A Wedding Gift: And Other Angling Stories [Hardcover]

John Taintor Foote (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1992

Three delightful stories star the late John Foote's notorious fly-fishing addict George Baldwin Potter, who is unable to believe others are not as interested in dry-fly fishing as he. Includes special introductions to each story, plus a next-generation story by John Foote's son Timothy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Timothy Foote, an editor at Smithsonian magazine, has packaged three of his late father's fly-fishing tales from the '20s and '30s, all featuring the diehard fisherman George Baldwin Potter and his wife, Isabelle, 20 years George's junior. Isabelle's interests do not include fishing, and George's angling passion fuels some marital spats, here recorded by an urbane first-person narrator. In the title piece, for example, 40-year-old George takes Isabelle on a honeymoon cum fishing trip, and the results are cozily catastrophic. Foote pere, a playwright and screenwriter, has undeniable charm, but he is bound by the conventions of his time--and made to seem quainter still by Foote fils's fond prefaces. The latter adds his own story, about the son of the Potters, recounted by a fellow who is the son of the previous narrator. Devoted anglers may relish the copious fishing details and those who think filial piety a literary virtue will embrace this slender book; most others will want fresher bait.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover

Here are John Taintor Foote's three classic - and irresistible - stories about that notorious fly-fishing addict, George Baldwin Potter: "A Wedding Gift," "Fatal Gesture," and "Daughter of Delilah."In the title story, Potter, at forty, marries a charming young woman. Always unable to believe that others are not as interested in dry-fly fishing as he is, for their honeymoon he takes her (and his prized Spinoza fly rod) to the backwoods of Maine. What follows, in this and the other stories, is marital and fishing mayhem - and perhaps disaster.Timothy Foote, John Taintor Foote's son, has added to his collection an unpublished story of his own, "The Lock Ness Monster," about George Baldwin Potter's son - and a life almost blasted by fly fishing.In all, this collection of three classic stories, the special introductions to each (which give some hitherto unknown details about the author's marriage and life, as they relate to the stories), and the next-generation story by Timothy Foote make a unique and perfectly delightful book.The charm of the little volume is enhanced by the decorative drawings by Gordon Allen. (53/4 X 81/2, 132 pages, illustrations)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 132 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (April 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558211632
• ISBN-13: 978-1558211636
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,777,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Preston Sturges-like, July 25, 2001

By 

Orrin C. Judd "brothersjudddotcom" (Hanover, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Wedding Gift: And Other Angling Stories (Hardcover)

John Taintor Foote, one assumes he is somehow related to Shelby & Horton, was a playwright and screenwriter of the 30's (his credits include the great film The Mark of Zorro). In addition, he penned several of the best fishing stories ever written in the continuing misadventures of George Baldwin Potter, collected here with introductions by Foote's son, Timothy.

Potter, a fly fishing pedant, is a bachelor in his forties when the series opens, but he has decided to take a young bride. The first story, the eponymous Wedding Gift, finds him pouring out his soul to our narrator. Seems that George's new bride, Isabelle, was not terribly impressed with the honeymoon that he so carefully planned, a one week trek into the wilds of Maine to fly fish. As George's tale wends it's convoluted way to it's conclusion, it builds towards an awful, but truly hilarious, climax which leaves the newlyweds' marriage in a shambles. In the next story, the marriage has again foundered on the rocks after George, dispatched to an auction to purchase a coveted antique, instead finds himself mesmerized by a fly rod collection. And in the final tale, Isabelle gets her revenge by using a brilliant but devious ploy to trick George into buying her a farm in Connecticut.

The stories are a delightful screwball combination of fishing and battle-of-the-sexes comedy, sort of Isaak Walton rewritten by Preston Sturges. I can't recommend them highly enough.

GRADE: A

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reading by the fireplace., December 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Wedding Gift: And Other Angling Stories (Hardcover)

I received the original printing of this book by my father who purchased it in Europe. My mother found the follow-up book at an auction some twenty years later. This was a dream come true. I am currently looking for the 3rd book (original printing) of Mr. George Potter and his lovely wife and everlasting antique shopper, Isabelle. It helps if you are a fisherman but, you don't necessarily have to be to fall in love with these books. Author, John Foote , puts into words the true feeling of a perfectionist, this one just happens to be a fly fisherman. Every ounce of blood from the character, George Potter, is put forth through his vision of what fly fishing is all about and why everyone should feel the way he does about it. An outstanding series of stories by a writer I know very little about. I plan on purchasing all of Mr. Foote's books once I find them.