I first joined the fishing tackle industry as a fishing rod engineer for Shimano, this was later followed by the role of Product Manager for the fishing division. I have since moved on in my career; but as all fishermen know, you can never quite be really that far from what's true to your heart; hence my writing of this book. This book details some of my bittersweet and sometimes funny personal fishing memoirs which I hope would be a good read for you when you are not out on the water.

I first joined the fishing tackle industry as a fishing rod engineer for Shimano, this was later followed by the role of Product Manager for the fishing division. I have since moved on in my career; but as all fishermen know, you can never quite be really that far from what's true to your heart; hence my writing of this book. In short, the book introduces the various fishing categories, walks you through the process of how a blank is made, explains blank terminology and quality as well as teaches you how to maximize the performance of your rod. Also thrown in are some of my personal fishing memoirs which I hope would be a good read for you when you are not out on the water.

“Beautiful. ... A lyrical companion to his father’s classic, A River Runs through It, chronicling their family’s history and bond with Montana’s Blackfoot River.” —Washington Post A "poetic" and "captivating" (Publishers Weekly) memoir about the power of place to shape generations, Home Waters is John N. Maclean's remarkable chronicle of his family's century-long love affair with Montana's majestic Blackfoot River, the setting for his father's classic novella, A River Runs through It. Maclean returns annually to the simple family cabin that his grandfather built by hand, still in search of the trout of a lifetime. When he hooks it at last, decades of longing promise to be fulfilled, inspiring John, reporter and author, to finally write the story he was born to tell. A book that will resonate with everyone who feels deeply rooted to a landscape, Home Waters is a portrait of a family who claimed a river, from one generation to the next, of how this family came of age in the 20th century and later as they scattered across the country, faced tragedy and success, yet were always drawn back to the waters that bound them together. Here are the true stories behind the beloved characters fictionalized in A River Runs through It, including the Reverend Maclean, the patriarch who introduced the family to fishing; Norman, who balanced a life divided between literature and the tug of the rugged West; and tragic yet luminous Paul (played by Brad Pitt in Robert Redford’s film adaptation), whose mysterious death has haunted the family and led John to investigate his uncle’s murder and reveal new details in these pages. A universal story about nature, family, and the art of fly fishing, Maclean’s memoir beautifully captures the inextricable ways our personal histories are linked to the places we come from—our home waters. Featuring twelve wood engravings by Wesley W. Bates and a map of the Blackfoot River region.

Rodmakers featured in this book. Book jacket.

Tom Mann is an American original. Growing up in Depression-era Alabama, for him fishing was more than a recreational activity-it was a way of putting dinner on the table. Following his father's simple advice, "to catch fish, you have to find fish," six-year-old Tom came up with an innovative way of finding the drop-offs in a creek where fish seek refuge from predators. As a young teenager, he began to design and craft special lures, always with an eye toward tricking the freshwater dean of the deep-the largemouth bass. Tom's innate talent in outsmarting the competition above and below the waterline quickly took him from local hero to three-time world bass fishing champion to living legend. He also tapped into his skill for designing lures, building a multi-million-dollar enterprise that has sold over one billion lures to date in major sporting goods and fishing retailers around the world, all with his smiling face on the packages. Yet despite the prestige and fame of a forty-year career, he still resides where it all began-deep in the heart of the South. Filled with touching childhood stories and hilarious down-home fisherman's lore, "Think Like a Fish reveals how Mann quite literally learned to "think like a fish." He explains the technique and mindset that enable him to lure a fish from thirty yards away into a circle the size of a hula hoop; how he "trains" bass to jump right into his boat; and how he purportedly managed to lure a shark to shore with rod and reel. But in addition to the fishing techniques and words of wisdom, Mann explores the path that got him where he is today-a poignant story of determination, Southern grit, and good-ole-boy charm. Full of gentle humor andwit, this book brings to life the allure of the South and one of its favorite pastimes.

"Unforgettable battles with the fascinating silver king."

‘Every time I leave the world of work, family and community to wade into a river with fly rod in hand, I enter a sacred space that sometimes finds expression in the written word.’ In Casting into Mystery, writer Robert Reid and wood engraver Wesley W. Bates—avid anglers, both—put ink to paper in homage to the venerable sport of fly fishing. Through text and image, they recall with fondness the ‘company of rivers’ each is grateful to know, providing a glimpse inside a sporting culture teeming with literature, art and music. Part memoir, part objet d’art and part field guide, Casting into Mystery will delight passionate fly fishing practitioners and armchair anglers alike.