When I'm Between Books
I'm between books and the ice is out and the fish are biting
By Marc Berlin
Spring in Maine not only heralds our famous mud season but also signals the opening of our rivers and lakes to canoes, kayaks and yes, fishing. Tradition holds that the first salmon caught on the Penobscot River be delivered to the current President of the United States. Scarcity of salmon and a determined catch and release policy has doomed this tradition, but fishermen can still be found at the various salmon pools above the Bangor Waterworks. Fishing, and especially fly fishing, becomes the topic of conversation in certain circles.
Single-mindedness can define certain fisher-folk during a Maine Spring so it was fun to revisit David James Duncan' classic romp The River Why. Here an obsession for fishing is a metaphor for every bit of philosophical lure a bait box can hold. It's as if Tom Jones decided to join Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Repair for a wild ride on the fast moving, rock strewn river called: the meaning of life.
Gus Orviston, scion of a world famous fly fisherman and an equally renowned bait fisherwoman, grows up believing that fishing is life but, alas, one day he has cause to question whether, in fact, there might be more to life than fishing. An engaging group of neighbors, local children and a visiting sage with the name of Titus and dog named Descartes all try to answer Gus' questions by using Indian lore, storytelling, and a rambunctious sense of life.
If, like yours truly, you prefer to do your fishing from a living room armchair, David Duncan's book will provide a great deal of pleasure and few bug bites. It's a keeper.
By Marc Berlin
Spring in Maine not only heralds our famous mud season but also signals the opening of our rivers and lakes to canoes, kayaks and yes, fishing. Tradition holds that the first salmon caught on the Penobscot River be delivered to the current President of the United States. Scarcity of salmon and a determined catch and release policy has doomed this tradition, but fishermen can still be found at the various salmon pools above the Bangor Waterworks. Fishing, and especially fly fishing, becomes the topic of conversation in certain circles.
Single-mindedness can define certain fisher-folk during a Maine Spring so it was fun to revisit David James Duncan' classic romp The River Why. Here an obsession for fishing is a metaphor for every bit of philosophical lure a bait box can hold. It's as if Tom Jones decided to join Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Repair for a wild ride on the fast moving, rock strewn river called: the meaning of life.
Gus Orviston, scion of a world famous fly fisherman and an equally renowned bait fisherwoman, grows up believing that fishing is life but, alas, one day he has cause to question whether, in fact, there might be more to life than fishing. An engaging group of neighbors, local children and a visiting sage with the name of Titus and dog named Descartes all try to answer Gus' questions by using Indian lore, storytelling, and a rambunctious sense of life.
If, like yours truly, you prefer to do your fishing from a living room armchair, David Duncan's book will provide a great deal of pleasure and few bug bites. It's a keeper.
posted by BookMarc's at 4:42 PM
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