A Fly Fisherman's Blue Ridge

by Christopher Camuto

Describes trout streams in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and North Carolina, and discusses environmental concerns for the region

238 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 1990

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Fly fishing for trout has always been more of a tradition than a sport. In A Fly Fisherman's Blue Ridge, a fly fisherman intimately familiar with the small, headwater trout streams in the Blue Ridge Mountains narrates the course of a year's fishing. In eleven linked essays, Christopher Camuto closely observes the life within and around the mountain streams tucked into the gentle folds of Virginia's and north Carolina's highlands, where native book, wild brown, and rainbow trout still thrive in protected enclaves. From central Pennsylvania to north George, Camuto's fly fishing year is surrounded by the diversity of life in the Southern Appalachians, the stunning flora and fauna that draw the fisherman's attention deeper into the nature of the watersheds.

"As he fishes the freestone trout waters with one eye on the enduring beauty of the seasons and the other on the changing land, the author weaves into his chronicle of the angler's year an imaginative sensitivity to the history of the Blue Ridge as well as a informed awareness of the environmental problems that affect its future. In place of the pristine landscape described by explorer William Byrd II and botanists John and William Bartram in the eighteenth century, Camuto encounters the legacy of the nineteenth century's disregard for natural resources and the unsettling reality of current land-use practices. His pursuit of wild trout leads him to confront the slender dimensions of the eastern wilderness, the problem of public lands management, and the damaging ecological effects of acid rain, which threatens what remains of wild trout habitat in the Blue Ridge. Writing in the tradition of Roderick Haig-Brown, Camuto sets both the trout he pursues and fly fishing in the context of a natural world as fragile as it is beautiful and provides the reader with a new understanding of each."
~~front & back flaps

I'm not a fisherman, let alone a fly fisherman. But I didn't read this book for descriptions of various catches the author made. For me at least, the power of this book was the wonderful lyric descriptions of the hills and streams all through the year -- paeans to the beauty of the woods and streams, the fish and the animals. It's a book to read slowly and savor, and to cherish.

Written in 1990, the mind pauses and the heart breaks to think of how much further damage has been done in the following 30 years. Are there any more streams that flow bright and clear, home to trout, bass and dace?

[Bill Duxbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just reading Chris’ writing is a pleasure. The fact that this all takes place in my backyard makes it a joy to read and re-read.

[Book Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered the author from an article he wrote in Trout Unlimited. His writing style immediately intrigued me. This book drew me in from the start. I've spent very little time fishing the streams of the Blue Ridge, but the themes of this book are universal to trout fisher's every where. The descriptions of place are more than just details, but a teleportation into the world the author sees. Both the joys and struggles of fly fishing are executed well. This is a quintessential title for the shelves of anyone who enjoys chasing trout with an artificial fly, and the introspection of time alone with a river.
-Daniel J. Rice, author of THIS SIDE OF A WILDERNESS, and THE UNPEOPLED SEASON.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very pleasing read, and not only because much of the book takes place on what I'm starting to think of as my home trout water. Camuto does a great job of mixing the scientific research with wilderness and historical narrative. Some of the research specifics might seem a little dated, given its focus on acid rain, but it's still a relevant topic and message (though I use that word a little hesitantly, as there's little of the polemic here).

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS THE BEST BOOK FOR TRUE FLY-FISHERMEN(OR WOMEN) IT TALKS ABOUT MAN WHO LIVES TO FLY-FISH AND HAD A RIVER NEAR HIM, THE BLUE RIDGE.

I WOULD RECOMEND THIS TO ALL