Running Waters: Where Angler, Fish, and Fly Are Destined to Meet

by Datus Proper

Here is a new collection of essays on fishing from the author of What the Trout Said. In this lyrical collection of essays, Datus Proper takes you to "where you and the fish and the fly meet, in that window between stream and sky." Running Waters is where four themes come the people, the waters, the flies, and the fish that pull anglers up the mountains and into the streams. With his distinctive voice, Proper introduces you to the "People of the Stream," colorful characters such as Betty Cave, who remembers when the trout were bigger in the streams running through the Appalachian land once owned by her family, and Curt Collins, the Bighorn fishing guide who prepares riverside meals as impressive as the fishing. In "Running Water" Proper explores the best fishing streams in the world, from the limestone creeks of Pennsylvania to the Mondego River in Portugal. His musings on flies and hatches, from caddisflies to mayflies, make up the third section, "The Way of a Fly with a Trout." Finally, in "Wild Fish," Proper takes a peek into the waters, examining the fish that draw him to their banks, from the humble brown trout to the aptly named, showy rainbows. Tuck this book into your rucksack next time you plan to spend a lazy streamside day. Running Waters is filled with thoughtful observations upon the sport of the memorable fish, noteworthy waters, and, especially, the unforgettable people who participate in it.

162 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2001

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best volumes of fishing essays I have ever read. Literate, with a bit of whimsy, the essays explore the fish, the flies, the waters and the people that make fly fishing such a great sport. I read recently that the author drowned in a shallow stream. A sad story, but at least he was doing what he clearly loved. I would have loved to read more had he lived longer.