Fly Fishing: A Life in Mid-Stream : Recollections and Essays

In Fly Fishing: A Life in Mid-Stream, Turhan Tirana weaves memories and anecdotes to reflect upon his remarkable life as a fly-fisherman. As a boy he caught his first trout in the upper reaches of Virginia's Rapidan River. His love of the sport has taken him from Montana's Yellowstone River to such far-away places as Macedonia and Slovenia.
With wit and humor, the veteran fisherman shares his most memorable catches, in which intuition often overcame lack of experience. He describes the trials and rewards of fishing with a spouse and the pleasure of introducing his children to the sport. With unflagging enthusiasm, he chronicles the history of fly-fishing, including some of its most unforgettable practitioners.
Here are tales of fish hooked and sometimes landed; a look at the fascinating river life of trout and salmon; an examination of the biology of an aquatic insect hatch and an appreciation of the artistry of imitation flies carefully crafted from feathers and fur. Tirana also reports on current movements to reclaim fly-fishing waters including efforts to save the Atlantic Coast striped bass, once near extinction, California's cutting-edge wild trout management, and the ongoing rescue of Montana's Big Blackfoot River.

In these engaging essays, the author sheds light on the mystique of fly-fishing. It is different from just fishing, because it is at the high end of the sport in terms of skills and requires a lot of specialized knowledge. Looking at its origins, Tirana, who started fly-fishing as a boy, finds that fishing with rods and lines goes back to the beginning of history in China and Egypt. Dame Juliana Berners, a prioress, wrote a classic treatise on fly-fishing in the 15th century; Herbert Hoover had his own private stream when President. Among the perils of fly-fishing, Tirana lists bad conditions, wrong flies, bad advice, too much advice and, yes, no fish. He describes the delicate situation of fishing with spouse and introducing the sport to his children. Tirana reminisces about fishing in Yugoslavia, Norway and New Guinea; about best fish, best days. In the final piece, he muses on the future of the sport. This is a treat for anglers. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.