The View From Rat Lake, published in 1988, was one of John Gierach‘s first books. Like his others, it’s a collection of fly fishing short stories previously published in magazines like Field & Stream, Rod & Reel, Fly Fishing and Gray’s Sporting Journal.
Stories in the book include tales about popular western trout rivers and their fisheries, fishing prairie ponds, big fish, fly tying, camp fishing and fishing as a youth.
In “The View”, you learn a lot about Gierach. He has one passion in life: fly fishing. And while he takes you along on several of his journeys, you learn a lot about a man living a lifestyle that many fly fishers would envy. He’s incredibly simple, yet complex. He fishes constantly, yet it’s not always about fishing. In a reflective prose, Gierach explains things in a way that made me feel like I was right there on the river with him. He points out observations I’ve often noticed myself, but never found a way to express them so clearly in words.
In short, if you read one John Gierach book, you’ll like them all. And once you’ve read one or two, they can be pretty addicting. I highly recommend picking up a copy of “A View From Rat Lake”, and taking a look at other books by Gierach.
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