Death, Taxes, and Leaky Waders

"Death, Taxes, and Leaky Waders" collects forty of John Gierach's finest essays on fishing from six of his books. Like all his writing, these essays are seasoned by a keen sense of observation and a deep knowledge and love of fishing lore, leavened by a wonderfully wry sense of humor. Gierach often begins with an observation that soon leads to something below the surface, which he finds and successfully lands. As Gierach says, writing is a lot like fishing. This is the first anthology of John Gierach's work, a collection that is sure to delight both die-hard fans and new readers alike. To enter Gierach's world is to experience the daily wonder, challenge, and occasional absurdity of the fishing life -- from such rituals as the preparation of camp coffee (for best results, serve in a tin cup) to the random, revelatory surprises, such as the flashing beauty of a grayling leaping out of the water. Whether he's catching fish or musing on the ones that got away, Gierach is always entertaining and enlightening, writing with his own inimitable blend of grace and style, passion and wit.

Contents

Introduction

Trout Bum

Camp Coffee

Kazan River Grayling

Headwaters

The Adams Hatch

Night-fishing

Cutthroat Pilgrimage

On the Road

The View from Rat Lake

The Big Empty River

The Fishing Car

The Purist

The Music of the Spheres

Headhunting

In Camp

Enough Fish

Sex, Death, and Fly-fishing

Sex, Death, and Fly-fishing

Expertizing

I'd Fish Anyone's St. Vrain

Neither Snow, nor Rain, nor Gloom of Night. . .

Guiding and Being Guided

The Chairman's Bass

Rivers

Wyoming

Even Brook Trout Get the Blues

The Family Pool

Bamboo

Montana

A Year in the Life

Even Brook Trout Get the Blues

Pike

The New Pond

Dances with Trout

Quitting Early

Texas

Scotland

The Storm

Alaska

A Few Days Before Christmas

West

Another Lousy Day in Paradise

Rock Bass

The Kindness of Strangers

Carp

Desperation Creek