea? Ladies, we're not talking about seafood. If men were fish and women the anglers, trout would be the good guys women want to land, Other Fish in the Sea the fellows who make women's lives miserable. How do you differentiate between the keepers and the losers? A Girl's Pocket Guide to Trouser Trout illuminates the often-murky waters of the dating pool with insights inspired by fly-fishing techniques and advice. A Girl's Pocket Guide to Trouser Trout helps a woman define her own angling style in the hunt for her trophy trout. This witty, sometimes spicy book dishes information on Other Fish in the Sea to avoid, quality streams to fish (good places to meet good men), leader lines to cast (conversation openers), and natural, artificial, and exotic lures to utilize. What to do when the fishing hole runs dry, prospects for angling in the later years, trouser trout tips, and tall tales of trout landed or lost round out the book. A Girl's Pocket Guide to Trouser Trout won first place in the nonfiction book category of the 18th Annual South West Writers Writing Contest.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gail Rubin, a public relations professional, is a trouser trout angling expert. During her 30-year angling career, she dated many swell trouser trout as well as her share of blowfish, crabs and urchins. Ms. Rubin knows, from personal experience, what puts the "ick" in ichthyology. First married in 1983, she resumed trolling following a 1988 divorce. After years of casting for a keeper, she landed her trophy trout and married again in December 2000.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (February 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414012799
• ISBN-13: 978-1414012797
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,696,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gail Rubin is the author of The Family Plot Blog (http://thefamilyplot.wordpress.com), the book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don't Plan to Die, and A Girl's Pocket Guide to Trouser Trout. She is an event planner with experience creating many memorable life cycle events who has attended, planned, and spoken at many funerals and memorial services. As the author of "Matchings, Hatchings and Dispatchings," an Albuquerque Tribune column on life cycle events, she found that the columns on death elicited the greatest reader response, indicating a need for the information, inspiration and tools to facilitate pre-need funeral planning. She is a breast cancer survivor, a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC), her synagogue's cemetery committee, and the Chevra Kaddisha, a volunteer organization that ritually prepares the bodies of Jews for burial.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Tao of Angling, May 25, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: A Girl's Pocket Guide to Trouser Trout: Reflections on Dating and Fly-Fishing (Paperback)

In this delightful book, Gail Rubin guides readers on a thought-provoking journey into the murky, yet intriguing waters of the dating world, from a woman's perspective. I first heard of this book from a friend, but it was the title that really caught my attention. Hmm...trouser trout, dating, fly fishing. Are we classifying men as fish now, and are women just out for a good time with their best catch of the day?

I, then, wanted to discover what made Rubin's book different from others crowidng bookstore shelves. What I found was a witty and reflective discussion, beginning with the Rubin's revelation: "There's a remarkable connection between men and fish, and the tango of angler and trout strongly resembles human relationships." But rather than a pejorative comment, Rubin intends to invoke symbolic connections that lead the reader to ponder her own experiences and interpretations.

I don't mean to imply that "A Girl's Pocket Guide to Trouser Trout" is a dry, esoteric discourse. In fact, humor infuses its pages, keeping the tone light and fresh. I found myself laughing at dating anecdotes, or terminology, such as "Migratory, Vibratory Trout," "Dolly Varden Trout," and ubiquitous "Bottom Feeders."

Though only 145 pages (It's a pocket guide after all), Rubin's book covers a variety of topics related to the connections between trout, fly fishing and dating, from types of fish and anglers (Let's see, am I an "Intellectual Angler" or a "Great Home Spirit Angler?"), to "Trolling for Trout in Newspapers" and "Cyber-surfing and Speed Dating." And for readers who want clarification, she includes a brief glossary at the end of the book.

So read, reflect and smile as you move through this very trout-happy, very human look at the unpredictable activity we call dating (angling). You will definitely discover new levels of meaning for the adage: "There's more than one fish in the sea."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Man's Review of "A Girl's Pocket Guide...", February 16, 2009

By 

Michael B. Hayward - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Girl's Pocket Guide to Trouser Trout: Reflections on Dating and Fly-Fishing (Paperback)

I never metaphor I didn't like. . . and Gail Rubin's book, "A Girl's Pocket Guide to Trouser Trout," is as likable and metaphorical as they come. With that out of the way, allow me to offer a man's perspective on how effective this book might prove as a series of pro-pointers on "Dating and Fly-Fishing."

[...]Ms. Rubin uses a number of stories, scenarios, similes, and more metaphors to deliver to-the-point advice on how women can angle a man. . . whether he's a "keeper" or simply a "catch-and-release." If I were a single or divorced woman - somewhat insecure and afraid of wading into untested or unfamiliar waters - yes, I'd sure as heck spring for the reasonable cost of this book. Anything has to be better than sitting alone at home nights and debating the pros and cons on online dating. If I were a barracuda (and you should know what that is), I'd probably buy the book simply to sharpen my bite. Either way, reading "Trouser Trout" would seem like a win-win.

But let's get to some "she says, he says" specifics about Gail's book. . . specifically her chapter on "Natural, Artificial and Exotic Lures." Sure, some guys (err, trout) are more likely to hit on whatever catches their eye, smells good, and looks tasty, but remember: it's usually all hit and run no matter how long the play. The question of gamesmanship and stamina come to the fore, and as a guy, I would think that if you're not up to the game, you shouldn't go near the water.

My advice? If you're a player, be prepared to be played. However, if your heart's on the line, you can only take "A Girl's Pocket Guide to Trouser Trout" so far. Men (believe it or not) will instinctively know if you're simply angling for a bite. If, however, you sense that something is really clicking, you'll need to be able to quickly separate yourself from the game and stop being a player. Otherwise, that baby's gone.

For some, as Ms. Rubin points out, just playing the game is fun enough. For those determined to keep their eye on the prize, the advice of Harold F. Blaisdell in his book, "The Philosophical Fisherman," should be kept in mind: "All the romance of trout fishing exists in the mind of the angler and is in no way shared by the fish."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Info on Fishing for Men!, March 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: A Girl's Pocket Guide to Trouser Trout: Reflections on Dating and Fly-Fishing (Paperback)

Any woman who wondered if she's got a good catch will love the advice in this book. There are great insights on why women go fishing (why be in a relationship), the different angling styles, lures and approaches women utilize, and how to reel the guys in.

It's great fun to think about men you know as you read the section on Types of Trout, seeing how they may fit into different trout type categories. There's also a hysterical section on Other Fish in the Sea, those guys who make women's lives miserable.

It's a fun book with helpful information. A great pool or beach-side read!