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A River Never Sleeps
Few books have captured the haunting world of music and rivers and of the sport they provide as well as A River Never Sleeps . Roderick L. Haig-Brown writes of fishing not just as a sport, but also as an art. He knows moving water and the life within it—its subtlest mysteries and perpetual delights. He is a man who knows fish lore as few people ever will, and the legends and history of a great sport.
Month by month, he takes you from river to river, down at last to the saltwater and the in January, searching for the steelhead in the dark, cold water; in May, fishing for bright, sea-run cutthroats; and on to the chilly days of October and the majestic run of spawning salmon. All the great joy of angling is the thrill of fishing during a thunderstorm, the sight of a river in freshet or a river calm and hushed, the suspense of a skillful campaign to capture some half-glimpsed trout or salmon of extraordinary size, and the excitement of playing and landing a momentous fish.
A River Never Sleeps is one of the enduring classics of angling. It will provide a rich reading experience for all who love fishing or rivers.
Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for fishermen. Our books for anglers include titles that focus on fly fishing, bait fishing, fly-casting, spin casting, deep sea fishing, and surf fishing. Our books offer both practical advice on tackle, techniques, knots, and more, as well as lyrical prose on fishing for bass, trout, salmon, crappie, baitfish, catfish, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Month by month, he takes you from river to river, down at last to the saltwater and the in January, searching for the steelhead in the dark, cold water; in May, fishing for bright, sea-run cutthroats; and on to the chilly days of October and the majestic run of spawning salmon. All the great joy of angling is the thrill of fishing during a thunderstorm, the sight of a river in freshet or a river calm and hushed, the suspense of a skillful campaign to capture some half-glimpsed trout or salmon of extraordinary size, and the excitement of playing and landing a momentous fish.
A River Never Sleeps is one of the enduring classics of angling. It will provide a rich reading experience for all who love fishing or rivers.
Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for fishermen. Our books for anglers include titles that focus on fly fishing, bait fishing, fly-casting, spin casting, deep sea fishing, and surf fishing. Our books offer both practical advice on tackle, techniques, knots, and more, as well as lyrical prose on fishing for bass, trout, salmon, crappie, baitfish, catfish, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1944
135 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Roderick L. Haig-Brown
56 books20 followersRoderick Langmere Haig-Brown (February 21, 1908 — October 9, 1976) was a Canadian writer and conservationist, who is acclaimed internationally for his writing on fly fishing.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 13, 2016
This is perhaps the best fishing biography of all time. For the longest time, I held off reading any Haig-Brown because I didn't identify with the main advocates, those (seemingly) elitist fly fishermen on Internet message boards. About a decade ago I picked up a used copy of "Fisherman's Fall" (his second best book)and marveled at the man's ability to tell a story -- mostly about fish and fishing -- so clearly and lyrically. In short order I learned that RH-B moved to Canada post WWI as teen and earned a living any which way he could, including falling timber and trolling spoons on heavy spinning gear for VI springs. Nothing effete about this fellow! I was well and truly hooked and have read another half dozen of his books (including the four seasons books).
But the jewel in the crown is ARNS. Haig-Brown's personal story so worth reading that my non-fishing 70 year mother rated it one of the better non-fiction books she'd ever read. Rod Brown led such a fascinating life in a time and place that offered sport fishing opportunities few of us will ever see . . . and certainly none in native English speaking countries. His love of rivers, forests, and people shows itself not in some philosophical meanderings, but in a vital sense of shared excitement at discovery and participation. Here's a man who wanted to know where the fish lay in his home water, the Campbell River. Rod wriggled into a wetsuit, put on a mask, snorkel and flippers and swam the river, diving down to spy the chinooks holding in the deep all the other salmon and trout in between. To test whether or not waders would fill with water and pull the wrong-footed angler to the bottom of the river to tumble and inevitably drown in those lead (sic) boots, he put on his waders and walked out over his head to see what happened. (Not a whole lot other than getting wet and needing to point his feet downstream to prevent hitting his head on boulders.) Haig-Brown was also an innovative and expert fly fishermen, pioneering the dead drifted dry fly for summer run steelhead. His stories of long-gone fishing holes and extinct runs of salmonids heighten the pleasure fishing addicts like myself derive from reading and thinking, "What would it have been like to have stood on the banks on the Stamp watching the General fish his run?"
A well-lived life in and around fishing, in a beautifully told book.
But the jewel in the crown is ARNS. Haig-Brown's personal story so worth reading that my non-fishing 70 year mother rated it one of the better non-fiction books she'd ever read. Rod Brown led such a fascinating life in a time and place that offered sport fishing opportunities few of us will ever see . . . and certainly none in native English speaking countries. His love of rivers, forests, and people shows itself not in some philosophical meanderings, but in a vital sense of shared excitement at discovery and participation. Here's a man who wanted to know where the fish lay in his home water, the Campbell River. Rod wriggled into a wetsuit, put on a mask, snorkel and flippers and swam the river, diving down to spy the chinooks holding in the deep all the other salmon and trout in between. To test whether or not waders would fill with water and pull the wrong-footed angler to the bottom of the river to tumble and inevitably drown in those lead (sic) boots, he put on his waders and walked out over his head to see what happened. (Not a whole lot other than getting wet and needing to point his feet downstream to prevent hitting his head on boulders.) Haig-Brown was also an innovative and expert fly fishermen, pioneering the dead drifted dry fly for summer run steelhead. His stories of long-gone fishing holes and extinct runs of salmonids heighten the pleasure fishing addicts like myself derive from reading and thinking, "What would it have been like to have stood on the banks on the Stamp watching the General fish his run?"
A well-lived life in and around fishing, in a beautifully told book.
March 15, 2011
It's pretty easy to see why this one's so highly regarded. Haig-Brown comes closer to over-writing at times, but doesn't, and everything's pretty straightforward in a rewarding way. There are more than just fishing exploits, but he writes those extremely well. His successes are rarely cause for self-congratulation, and his failures are never cause for misery. He seems to be perpetually exploring and learning, and it's engaging. By the mid-point of the book, I was pretty sure that I would have enjoyed fishing with Haig-Brown, and by the end of the book I was convinced I was born a half century too late, even if (especially if?) it would have meant roughing it for a living.
I think this one works best when it's read slowly and over a period of time, properly absorbed. There are a few spots that drag, but otherwise you'll want to both keep reading and keep slowing down.
I think this one works best when it's read slowly and over a period of time, properly absorbed. There are a few spots that drag, but otherwise you'll want to both keep reading and keep slowing down.
Want to read
November 30, 2011My friend and fishing buddy, Jim Blomquist, gave me a copy of this fly fishing classic, originally copyrighted in 1947. Rich and evocative, it puts you into the pulse of a river.
April 6, 2021
A fisherman's reminissings
This is a well written book by an author who captures the feeling of long time fisherman and why we fish. The feeling vs of being on the bank of a river, assessing the run of the river to find where the. Great catch hides. I enjoyed his appreciation for the river or lake, as much as the trout or salmon it held. I really enjoyed this book.
This is a well written book by an author who captures the feeling of long time fisherman and why we fish. The feeling vs of being on the bank of a river, assessing the run of the river to find where the. Great catch hides. I enjoyed his appreciation for the river or lake, as much as the trout or salmon it held. I really enjoyed this book.
July 9, 2019
Beautiful.
July 7, 2023
Great old book.
August 7, 2023
One of those special writers that just has the knack.
November 20, 2023
As a lifetime fisherman, I really liked this memoir-like collection of fishing stories, experiences.. and river knowledge. Terrific read!
June 12, 2012
Read this years ago and greatly enjoyed Haig-Brown's ability to evoke the spirit of the river and the fisherman. My copy is all marked up with quotes I loved, with the simple, elegant imagery Haig-Brown paints.
---(pg 352)---
I still don't know why I fish or why other men fish, except that we like it and it makes us think and feel.
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---(pg 352)---
I still don't know why I fish or why other men fish, except that we like it and it makes us think and feel.
---
Read
July 13, 2015The greatest fly fishing book ever written... or something like that. This guy knows rivers and he knows how to fish, I'll give him that, but I lost interest by the end. I guess it didn't have enough twists and turns. I knew how the story would end, regardless if he caught the monster fish or not. He certainly made me want to see more of BC, and fish it of course.
April 14, 2010
Colossal in the genre. I read it constantly. In my estimation the finest and if I could only have one book/....
January 8, 2013
One of my all-time fabs. I read it about once a year, along with The Longest Silence and River Runs through it. Never enough of such good thing
August 8, 2013
Poetic, reflective and honest. A lyrical insight into the twin passions of fly fishing and wild rivers.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews