Journal of a Trapper by Osborne Russell

I really enjoy reading historical books and especially those about the Old West.  Journal of a Trapper is one of my favorite such books.  As the title suggests, this book is the journal of fur trapper Osborne Russell which documents the 9 years he spent in the Rocky Mountains trapping and hunting.  I am envious of those who got to see this region in it’s nearly pristine state and Russell does an excellent job describing the experience.  One amazing passage describes how he had to wait on the trail for a couple of hours while a massive herd of bison migrates in front of him.  Sadly towards the end of his writings he notes the absence of these great herds and how it is less and less common to even see a bison.  I also enjoyed his entries about winter in what is now Ogden, UT and how, when he needed me, he would just hike up to the foothills of the Wasatch mountains and shoot a big horn sheep.  It sounds that they were plentiful in his day and of course now, I doubt there are even any transplanted sheep in the hills above Ogden.  Interestingly, at the time I read this book, I happened to travel to Yellowstone and fished at the site of one of his encampments at the confluence of the Lewis Fork of the Snake River and the Snake River (it was full of whitefish by the way).  It was cool to be standing right where he did some 170 years earlier.

I marvel that hearty souls like Osborne Russel could make a living … Continue Reading

Wow, two book reviews in two days hard to imagine.

Today I am reviewing a great children’s book called Trout are Made of Trees by April Pulley Sayre (Author) and Kate Endle (Illustrator). This book offers an educational, yet fun look at the circle of life in a trout stream and describes how trees ultimately become trout.  It is a great way to teach your kids about ecology and start them on the path to amateur entomology, we call fly fishing.  This is a timely read given that Earth Day will soon be upon us and you will have a fun book you can share with your kids.

Classic split cane rod advertisement

This week’s classic fly fishing book is Fly-fishing in Maine lakes: or, camp-life in the wilderness By Charles Woodbury Stevens.  The book, written in 1884, is a collection of lighthearted tales of fly fishing.  The book is filled with some great illustrations, some of which are rather comical.  I imagine this would be an even more interesting read for those of you familiar with the waters about which he has written.  The image to the right is an ad that appears at the end of  the book, which I thought was pretty cool as really enjoy vintage graphic design and advertisements.  The other really exquisite part of the book is the drop cap and chapter heading illustrations; these are really nice.

I haven’t completed reading this book yet, but have really enjoyed what I have read so far and recommend that you check it out.  Enjoy.

Fly-fishing in Maine lakes: or, camp-life in the wilderness By Charles Woodbury Stevens (via Google Books)

Google Books is considered a fairly controversial project in some circles, but from where I stand the bounty has been plentiful.  In the last 6 months Google digitized the autobiography of my great-great-grandfather, James S. Brown.  This is a book that is out of print and very difficult to come by and expensive if you do.

Fishing with the Fly, by Charles F Orvis

Fly fishermen can enjoy access to a treasure-trove of classic texts and I will aim to highlight one each Tuesday (we’ll see how long this lasts).  The first book I am reviewing is Fishing with the Fly by Charles F Orvis and A. Nelson Cheney published in 1886.  This is an interesting read from one of the most historically influential fly anglers of all time.  This book contains some great full color plate illustrations of early fly patterns and some classic quotes like this one about brook trout:
It is well known that the salmo fontinalis gives no care or thought to its offspring; and evinces no love or affection for it after it passes the embryotic or ova-otic stage ; and that daring that stage their parental fondness is akin to that of the cannibal for the conventional “fat missionary.”
I think one of my favorite parts is the chapter called Fly Fishing in the Yosemite.  This is an entertaining story of a trip to the Yosemite.  There are a lot of gems in this book and I encourage you to check it out and it is definitely at least worth a scan.

• Fishing with the Fly by Charles F Orvis and A. Nelson Cheney, 1886