Fly Fishing: A Trailside Guide by John Merwin

E and I try to take at least one Big Trip every year. In 2003, we spent a week at the national parks in eastern California: Sequoia, King’s Canyon, and Yosemite.

Sequoia and King’s Canyon are connected, so we stayed in a park lodge and visited both. Besides the many splendid vistas we hiked through, we also saw the biggest Sequoia redwood tree alive, drove through the redwood tree with a tunnel in the trunk, and we toured one of the marble caves that dot the area. In Yosemite, we climbed Half Dome (eight hours straight up, four hours straight down. E still calls it the Renee Death March), stayed at the Ahwahnee Hotel for one night, and camped at Bridalveil Creek.

One of the most memorable activities on this trip, however, took place upon our arrival at Yosemite mid-week. We had reserved a private fly-fishing tour guide for an afternoon. Neither of us had ever fly-fished before, so we thought we would take advantage of the many creeks and rivers in Yosemite, as well as the expertise of a guide to help us out.

We met our guide at the Wawona Hotel on the south end of the park, where we spent an hour learning about the fly fishing rig, how to tie a few knots, and then casting. When we felt comfortable with all that, we climbed in the car and headed into the woods. Our guide knew all the nooks and crannies of the area, of course, and led us to a secluded spot on the bank of a creek far from the main road. Just being in Yosemite, in such a beautiful spot with no one around for miles, was worth the price of the guide alone. But (bonus!) he also helped us tie flies and free snags, and gave us tips on where to cast and how to entice the fish. Can’t beat that for value.

We didn’t catch any fish that afternoon, but I had not expected to on our first fly-fishing attempt anyway. It didn’t matter one bit. Just being there, learning a new skill, and spending a day in the woods amid the sounds of a gurgling creek made the day perfect.

That Christmas, E gave me a complete fly-fishing rig for my own. I had practically forgotten everything I learned by then, so I acquired a copy of Fly Fishing: A Trailside Guide by John Merwin from a bookcrosser. As far as I can tell, being no expert, the book is full of great information. Almost every page features diagrams and pictures of everything discussed, from flies to knots, to waders. The instructions are clear and the advice seems sound. Scattered throughout the pages are boxes containing extra tips that are dead on, even for a novice like me. One of the first is, “Worst thing to lose: car keys! Where are yours?” Such practical-mindedness is surely a sign of a thoughtful guide.

Maybe someday I’ll actually go fly fishing again.

Fly Fishing: A Trailside Guide by John Merwin

tags: books fly fishing Yosemite John Merwin