Featured Photo: Autumn Glow
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Book Review: "Selectivity: The Theory and Method of Fly Fishing for Fussy Trout, Salmon, & Steelhead"
Matt's qualifications for writing Selectivity are impeccable. He has spent a lot of time with some of the legends of our sport including Vince Marinaro and Carl Richards. Both of these anglers played a large role in guiding Matt's growth not only as an angler, but specifically as a selectivity expert. Matt has fished throughout the world, but still prefers the legendary spring creeks right here in the United States, such as the Paradise Valley creeks in Montana, above anything else.
My first glimpse of the book produced a good first impression. The hardcover book has a beautiful dust jacket with great photography. Opening the book, I was already expecting more of the same and was not disappointed.
Matt Supinski is very engaging as an author because he has the ability to drive home a point through the use of stories. The "theory" of fussy trout can be quite dry, but Matt has found a way to combine the textbook information with tons of practical stream side applications and stories. Early in the book, he introduces the central idea behind this book, which is the fact that there are three phases of selectivity: aggressive/active, selective/reflective, and passive/dormant. Throughout the rest of the book, Matt delves into each phase by breaking it all the way down to each species.
The dialogue with the reader is supported by many fantastic photographs from some of the best anglers and photographers in the sport. The book also has inserts in various chapters highlighting a key point through a particular story or a study of a particular stream. One of my favorites is a section called "The Catoctin Creek Conundrum: When Mountain Freestone Trout Behave like Spring Creek Sophisticates" (p. 56-57). While most people think that trout born and raised in the freestone streams high in the Smoky Mountains are always easy to catch and relatively stupid, I would beg to differ.
I can recall a particularly nice brook trout, one of the largest I've caught in the Smokies in fact, that came up and eyed the fly slowly before refusing. It took several casts, all of which I thought were perfect, before I caught that fish. On another trip, I remember a little 6 inch rainbow that I fished to for 20 minutes before cracking the code and hooking up. Could I have moved on and caught plenty of trout working the fast pocket water? Definitely, but that's not the point. Figuring out that fish is what I wanted to do, and that is what Selectivity is all about.
If you are a beginning angler, this book will be a wealth of knowledge that will cut many years off of the learning curve. If you are a veteran angler, Matt Supinski has finally compiled just about anything you will ever need to know about tough fish all into one spot. I have learned a lot already and as I read and reread this great book, I'm sure I'll continue to absorb more and more information.
One specific item that any angler will benefit from is the All Systems Go Checklist (p. 62). It helps the angler focus on exactly how to go about fooling difficult fish. The four checks (#1 Wings, #2 Shape and Body Size, #3 Color, Translucency, and Hue, and #4 Behavior) is much like a formula for figuring out a tough fish. As a mathematician, I like formulas so this jumped right out at me.
Another tremendous benefit of this book are the full page photographs of flies. Also, at the end of the book, Matt provides full recipes for all of the flies he shares (p. 207-253). The book is worth a read just for the information it contains on fly patterns, much less everything else it contains. I've already been inspired at the bench because of reading this book.
Overall, I can definitely recommend this book to anyone who fishes for trout, salmon, or steelhead. The entertainment factor is an added bonus right now that the weather is so cold. If you can't be out fishing, at least you can be honing your skills by reading this book and preparing for the spring hatches which are soon to follow.
For complete disclosure, I was sent a free copy of this book by the publisher for review purposes.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Question and Answer with Matt Supinski
Today, we finally got together and talked on the phone for probably an hour. He was a genuinely nice guy to talk to who has a seemingly endless supply of great stories about his journey as a fly fisherman. The good news is that many of those stories ended up in his new book as he explains the various elements of cracking the Selectivity code. When he mentioned that brown trout were his favorite fish, I knew I would really appreciate his book a lot. First of all, I want to thank Matt for taking the time to talk with me. I'm hoping to get a podcast or something similar up from the interview at some point, but in the meantime, here is what we talked about.
Sunday, March 03, 2013
"The Way of the River" -- A Book Review
While not a complete autobiography, Mr. Kadish invites the reader into some of the more difficult portions of his life. Diving quickly into the book, I discovered a past of pain and regret as the author visits his mother who is dying of cancer on a nearly daily basis. These last years of his mother's life bring the opportunity to reconnect on a level that was not possible earlier in his life. A difficult childhood had left its own scars and pain behind.
And so, he turns to the river in hopes of finding healing and peace. "Am I hoping to borrow, in some way, strength from the river?" he asks early in the book (p. 11). This line caught my eye, because when times have been difficult in my life and I had to face painful circumstances, I would often find myself drawn inexplicably towards the streams of the Smokies. Okay, I can relate to where this guy is coming from, I thought as I began to dig deeper into the book.
One day, while visiting his mother, the author stumbles upon a jewel of wisdom that he passes on to his readers. She tells him that "You can't let the past write the future," which is something that caused me to pause and evaluate aspects of my own life (p. 10). Was I really where I wanted to be, and was I headed in the right direction?
The problem of pain that Randy Kadish faces in his life and has now shared with the world is one that anyone who lives on planet earth must eventually face. Some face deeper hurts than others, but everyone suffers. As I read the story of one person's journey to recovery, I found myself thinking time and again of "The Problem of Pain," by C.S. Lewis as well as "The Great Controversy," by E.G. White. Both books provide detailed rationale for the pain experienced in our world, and I found myself wondering what it must be like to confront such a painful past in one's own life. Mr. Kadish is asking those big questions early in the book.
In explaining about his first time at a Twelve Step meeting, the author says that the "first thing about the Steps I didn't like was the idea of believing in God. If there was a God, I couldn't understand why He had abandoned me in a violent, dysfunctional home, and why He had abandoned mankind to a succession of bloody wars" (p. 13).
In finding an escape in fly fishing, Randy Kadish was only doing what so many other fly anglers around the world have done. Whether it is simply getting out of the house and away from a nagging wife, or trying to ease the pain and resentment of the loss of someone you love, many people find fly fishing to be an escape.
Over time, Mr. Kadish begins to find enjoyment in more than just the act of fishing and begins to look forward to the interactions he has with other people while out on the stream or fishing off a pier in the Hudson River. Again I found myself relating as I remembered the pleasant memories of fishing the Tennessee River below Chickamauga dam. Eventually, I started to recognize the same anglers each trip. We would chat and compare notes, never mind that I was a fly angler and most of the others were bait or spin fishermen. When out on the water these differences can easily be forgotten when everyone is courteous and truly interested in their fellow man. Mr. Kadish has similar experiences, fishing with people from all walks of life who often have interesting questions about his fishing equipment, but in general accept him as one of their own because he is, after all, a fisherman.
The pain in his life does not prevent him from accepting the small moments of enjoyment that routinely come with any fishing trip. Some stories are humorous, some contemplative and philosophical while others are sad, but all add up to make the book what it is, an enjoyable read that constantly has the reader wondering where the next step in the journey to recovery will lead the author.
One moment in particular resonated with me as an angler. The author just finished landing a 12" rainbow trout and begins to wonder how the fish viewed him. He saw fear in the trout's eyes and wished he could explain that it was a no-kill zone. This leads him to asking questions about himself. "Was I as he saw me: a mountain-size monster? (p. 26). I must admit to wondering these things and not always about fish. Have you ever found yourself stepping on a bug such as an ant? Sometimes at such moments I pause and wonder, what if some monster that was larger than me proportionally to the way I am larger than an ant decided to step on me? What would it be like? Unable to imagine something that large, I eventually give up trying to figure it out. But still, what do all those fish think when my grinning face comes close? I figure they are grinning for me but that may just be my imagination...
Overall I definitely enjoyed reading this book. In fact, my girlfriend can attest that I hardly put it down once I started reading. The only problem is a good one to have: at the end of the book I felt like there should have been more to read. And of course there was. Mr. Kadish is still alive and hopefully still enjoying fishing. Perhaps one day he will travel west and I might have the privilege of fishing with him here in Colorado or running into him on a stream back home in the Smokies. The only problem with meeting author's is that you're never sure if you will end up in their next book, but I guess that wouldn't be a bad thing.
Randy Kadish never did find complete peace, but then, who does. However, he did work hard towards overcoming the pain in his life and at the end of the book, the tone has changed decidedly. "Yes, there are eternal, predictable laws of the infinite universe and a renewing force that is so much greater than myself it will never betray me, and it will always dwarf all my resentments and disappointments. Because this force is so beautiful, is it possible that, as Newton said, only a God could have created it?"(p. 146). In coming to terms with a Power much greater than himself, Mr. Kadish finally accepts that there is something much larger at work in the world and realizes that he himself can become part of something much greater.
I'm hoping that there is another volume in his story for Mr. Kadish to write, moments of peace, happiness and satisfaction that are as deep and powerful as his previous pain was. I'm sure that fishing will continue to play a big and important role in the journey of life for Randy Kadish, and I look forward to hearing more of his story in the future.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
"Fool's Paradise": A Short Book Review
This book was a relaxing down to earth read that was easy to relate to. I have to admit that this is the first of his books that I have read, not because I don't like his writing, but because I just haven't bought many fly fishing books in general. That has been a mistake. For years I've heard people discussing some of Gierach's books and the general consensus always seems to be that the guy can write.
Fly fisherman tend to enjoy thinking at least a little or else they probably would not participate in the sport in the first place. In "Fool's Paradise," Gierach mixes interesting fishing stories with observations on the sport and life in general. He reminisces about the good old days such as when Montana didn't have a posted speed limit. One of favorite mental pictures came after reading the following regarding speed limits in Montana:
"Reasonable and prudent" was the only daytime rule, although I do remember once riding in a pickup that was stopped by a cop who asked, as if he were just passing the time of day, "Don't you guys think a hundred and there is a little excessive when you're towing a drift boat?" We explained that we were going fishing. He asked where and we told him. He wished us luck and told us to "Just take it easy."
There's got to be a good cartoon that could be made from this, and if I was half the talent as an artist that Gierach is as a writer I could probably make something pretty hilarious.
One of the most refreshing elements of the book is the lack of detail on where some of his greatest fishing memories were made. In a day when kiss and tell articles sell major fly fishing magazines, it was a special experience to read a fly fishing author that honored the age old tradition of maintaining silence about a great place to fish when asked to keep quiet by the guy showing him the river. His stories remind and inspire that yes, there really are still places were big dumb trout are the norm...places that are still pristine and bull trout can still be caught without having a federal ranger appearing out of the brush to haul you off to the penitentiary for targeting an endangered species. He also shows that he is just as crazy as a fly fisher can be, telling about fishing when it is excessively cold outside on one of those days where you start to wonder what exactly it is you are trying to accomplish or prove. Stories like this can be understood by just about any diehard and at least admired by the more lazy fisherman who only come out when it is warm.
My only complaint about this book stems from two deja vu moments I had when I realized I was reading the exact same paragraph that had appeared earlier in the book. Of course, it fit well in both places but would have better fit in just one and nevermind which...
One of my favorite chapters was called The New Guy. It brought together all the elements of fishing with a new potential fishing buddy including the telling of all your best fishing stories that everyone else in the group has already heard plenty of times. Best of all, the new guy in question was Jim Babb who is of East Tennessee origin. Making it even more personal was the fact that his brother Walter Babb is the guy that taught me how to fish nymphs in our Appalachian mountain streams.
Overall this was an excellent book which I would highly recommend. I'll be reading it again at a more leisurely pace and probably looking to buy more of Gierach's books in the near future...
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Book Review: "So Many Fish, So Little Time"
I was determined to write a book of fishing dreams. A book of dreams, a wish list of all the best places in the world to fish. This is a sit-on-the-pot kind of book, the type of book that sometimes inspires you to get off your duff and make plans, the type of book that is fun to pick up, knowing full well you can't afford to visit New Zealand until little Bobby finishes college in ten years, but you still read it and wish.
A sit-on-the-pot kind of book is a good way to describe this book. You can spend just a few moments with it and start yet another fishing daydream rolling. As I read, I often encountered sections that provided an opportunity for remembrance. Remembering all the great fishing places I've been fortunate enough to go to throughout the years. Places in Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, to mention a few and of course my own home state of Tennessee.
It was in the section on Tennessee that I realized better some of the difficulties of writing such a book. The author describes a river I frequent in the cooler seasons, the Hiwassee. The difficulty I specifically am referring to is apparent when the author says that it is "one of the top twenty trout streams in the country." Obviously the author hasn't fished the Hiwassee for several years. Back in its heyday the statement would have been accurate, but not now. Don't get me wrong...it still fishes very well but nothing like the good old days. The author also says "humongous trout and plenty of them." Once again, there are still large trout but nothing like years ago. This is the big difficulty of writing a book like this. You can't possibly fish 1001 places in the last couple of years and great fisheries fluctuate. Places that were great 5 or 10 years ago may only be average fisheries now.
Of course, this isn't the authors fault fully, he is writing based largely on his experience. When you check out this book, keep this in mind. Enjoy the book, especially enjoy the stories, and dream. If you do this, especially if you dream, the author will have accomplished his goal. He wrote this book to inspire fishing trips and dreams of fishing trips.
As I said, the stories are great. The author is definitely a gifted story teller even though many stories have to be kept very concise for space concerns. From a new fishing buddy that pulls out a gun to randomly shoot towards the pronghorn antelope to an epic day on the Yellowstone, the stories will keep you reading looking for more. One of my favorite stories I could relate to very well. The author hooked a large fish on the Taylor only to lose it. My first day on this stream full of hogs was slow until I hooked a large rainbow in the 7-8 pound range. I started hollering for my buddies to bring a camera and drew a crowd of spectators with the commotion. After several tense moments I gently eased the trout towards my net only to have to tiny zebra midge pop out as the large 'bow slipped back to its midstream lair. Yeah, I understand the frustration that the Taylor generates at first. However, once you understand it the fishing can be a blast.
That is the way this book is. You read a little and immediately start reminiscing or daydreaming. I honestly couldn't put it down for awhile after I received this book and will continue to read and re-read any time I want to dream about great fishing places.
Oh yeah, he also mentioned my favorite (for now) stream ever. And no, I'm not going to tell you what stream that is, not even the state it is in so don't ask. If you pick up this book and start trying all the trout (okay, so that IS a hint) streams, maybe you'll discover it for yourself. If you do, please keep it under your hat. I want to find it as free of crowds as I left it...