Hand someone a flyrod, plop them in a cool burbling stream and tell them they are free from the stresses of everyday life. Throw in the possibility of a finny conquest and you have a recipe for foolishness, fun and sometimes outright weirdness. Master fisherman Ian Colin James knows this only too well. In Fumbling with a Flyrod he proves that most fishermen -- and women, the sex with a better feel for the sport -- often walk a fine line between shambles and disaster.How is a greyhound named Gus like a Great Lakes salmon? As James tells it in his history-making experiment, they both react with the same breathtaking, breakaway speed when tethered to the end of a line, and a wise angler should "Go Big!" when purchasing equipment. Each one of the stories in Fumbling with a Flyrod is not only laugh-out-loud funny, but also manages to cleverly impart a gentle lesson on the philosophy and techniques of the sport. There are tips and tricks never before made public, and a handy appendix listing the dressings for all the patterns mentioned in the stories.
Fly fishing's popularity is growing by leaps and bounds: witness the success of the feature film A River Runs Through It, The New York Times bestseller Fly Fishing Through Your Midlife Crisis, and the 1998 Governor General's Award winner Lines on the Water. Outdoor Canada magazine says that one fly fisher can be found in twenty percent of Canadian households. Written, illustrated and promoted by an author who is an acknowledged expert in the field and a familiar media presence, Fumbling with a Flyrod will be a well-loved addition to any fishing enthusiast's library.
