FLY ROD OUTFITTERS

This book is a poem about life as it unfolds in our middle years and beyond. I have made is a habit of purchasing used copies, when I can find them, and giving them out to friends and acquaintances in return for a promise that the book will be read and passed on. I know from personal testimonials that Hal Raynes’ love song has brought both awareness and peace to lives in trouble. If you have an interest in fly fishing, read the book. It expresses the essence of fly fishing. If you have no interest in fly fishing, read the book. It expresses the mystery and majesty of life.

This book is a remakable memoir. Raines lets us enter his mind and what I consider his soul. His descriptions of fishing are interesting, serious and humorous but what’s more important are his reflections and his insights about people, life, the world, and relationships between parents and children, marriage, friends and people who are different from us,. My first thought after finishing the book was my God, we are so fortunate in the USA. We have endless waterways, forrests, mountains, and wild life. We must do much more in an intelligent
way to protect them.

It is hard to believe that I could ever be this positive about someone who is a leftist, liberal news editor like Howell Raines. But the truth is, Mr. Raines has written an outstanding book
that is highly recommended to *anyone*, flyfisher(wo)man or not!

An added bonus are the fish recipes scattered throughout, mm mm good!

I’ve read Raines book and enjoyed it thoroughly. Taken on it’s own merit, it is an insightful book about the journey from one kind of fishing to another, a journey that is also an analogy for life. Along the way, Raines offers his political views, but to argue as the other reviewers on this page have done that the book is of poor quality because Raines is a liberal is silliness. Sure, his views may be disagreeable to some, but they are his way of inserting his voice and experience into his writing. The writing itelf is rich and the insights are perceptive. I highly recommend this book.

Skip the discussions in other reviews of the politics of the author – that is not relevant, and not what this book is about. Mr. Raines writes a wonderful, heartwarming story of how fishing was a part of growing up, and then through fishing and one fishing related friendship in particular, of how he came to grips with some of the fundamental issues of life. There is no right or wrong here that the author got, or did not. It is simply one mans experience, wonderfully told with insight and gentle humor, of a passage through life. Fishermen will enjoy the book for the fishing metaphor, others will enjoy it for the story of a special friendship. It is even better as a book on tape, Mr. Raines syrupy southern voice adds just the right tone and inflection to make the story even more memorable.

Raines has done a wonderful job in this book on several fronts. It is a very engaging story, chock full of the entertainment we long to read for. It is also a wealth of nuggets of information about flyfishing — those nuggets you won’t find in the “how-to” books, but normally only learn through long hard experience. Woven through this great tale however is something much deeper and more personal. It is a story, a fly-fishing instructional book, and practical, down-to-earth psychotherapy for men over 40, all in one compact book. It helps us to recognize those traits we’ve suffered through and tried to understand. All in all, Raines essentially says to save your head shrink money and go fly-fishing. I’ve followed his advice – and it works!

Have never read any prior books by this author. After getting into it, I find that I throughly enjoy his writing. It is a wonderful book and should be read by all anyone who loves fishing and reading about all of the ancillary things that one experiences while going about getting to fish.

The first fly rod I held was my father’s bamboo rod. I was four or five – that was more than 50 years ago. Howell Raines, noted author and journalist, was raised to fish the “Red-neck Way” of his native Alabama–hardly the bastion of the esoteric art of angling for trout with a cane rod. Raines learned fishin’ from crappies. He learned about life from fishing for trout. The book’s chapters are a collection of short stories about passions, friendships, and dreams. Fly fishing is the thread that sews them together. Each meander of the stream provides Raines a connection between dry flies and living. Humorous recollections are tied into the serious patterns of growing older and wiser. Matching hatches become tests of loyalty and devotion and love. A must read for the angler. A better read for one looking for the angle of life.