Mark Kurlansky's books are always unique, interesting, informative and pleasantly quirky...and "The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing" does not disappoint. His latest "deep dive" is a fly-fisherman's dream as it not only traces the sport and it's loyal followers, but also the history/journey of everything from flies to rods to reels to line to waders...and many things in between. He even traces the history of books on fly-fishing! He zooms in and out of rivers across the globe, capturing each one's individual geography, topography, character, challenge and charm.

This book is an obvious must-read for anglers and lovers of the outdoors, but also for anyone interested history, culture or simply fun and interesting writing. Kurlansky has carved out a niche in this new genre of "deep dives" into common objects, commodities and activities. I would/will read any book he writes, regardless of how closely I am tied to the subject matter. Time to go take some fly-fishing lessons!

The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing is a delightfully engaging hybrid memoir and exposition - full of wit and minutiae about fly fishing from Mark Kurlansky. Due out 2nd March 2021 from Bloomsbury, it's 272 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The author is quite gifted at conveying a sense of calm and meditative respect for the sport of fly fishing. I grew up with fishermen and have always enjoyed camping and outdoor pursuits. They fished, I read (or foraged, or took photographs). Reading this book reminded me a lot of my younger days. There is quite a lot of history interspersed in the methodical philosophy covering equipment, mental attitude, fishermen/women, fish, locations, human interaction, and the bigger questions. I wasn't expecting to be as engaged in the read as I was.

The illustrations, from simple charcoal and graphite sketches by the author himself to historical facsimiles and locations, really added a lot to the book. This would make a superlative gift to a fisherman, library acquisition, or for the home library. Highly recommended to fans of nature/sport writers, naturists such as Thomas McGuane and/or Norman Maclean.

The book also includes useful appendices including a bibliography and index.

Five stars. Beautifully written.

Wonderfully written and engaging stories. If you like fly fishing, you will love this book. I have a feeling that I will be returning to this book again and again!
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this lovely book with an Advance Reading Copy!

Delighted to feature this in my current Lives Lived memoir/biography-themed roundup, for Zoomer magazine’s Books section. See link for full feature article and text.