Nervous Waters: Variations on a Theme of Fly Fishing - Hardcover

Praise for Steve Raymond's "Blue Upright" With "Blue Upright", Steve Raymond proves once again why he is the Raymond Carver of fly-fish lit. With elegant, unadorned precision, Steve offers the biographies of his favorite flies, which blossom into an autobiography of Steve Raymond and a history of fly-fishing for salmon, trout and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest, with side trips after bonefish and Atlantic salmon. It is complex wisdom simply presented, and belongs on any literate fly-fishers bookshelf.--James R. Babb, Editor, "Gray's Sporting Journal"Raymond's storytelling and writing skills enable him to seamlessly work these varied topics into cohesive chapters that both inform and amuse. And no matter where Raymond's thoughts take him, he's always able to convey how each of these tiny fishing flies has affected his life in a big way."--"Publishers Weekly" "Insightful, informative, and always interesting, this book could be a fitting capstone for the author's literary career . . . "--" Library Journal" Few angler-authors can match the skill and insight of Steve Raymond . . ."--"The New York Times" "Reading Steve Raymond's "Nervous Water" is much like sitting around a campfire with a good scotch, a fine cigar, and listening to your best friend. The tales and rants are a look into the soul of a man who loves the marvels of nature."--A. K. Best "Steve Raymond has been one of fly fishing's finest writers longer than most of us have been fishing. "Nervous Water" is a splendid and vastly entertaining celebration of all the big and little things that make fly fishing such a compelling way of life."--Paul Schullery, author of "Royal Coachman" and "American Fly Fishing: A History""" ..".contrasts the tranquil surface of the sport with the trends, debates and issues that roil the waters."--"Seattle Post-Intelligencer""The entertaining stories are a snapshot of Raymond's life and reveal engaging insights in the complex sport..."--"Northwest Adventures"..".adds a bit more glitter to the bright thread of fly-fishing gold that runs through the fabric of American sporting literature. Raymond has for several decades made important contributions to the literature of fly fishing. In his collection of loosely connected essays we see him at his intriguing best. There's something for all tastes-easygoing appreciation of the sport's quirks, heartwarming reminiscence, and just simple tales wonderfully told. This is vintage Raymond, and for those who know his work, that means a literary wine to sample and savor."--"Fly Rod & Reel""" "Here you'll find 34 essays ranging from outright comedy through some fascinating historical research, from a wry commentary on the burgeoning technologies of the fly-fishing industries and the cult of celebrity to some just plain, excellent fishing stories." --"Flyfishing and Tying Journal""" "Raymond's prose is direct, his commentary forthright, frankly opinionated, frequently funny and not without cutting edges.".."""-- Fly Rod & Reel"" Praise for Steve Raymond's "Blue Upright" With "Blue Upright," Steve Raymond proves once again why he is the Raymond Carver of fly-fish lit. With elegant, unadorned precision, Steve offers the biographies of his favorite flies, which blossom into an autobiography of Steve Raymond and a history of fly-fishing for salmon, trout and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest, with side trips after bonefish and Atlantic salmon. It is complex wisdom simply presented, and belongs on any literate fly-fishers bookshelf.--James R. Babb, Editor, "Gray's Sporting Journal" Raymond's storytelling and writing skills enable him to seamlessly work these varied topics into cohesive chapters that both inform and amuse. And no matter where Raymond's thoughts take him, he's always able to convey how each of these tiny fishing flies has affected his life in a big way."--"Publishers Weekly" "Insightful, informative, and always interesting, this book could be a fitting capstone for the author' Praise for Steve Raymond's "Blue Upright": With "Blue Upright," Steve Raymond proves once again why he is the Raymond Carver of fly-fish lit. With elegant, unadorned precision, Steve offers the biographies of his favorite flies, which blossom into an autobiography of Steve Raymond and a history of fly-fishing for salmon, trout and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest, with side trips after bonefish and Atlantic salmon. It is complex wisdom simply presented, and belongs on any literate fly-fishers bookshelf.--James R. Babb, Editor, "Gray's Sporting Journal" Raymond's storytelling and writing skills enable him to seamlessly work these varied topics into cohesive chapters that both inform and amuse. And no matter where Raymond's thoughts take him, he's always able to convey how each of these tiny fishing flies has affected his life in a big way."--"Publishers Weekly" "Insightful, informative, and always interesting, this book could be a fitting capstone for the author's literary career . . . "--" Library Journal" Praise for Steve Raymond's "Blue Upright: With "Blue Upright, Steve Raymond proves once again why he is the Raymond Carver of fly-fish lit. With elegant, unadorned precision, Steve offers the biographies of his favorite flies, which blossom into an autobiography of Steve Raymond and a history of fly-fishing for salmon, trout and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest, with side trips after bonefish and Atlantic salmon. It is complex wisdom simply presented, and belongs on any literate fly-fishers bookshelf.--James R. Babb, Editor, "Gray's Sporting Journal Raymond's storytelling and writing skills enable him to seamlessly work these varied topics into cohesive chapters that both inform and amuse. And no matter where Raymond's thoughts take him, he's always able to convey how each of these tiny fishing flies has affected his life in a big way."--"Publishers Weekly "Insightful, informative, and always interesting, this book could be a fitting capstone for the author's literary career . . . "--" Library Journal

Nervous water: sometimes it's nothing more than a fleeting crease or wrinkle on the surface of a lake or stream, or a small patch of salt water that looks as if it's shivering. But wise anglers know that such subtle surface movements are nearly always signs of fish stirring down below. The sport of fly fishing is like that. It has a reputation as a tranquil, contemplative sport, but something is nearly always going on down below: constant currents of new thought and theory, a relentless drive to develop new technologies, an ongoing muted chorus of debate. Esteemed fly fisher and author, Steve Raymond has contemplated many of these issues and presented them in articles and essays published in many magazines. Now, for the first time, many of these works have been collected in a single book - thirty-four variations on the theme of fly fishing. Together they form a selective, opinionated chronicle of the trends, developments, and changes in fly fishing from the 1960s to the present, along with a look back at some pioneers of the sport - and the fish that make it all possible. Most of these pieces have been updated, expanded, or otherwise revised or edited for publication in this book; several appear here for the first time. Some tackle important topics (such as the very definition of fly fishing itself), and others take a light look at the more trivial angling concerns (such as how, or even whether, to dress for fishing). A thoughtful, engaging contemplation of this complex sport, "NervousWater" belongs on the shelf of anyone who loves fly fishing.