Jim Harrison: “Older Fishing”

June 22, 2012 By: Marshall Cutchin

We are lucky to live in what may be the last decades of fly fishing literature in its purest form.  There are a handful of writers still placing fingers on keyboards and turning out magic, in part because they’ve long enjoyed the support of publishers who could merchandise fine long-form writing.   But ask many of those writers today whether they could even get the attention of today’s major publishers and you’d sense serious doubt.  That’s why it’s a pleasure to see editors like Robert DeMott making the effort to collect and publish top writers in books like Astream (Skyhorse Publishing, hardcover, 284 pages), released just this Saturday.

Jim Harrison’s “Older Fishing” is chapter 12 of the book, which has instantly become our summer read of choice.   Enjoy Harrison’s observations from several decades of fishing–and of writing about it like few others can.