Trout Bum is a fresh, contemporary look at fly fishing, and the way of life that grows out of a passion for it. The people, the places, and the accoutrements that surround the sport make a fishing trip more than a set of tactics and techniques. John Gierach, a serious fisherman with a wry sense of humor, show us just how much more with his fishing stories and a unique look at the fly-fishing lifestyle.

Trout Bum is really about why people fish as much as it is about how they fish, and it is ultimately about enduring values and about living in a harmony with our environment. Few books have had the impact on an entire generation that Trout Bum has had on the fly-fishing world. The wit, warmth, and the easy familiarity that John Gierach brings to us in Trout Bum is as fresh and engaging now was when it was first published twenty-five years ago. There's no telling how many anglers have quit their jobs and headed west after reading the first edition of this classic collection of fly-fishing essays.

REVIEW:
“Trout Bum captures the passion, confusion, and left-handed poetry of modern fishing. Having given his heart to the rivers he fishes, John Gierach conveys the power of his experience without pretense.” —Thomas McGuane

“You and your friends are swapping fishing stories, and a good one comes to mind. It feels like a story someone just told you, but then you realize you read it in a Gierach book. John’s the best kind of storyteller—the kind who tell us our own stories.” —Paul Schullery

“Trout Bum is one of those delightful funds, like Norman McLean's A River Runs Through It. John Gierach is simply one of the more wonderful outdoor writers to come down the pike in many a season. I laughed out loud on almost every page, and found much of what he has to say very lyrical and touching. This book is a treasure trove of fishy witticisms, outright belly laughs, and enough technical lore and love of nature to keep the most avid (or even the least avid) outdoors person turning pages relentlessly. Gierach obviously loves deeply and cares for this world he has chosen to make his stand in. It's a beautiful book, humorous, sly, rich, and touching. Once you read the first page, you'll be hooked...and love every minute of it . . . I promise!” —John Nichols

by John Gierach - 2013