Book Review: 20th Anniversary Edition of Trout Bum

September 7, 2006 By: Marshall Cutchin

If Redford’s single film foray into fly fishing excited interest among the unwashed (or overwashed, depending on your take) masses, John Gierach’s Trout Bum inspired a modern ethos among the sport’s addicts. His most famous book, which has never been out of print, told practitioners that there was no room for B.S., only for individualized practice and dedication beyond comfort.
Bob Scammell reviews the 20th anniversary edition of Trout Bum (Pruett Publishing Company, April 2006, 256 pages), which he notes is highlighted with commentaries by various friends and authors. Of Gierach’s new intro, Scammel says “Gierach’s edge is still there: ‘But then those are just two more things that haven’t changed in twenty years: political correctness still poses as fisheries management and the people in charge still don’t seem quite human. The trick to sanity is to keep your secrets, defend what you can, and go fishing.’” In the Brooks [Alberta] Bulletin.