It seems that during a long winter amidst a global pandemic, folks have a little more time for reading. And some of those readers appreciate a grand vicarious adventure that involves fly fishing, travelling the back roads, and meeting new people. Go figure.
Not by coincidence, Storied Waters provides exactly that kind of arm-chair fishing adventure that many people are dreaming about. As a result, I have been fortunate to get a few great reviews for Storied Waters recently that have helped spread the word to more new readers, some of whom have sent me nice notes telling me how much they have enjoyed the book.
During the long hours of writing a book, it is easy to convince oneself that nobody will ever want to read the result of your hard work. Then, before too long, the pendulum swings in the other direction and you gaze at your words thinking "a bestseller for sure." But then it goes back again to "who would ever want to read this random drivel?"
Well, it's always nice to know when someone finds true enjoyment in seeing the world through your eyes. Here are a few of the recent reviews.
In January, I was honored to be a guest on the America Outdoors Radio podcast with John Kruse, a fellow member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. John is an award-winning broadcaster who, in addition to his podcast, reaches over 400 stations across the country with his syndicated show. We had fun discussing my trip, the joys of getting skunked, and a few of our favorite writers. (My nine minute segment starts at 12:00 in at the link above.) After the broadcast aired, I got a nice uptick in orders both through this website and other outlets.
Then, in February, I saw a tweet from Matt @castingacross about fly fishing books he had reviewed on his website/blog www.castingacross.com He gave Storied Waters a generous plug in his Bonus category as one of several books he recommended that "get you to do something." Matt provided a handy link to my website for people to order a signed copy from me, and several did so. (He also reviewed my buddy Lou Zambello's Fly Fisher's Guide to New England.)
Also in February, I got an email from Tom McCoy telling me he had picked up a copy of Storied Waters at the recommendation of a friend who I had met at the Edison NJ Fly Fishing Show. Tom has written several books and also writes a blog called www.tomsfishingstories.com. He shared an excellent review of Storied Waters that encouraged a number of fly anglers to order copies. A few of them reached out telling me how much they have enjoyed the book. Tom commented that "Not often do you run into a guy who can trigger so many memories while offering a fantasy trip of a life time to a guy like me." Thanks, Tom, for your kind words.
I should also point out that one of Tom's books is a popular and acclaimed book for beginning fly anglers called (incredibly) How to Fly Fish for Trout, The First Book to Read. You can pick up a copy of Tom's book(s) here.
I also learned that there will be a review of Storied Waters by angler, writer, editor and professor Bob DeMott in the summer 2021 issue of The American Fly Fisher, Journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishing. I haven't yet seen the review, but I am assured that it is a good one. If you join the Museum now, you can get a copy of the Journal when it comes out in prime fishing time. You can learn more about the Museum in Chapter 3- "The Four Freedoms" in my book.
Bob's book Astream is a fine collection of fly fishing stories by famous writers and anglers.
These are but a few reviews, tweets and emails I have received over the last year. Thanks also to Matt Miller (@eatguineapigs), author of Fishing Through The Apocalypse, Stephen Sautner (@FishOnFishOff), author of A Cast In The Woods and Fish On, Fish Off, Jeremy Watkin (@jtwatkin), and others who have shared my book with their friends and readers.
I hope that many more people will read the great stories of the writers who guided me on my journey. And I look forward to when we can all get out and about to explore new destinations that we know only through the words on a page.
Be safe and be kind.
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