A Fly Fisherman's Blue Ridge

Describes trout streams in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and North Carolina, and discusses environmental concerns for the region

The free-running love of wild trout and trout rivers in these 11 linked articles nearly overflows the cycle-of-the-fisherman's-year structure meant to contain it. Camuto's style is informed by what premier angling essayist Roderick Haig-Brown has described as the "power, grace, and associations" of rivers. From the chill opening piece, "Solstice," on the obsessive joys of fishing in winter, to "Autumn Brown on the Rose," the author carries us down a half-dozen remote wild trout waters of the Shenandoah Valley. The essays draw in the tributaries of the area's rich folklore, complex geology and colonial history--including the evidence of pollution and stress on the watershed--and emerge as a strong voice for real wilderness: "If the mountains can be said to have a consciousness, it is to be found in these trout." Camuto's first book ranks with angling's best by Nick Lyons, Norman McLean and Haig-Brown, and should appeal to a wide naturalist audience.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The author, a writer and photographer who has contributed to Fly Fisherman, Trout , and Sierra magazines, here lovingly describes fly fishing in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where the sport can be pursued while savoring the region's enchanting variety of fauna and flora. In a dynamic but low key series of 11 essays, he weaves a colorful, delicate tapestry of words around his pursuit of the wild trout, placing it in the context of the revolving, kaleidoscopic seasons of nature and giving the reader a new understanding of this magical world. Recommended for any outdoor-lover who appreciates fly fishing and excellent writing.-- Eugene J. Millich, Univ. of Wisconsin Lib., LaCrosse correction: The final sentence in the re view of Steve Grooms's Pheasant Hunter's Harvest (LJ 9/15/90) should have read "Rec ommended for public libraries, particularly those west of the Mississippi River," not east of the Mississippi.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.