Customer Reviews

The Offbeat Angler

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is long overdue!! I laughed and learned and found myself wanting to get out and fish!! I read it during the late Winter doldrums and now that I'm out on the water I appreciate having read this book. If you're looking for a super-technical treatise on flyfishing stay away. If you're looking to join some super guys on some great angling adventures pick it up today. You leave it better angler and enjoy your own fishing experince even more. You won't be dissapointed!!

This book is a delight for anyone who has ever gone fishing, would like to, or simply enjoys good storytelling. Fish tales have often been prone to exaggeration, but these tales carry the ring of truth. The book can be enjoyed as separate and complete short stories, or savored as a whole. The authors have inspired me to pick up a fishing pole and go catch some fish.

I have fished with Seb O'Kelly, and this book captures his nature and disposition. He is an expert angler, and his and Chris's interest in pursuing fish in places where most flyfishermen fear to tread is very funny. A delightful read. All anglers should have this in their library.

This is a book for all you fishermen out there. For anyone that ever had a favorite fishing hole as a child. And for anyone that would travel through miles of thorns and brush to get to your very own spot that only you knew about. Filled with stories from both childhood and the adult years, this book will make you laugh out loud. Interesting thing is that on occasion you may find yourself laughing, not at the author but, at yourself as you may relate to many of the stories.

So whether you are a fly fisherman, a spin caster, or if you enjoy dunking bait for catfish, there is something for everyone in here.

I really enjoyed reading the "adventures" of these two guys who are longtime friends with a shared interest in fishing. Sort of the fly tie that binds! The stories written by each are heartwarming, funny and, actually, educational. I am not a fisherman but I was never bored. Each writer has their own style, the illustrations are well done and clever. I liked being able to go on to a new escapade for every chapter. Although the stories are about fishing, it's really much more than that. It's about friendship, travel (they've been all over the U.S.) and, apparently, a very rewarding sport. Almost makes me want to buy a rod!

As someone who doesn't fish, I really enjoyed this book. What a great read! These guys fish in places you would never dream of, from the outflow of a nuclear power plant to a highway pullover. No doubt these guys are fanatical about their fishing, and would scale any fence to quench that thirst, but they don't take themselves or their sport too seriously, and that's what helped make this such a fun read.

If you want to read about Piscator, Venator, milkmaids, and the rising of huge trout to those "little sailboats", this is not the book for you. If you are stuck in Yellowstone, New Zealand, or the Catskills and are complaining about the hatches while striving for the nature experience, this book is not for you. However, if you are a city bound angler needing to feed his urges, this is a good read. You will enjoy the stories as you gain insight on how to get out and rise to angling bliss when stuck in the concrete valleys. Arelt and O'Kelly have arranged the road trip for the forty-something urban angler.

I'm not a big reader, but I picked this up on a whim cause I used to like to fish and am now stuck in a big city. I really enjoyed the book.

A fun read by two anglers who enjoy going the do-it-yourself route and who don't mind getting wet, pricked, chased, or skunked. This book doesn't divulge local secrets--good for them, and shame on those who do divulge those secrets--and it isn't a "how to" book, but their attitude rubs off and leads one to ask oneself "What would the Brown Water Boys do?" And that in itself is productive, and can lead to interesting solutions to fishing problems. I recommend it.

This is a funny and interesting read for the fisherman and non-fisherman as well. With the humorous stories that reminded me of my childhood fishing escapades, along with making fun of the snobbiest of fly fisherman, these stories gave me many chuckles, laughs, and head shakes. However, I also enjoyed the wacky concept of Offbeat Angling to new and odd fishing locales, venues and after unusual target species. I had a hard time putting the book down.