Books for Sportsmen and women

[Pilar]

Hey fellow fishers. It's strange to hear fishers admit to reading but I'll confess it's one of my hobbies. Winterkill was interested in some suggestions for High School english reading material. He sounds hungry so lets feed him. I'll start by suggesting a few that I really dig.

The subject is hunting and fishing and my favorite author is Pop Hemmingway. Yeah I know he's a sexist pig but get over it

"The old man and the sea"

A classic short story, winner of the pulitzer prize and sure to please the English instructor, there's a movie too!
About an old man who fishes for a living in Cuba that has lost his luck and his friend, a young boy. An awful lot of hidden meaning here in such a simple story. My daughters' favorite book.

"Islands in the stream"

A fairly long and complicated novel, Ernest Hemmingways' last. Completed and edited by his son after Pop's suicide. This book is a very hard read and has the best description of a Marlin battle I've ever read. A 1/4 mile of 11 strand linen line with an 8 year old boy on one end and a grander (1000 lb)marlin on the other. The book also describes Pop's involvement in WW2. He chased German U-boats with his fishing boat in the Florida Keys and Cuba.

"A river runs through it"

Don't know the author but they made a killer movie out of it. Fly fishing, religion and two brothers growing up in Montana. Tom Skerritt plays the preacher father/fly fisherman. Who is the Author? Anyone?

I'll think of more when I dig through the library. Help me out guys

The bend is your friend!

Two more from Hemmingway

"Big two hearted river"
An early short story about Nick and his fishing adventures in the north woods near the great lakes.

"Soldiers' home"
A preppy boy leaves for WW1 and returns to his family, a man. His family still thinks of him as their young son.

Both of these are in a book called 'The Finca Vigia edition' It is a collection of short stories by Pop. I can think of many more but I have to dig them out to give you the Author and ISBN#

Garyk mentioned

"The perfect Storm" by Sebastion Junger.

Long line Sword fishing in the North Atlantic! And what the families of seamen go through. Norlant is one of the 5 places all mariners fear. One of the other ones is the Columbia River Bar.

"The red badge of courage"

Robert Louis Stevenson. Not sports, but war. Well some consider hunting humans to be a sport. How would you deal with a loss of courage?


[This message has been edited by Pilar (edited 09-21-2000).]

[garyk]

If a serious NW fisherman could have only book it should be - THE RIVER WHY, by David Duncan. It's the bible for those who've had fish and fishing guide, direct (and perhaps subvert)their life.

Also enjoyable is An Anglers Astoria by David Hughes

Good subject Pilar! I like your picks. As a kid growing up my first 6 years in Missoula, Montana (before moving out to Oregon) I lived some of what went on in the movie; mostly the river stuff, not the non-river scenes. My Dad took me and my older bro to fish area rivers, including the Blackfoot River where the movie story took place. The most recent I fished it was in '94, on a trip over to Glacier National Park. The trout have made somewhat of a comeback in it, but my favorite is the Kootenay R. up in the NW corner with it's huge fly gobbling 'bows. In "A River Runs Thru It", the last scene of the old man flyfishing in a beautiful place all by himself was really touching- big time! Mixed emotions; there he is with no special close person to share that wonderful place fishing, leaving a sad and erie loneliness feeling. Yet he was still doing what he loved in a beautiful place in the twilight of his life; where we wish we could go on forever. - RT

[PeterMac]

Hey!

Norman MaClean wrote A River Runs Through It. Good one.

PeterMac

Oh Ya, it's is almost Saturday!!!!!!!!!!

[This message has been edited by PeterMac (edited 09-21-2000).]

[TheRogue]

Without a doubt, "Big Red" by Jim Kjelgaard. Great story of a boy growing up with an Irish Setter, traplines, and a big bear. I will always remember the book.

T.R.

[Okiedrifter]

salmon without rivers, i just finished reading this book.. i think it is a must read for people in the n.w. , also it might prove for an a plus on a book report for winterkill...i also must recomend, the river why, i have read it twice.....also books by john gierach, he is from colorado and a bit of a purist, but i do love his stories...and of corse pat mcmanus will make ur sides hurt from lol. tight lines to all.

------------------
okiedrifter

[dww]

Great topic! One of the best fishing oriented I have read is by Roderick Haig-Brown, A River Never Sleeps. It will strike a chord in anyone with a love for fishing and the land.

[SailCat]

dww-

If you're a Roderick Haig-Brown fan, I do hope that you've read THe River Why. The parallel is obvious, but there's also a reason that it has gotten several mentions; it's that good.

Michael T.

[Pilar]

Ok here's some more. Grasshopper, you'll be reading all winter at this rate. It's good for you. Like Gracie Slick said 'Feed your head!'.

"Captains Courageous"
Rudyard Kipling. What can I say, he's the bard of the American outdoors.

"Curtis Creek Manifesto"
How to fly fish and Roflyao at the same time! Is it Patrick McManus? Try the curtis creek sneak, it works. Only cast I know!

"They shoot canoes, Don't they?"
Same guy, I think.

"Gun Notes, Vol. 2"
"Elmer Keiths, Big Game hunting"

Or any book by Elmer Keith. He's full of himself and the BS content is high, but good hunting stories!

Well, I guess I'm heading to Powell's after work. I need some new fireside companions.

The bend is your friend!


[This message has been edited by Pilar (edited 09-24-2000).]

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

I thought Hemmingway's last novel that was edited by his son had to deal with Africa and his safaris, plus his affair with a african woman that his wife knows about and is comfortable with. HMMMMMM...someone needs to know there info.

[Pilar]

Absolutely right Y'all. There was a flurry of publishing in the 25 years after his death. "Islands in the stream" was published in 1970, followed by "Dangerous Summer", bullfighting, 1985 and "The Garden of Eden", Love triangle, 1986, . There is an abundance of essays, short stories and manuscripts released posthumously. None of these are appropriate for a high school english class.

But we digress. Some of his even less complete works are still being published as we speak. As I understand it, "Islands in the stream" was the last piece written that he intended to publish. Most of the rest of the works were abandoned manuscripts, never intended for publication by the author.

I have not read "Garden of Eden", it does not interest me nor "Dangerous Summer", no time yet for that.

As the man himself said

"You really ought to read more books--you know, those things that look like blocks but come apart on one side."

Including "Islands in the Stream". Then you might have something to say about it. Since you are a fan, what was the name of his boat?

The bend is your friend!

[Pilar]

Laugh if you want to, or should I say yont to. At least the name is not something really thought provoking like 'Pro magnum Steelhead III'.

By the way what part of L.A. (Lower Alabama for you non-rednecks) are you from? My old man hails from Mobile lately and catches a speck or two and some bull reds in his spare time.

The bend is your friend!

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

The laughter was "evil" laughter. I am originally from Birmingham, but my LA roots are about 120 miles east of Mobile in a small town called Florala. It's on the Florida and Bama border...isn't that a crafty name? My family has about 3,000 acres there, ya know 2 rivers, 13 lakes on the property....fishing paradise. I primarily concentrated on bass fishing, but Gulf fishing is a blast. Bass tourneys are a good way to pick up money for gear....if you win

[mjs]

For all you mystery lovers i recommend Richard Hoyt "Siskiyuo Two Step" which starts with the hero fly fishing on the N Umpqua behind Steam Boat. All Richard Hoyt mysteries are worth reading (he used to teach at Lewis & Clark College before he made it as an author.)
Also for sailing adventures you can't beat Tristian Jones for a good read.
What about "Lady In the Lake" by Raymond Chandler, no fishing, but a lake?

[Phish_on]

The River Why - YES YES
The Sky Fisherman - Craig Lesley
Return to the River - Haig-Brown

all of Craig Lesley's books
all of David Hughes' books

If you like baseball AND fishing, The Brothers K, also by David James Duncan (more about baseball) (actually I enjoyed it greatly and still don't care about baseball!)
(It's also about the Vietnam War) (It's about a lot of stuff )

[KrystalFlash]

Hey!

I loved Roderick L. Haig-Brown's, "A river never sleeps."

Here are a few others that I've enjoyed immensely:

"A jerk on one end" - Robert Hughes
"Death,Taxes,and Leaky Waders" - John Gierach
"Wishing my father well" - William Plummer

and of course - PRACTICAL FISHING KNOTS by Mark Sosin

It is good to be lucky!!!!

[sea lice]

the river why is a good one...I loved some of the stuff Bill Bob would say..and how about Jenny?

here are a few other excellent books by Stephen Ambrose:
Undaunted Courage
D-Day
Citizen Soldiers

[winterkill]

I have to say that winterkill by craig lesley is one of the best books I've ever read. It's about elk hunting in the Wallowas. The book is so well writen that it feels like you are actually on the hunt! River song is a great book about salmon fishing, even though i know some people dont agree with tribal fishing. Its worth checking out. I have read all of craig lesley's books and at the end of each one I wished that I still had like 500 pages left to read. My teachers would get ****** at me for reading them in class when I'm not supposed to! thanks for the suggestions I'll try to check all of these books out!

[garyk]

Another NW adventure in the post Lewis & Clark era -- "Voyage of a Summer Sun" by Robin Cody. A story of a recent summer spent canoeing the entire length of the Columbia River. Very enjoyable. A "two paddles up" rating.

For a dry-land adventure, check out "Listening for Coyote" by Oregon author William L. Sullivan, as he takes you for a hike across Oregon. Really good, you'll enjoy his descriptions of the places you know. And it might have you wanting to lace-up your hiking boots to see the places you so far haven't.

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

At the time of his death, his son oversaw several of his works beginning with A Moveable Feast, Islands in the Stream, The Dangerous Summer, and The Garden of Eden. True at First Light is the last of his books. As far as other posthumous works, I don't know too much about them.

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Call me stupid but I think the name of his row boat was Pilar, but I am just guessing ....muh ha ha ha ha ha

sorry....not row boat, but still..muh ha ha ha ha ha

[This message has been edited by hey_yall (edited 09-21-2000).]

[Pilar]

Hey Winterkill. Getting yelled at for reading in class is not such a bad thing, OK? At least you're not wasting your mind on comics or Rolling stone! Pay attention to the instructor though if you can tear it away from the page you're on.

I seem to remember reading 'River Song' a while ago. Maybe I should do it again. I'll give 'Winterkill' a try as soon as I can find a copy. It's almost book by the fire season again.

If you're not careful with that reading, you'll get tagged as a nerdy kid. Maybe that's what happened to Bill Gates or Paul Allen. They did ok later in life though.

The bend is your friend!

[This message has been edited by Pilar (edited 09-23-2000).]

[Salmonator]

I read "The River Why" several years ago after O.Mykiss loaned my his copy. I can't remember exactly, but the subject in the story never did disclose the name of the river in question did he?? It seems like I can remember looking at my maps trying to find it for myself...

[RW]

Salmonator; no the name of the river was never mentioned. I believe the author promised to never reveal the name to preserve the fishery there. I have talked with several of my friends that have read it, and we do have clue. Good luck figuring it out. RW

[Pilar]

Couldn't resist. Many good books in this thread. Back to the top for all to see!

The bend is your friend!