Sex, Death, and Fly-Fishing [Paperback]

John Gierach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1990

From the irrepressible author of Trout Bum and The View from Rat Lake comes an engaging, humorous, often profound examination of life's greatest mysteries: sex, death, and fly-fishing.

John Gierach's quest takes us from his quiet home water (an ordinary, run-of-the-mill trout stream where fly-fishing can be a casual affair) to Utah's famous Green River, and to unknown creeks throughout the Western states and Canada. We're introduced to a lively group of fishing buddies, some local "experts" and even an ex-girlfriend, along the way

Contemplative, evocative, and wry, he shares insights on mayflies and men, fishing and sport, life and love, and the meaning (or meaninglessness) of it all.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The provocative title refers to the opening essay, which deals knowledgeably and humorously with the hatching and mating of short-lived mayflies, and how this phenomenon relates to fishing. Gierach offers plenty of sensible advice, observations, and anecdotes in this 18-essay collection that spans such diverse topics as the dangers of being considered an expert, the pleasures of fly-fishing for unprestigious game fish, and strategies for acquiring fly-tying materials. Western trout streams are a favorite setting, and preservation of nat ural habitats is a frequent theme. Outdoors' enthusiasts will enjoy these casual discourses. Recommended for public libraries.
- Will Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Sports Illustrated If Mark Twain were alive and a modern-day fly-fisherman, he still would be hard put to top John Gierach.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st edition (August 15, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067168437X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671684372
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #85 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Hunting & Fishing > Fishing

More About the Author

John Gierach is the author of several previous books, including At the Grave of the Unknown Fisherman, Standing in a River Waving a Stick, and Dances with Trout. His work has appeared in Gray's Sporting Journal, Field & Stream, where he is a contributing writer, and Fly Rod & Reel, where he is a columnist. He also writes columns for the Longmont (CO) Daily Times-Call and the monthly Redstone Review. He lives in Lyons, Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amusing views of flyfishing, worth a few chuckles, January 25, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Sex, Death, and Fly-Fishing (Paperback)

John Gierach is one of the better-known names in the flyfishing literature, and he continues his tradition of lively, entertaining anecdotes in this volume. Although his often-biting tone can get somewhat tiresome, the book nevertheless has some very amusing stories - a couple of them downright hilarious. Although everybody will find aspects of the book worthwhile, anglers (especially flyfisherfolk) will see aspects of themselves reflected here, and laugh heartily

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's About the Bugs, February 11, 2007

By 

Lightman (New York) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sex, Death, and Fly-Fishing (Paperback)

Prurient readers titillated by the title will be disappointed. The only references to sex and death in this book have to do with the behavior of bugs - mayflies that is.

Here's an example. "A mayfly spinner lies on the surface of the stream in what fishermen call the `spent' position. To picture it accurately remember that the insect has just had the first and only orgasm of its life and is now, in the natural course of things, dying from it. His body lies flush with the water, wings spread, legs out flat, tails splayed wistfully. Usually he's limp. If he struggles at all, he does it feebly at best. There's probably a silly look on his face, although it's hard to tell with insects".

So accept it. What this book really is about is fly fishing, and the sex and death are there just to hook you. But can this kind of stuff also reel you in? You'll find yourself wading through material such as the following: "I tied on a #14 Michigan Chocolate spinner, a fly that A.K. had turned me onto years before. This thing has fine split tails of pale dun hackle fibers, spent hen hackle wings of the same color, and a thinly dubbed, dark brown body...".

You would think that this kind of gobbledygook would be accessible and interesting to hard core fisherpeople only, but it's not the case. I've never fly fished, and I was captivated by it.

I think the author puts it well: "I don't know exactly what fly fishing teaches us, but I think it's something we need to know".

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Birds and the Bees?, October 27, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: Sex, Death, and Fly-Fishing (Paperback)

The book is a collection of essays written more about fly-fishing than sex. The writing is crisp and avoids any notion of being "flowery." Gierach is at his best when things go bad - real bad. In the context of fishing that is. The worst fishing conditions bring out his laser-focused wit in Sex, Death, and Fly-Fishing. And nobody or nothing is off-limits. He'll take a swing at "selective" trout and those "tweed-coat" types along with anyone else who happens to be near where he's fishing. A good example which had me laughing was "The Drought Years."

But it's not all laughs. Gierach has the unusual talent of sneaking in very lucid observations. Just when you think he's going to continue on his comedic-roll... Bang, he hits you with a simple truth of the matter. A truth you probably knew, but never saw put in words so simply and clearly.

Gierach can even render the philosophical without sounding philosophical. Again, he finds a way to express a concept like an "ecosystem" in terms I think we can all understand:

"A good ecologist can dovetail into dovetail until the whole thing stretches out of sight. We call it an ecosystem now; earlier Americans called it the Sacred Circle. Either way it can make your little head swim with a vision of a thing of great size and strength that still depends on the underpinning of its smallest members."

Makes sense... So, maybe it is about the birds and bees afterall.