It is evident in these stories that fly fishing, for McCarthy, is about more than catching fish, but further, the places it takes us and the memories it creates. FROM THE FOREWORD: "When McCarthy first discussed this book with me, I knew he was an angler who had discovered original wisdom in the teachings of many rivers. He's a man who has caught many good fish on a fly, and yet, during our conversations, he never once mentioned a fish he had caught. The attention was focused on his family ties to the sport, the places he remembers, the poetic arc of an angler's life, and the reasons he returned to the river. In his words: 'In an upside-down world, I wanted to grab ahold of something meaningful. I sought a place where I could find freedom and tranquility. Fly fishing on a river was that place.' This is a book of wisdom, not only about fly fishing, but inherently more; it touches on the immortal pursuit of becoming better at understanding ourselves."
FROM THE PAGES: "... as my grandfather said, the river is like poetry. A good poem can be read again to bring back the wonder when it was first read. I thought of my commitment to fly fishing as a kind of poetic exegesis. The more I fished, the more I might be able to uncover the rhythm and structure that makes the river like a poem."
"Perhaps we instinctively know what memories to keep with us. And the memory will find a way to live on."
". . . fly fishing is not about being perfect. The key is to let go of what is not important and remember what is. . . . It brings back memories of the thrill of my first trout on the line and time spent with my dad, grandfather, and uncle Joe."
"On the river that day, I felt the affirmation of doing things the right way. My nerves calmed, and my mind relaxed. I became more attuned to traces of movement and sound in the world around me. I sensed a spirit or force that moved through the experience."
". . . rivers are national treasures. They pump life into the surrounding environment. They can provoke wonder and stir the imagination. They connect us to the past and lead us into the future."
". . . in Montana, fly fishing is not just a sport, it is a way of life."
