Fly-Fishing For Sharks

Richard Louv, an award-winning journalist, is a writer widely celebrated for his trademark charm, emotional engagement, and gift for finding the wonder in the ordinary. In his captivating new travelog, FLY-FISHING FOR SHARKS: An American Journey, he takes a fresh look at the United States through a unique prism: the distinctive cultures of fishing. Hooking up with anglers, both legendary and average, of every specialty across America, Louv offers striking insights into the fishing life, and the lives of men and women drawn to the sport.

Angling is now America's favorite outdoor activity. The National Sporting Goods Association puts the total of frequent fishers at about 44 million--far exceeding the numbers of enthusiasts for tennis and golf. Yet, as Louv illuminates, fishing is about much more than the mere facts of bait and tackle.

"Today's fishing is about the tension between commercialism and romanticism, between the growing popularity of angling and limited waters, between past and future, between innocence and knowledge," Louv observes. "The waters we fish, and how we fish, reflect larger political, ethical, even spiritual issues. How shall we reconnect to nature? How should we treat fellow creatures of other species? How do we hold fast to what is old, timeless, and slow?"

FLY-FISHING FOR SHARKS follows the author coast to coast as he spends more than two years on the road exploring the ways of fly-fishers, ice fishers, seekers of steelhead, bass tournament pros, charter boat captains, and poachers. While exploring the waters and touring fishing meccas--sporting goods emporiums, bait shops, and coffee shops--Louv investigates the political pools, perceptual streams, and intimate dreams of fishing people.

With sparkling immediacy, wit, and insight, Louv shares his wide-ranging excursions and surprising discoveries. Along the way, readers will meet a collection of interesting characters, including: Conway Bowman, a former grunge rocker, who introduces Louv to the daring thrill of fly-fishing for sharks of the San Diego coast; Whitefish Willy, who shows Louv ice-fishing in its purest form--self-reliant, solitary, determined--in the frigid, breathtaking north woods of Michigan's Upper Peninsula; and Sugar Ferris, a forthright 61-year-old, who wows Louv with her story of breaking down gender barriers to launch Bass 'n Gals, a pioneering Southern women's fishing group.

But Louv doesn't just sit back and retell the fishing stories. He finds their deeper meanings. For example, he describes:

Capturing the simple pleasures and mysterious powers of fishing, and the undercurrents of change, FLY-FISHING FOR SHARKS is a heartfelt tribute to a life-affirming sport and the Americans who embrace it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard Louv is the author of five previous books, including Childhood Future and The Web of Life. A columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune, he has been a contributing editor at Parents magazine and has spoken on family matters at the White House, and his writing on fatherhood has been endorsed and distributed by the United Nations. He lives in San Diego, California.

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