Fly-Fishing with Leonardo da Vinci

by David Ladensohn

Leonardo da Vinci was obsessed with water. The famed Italian Renaissance artist meticulously drew every aspect of rivers, from the nature of water drops to the ways currents create and destroy the earth’s surface. His obsession led him to become a professional hydraulic engineer and an expert on the physics of water. He disproved Aristotle’s 1,800-year-old theory of the water cycle and developed the one we use today. He discovered the nature of erosion and heretically disproved the biblical flood. He created beautiful maps and drawings of river currents and of his audacious plans to reroute the Arno River for war and peace.It is obvious to David Ladensohn, who has been fly-fishing for forty years, that Da Vinci would have made the perfect fishing guide. The artist’s keen sense of humor and winning personality would have made him a wonderful companion. He knew more about how rivers work than any person before him and would have been outstanding at reading the water to figure out where the fish are. Beginning with Da Vinci’s remarkable biography—from underprivileged child to celebrity whose company was sought by competing rulers in Italy and France—and taking readers through the inspirations that led him to fall in love with waterways, Ladensohn makes the connection between the artist’s life and his own deep knowledge of the art of fly-fishing. His adventures have led him to seek out the most unique, storied, and traveled fly-fishing locales in the world, including Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Bhutan, Italy, Slovenia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Costa Rica, Bahamas, Ireland, England, and Mongolia.Ladensohn’s research on Da Vinci led him to native rivers in Italy to scholars at Oxford and the inside of Windsor Castle, where he studied the finest of Da Vinci’s original water drawings. The illustrations, which remain little known even today, are reproduced here in color, many for the first time. Fly-Fishing with Leonardo da Vinci is meant to inform and entertain anyone interested in the artist or fly-fishing and their unlikely intersection.

208 pages, Hardcover

Published November 5, 2024

Reviews

[Tom Garland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like reading. I like fly fishing. I like Leonardo DaVinci. Put them all together and you have a unique book.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this book did not present any new knowledge about Leonardo da Vinci or fly-fishing, it did aptly capture many of the reasons I love to fly fish. It made me think that someone as creative and talented as Leonardo found serenity on a river.

[Corey Schenck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty self-indulgent, but the author clearly has affection for the subject. The narrative would have been improved by more fly-fishing anecdotes and knowledge and fewer random speculations on Leonardo da Vinci. But the illustrations were nicely represented.

[Ian Durham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a neat little book! I really liked the way he tried to bring together da Vinci with fly fishing through da Vinci’s work on water flow. It didn’t always flow perfectly, but it’s rare to see such a creative and unique idea out there. I really enjoyed this!

[Mark Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

Every once in a while we get lucky with a beautiful book like this . Presents the subjects and illustrations beautifully. A treasured find for me!

[Marissa Dobulis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique concept--not entirely sure how this all fits together, but an interesting concept of a book!