This afternoon I found myself in an unlikely place: the local library.
Libraries aren’t totally foreign to me, having spent a good portion of my college years holed up in the corner of the reference section, prepping for the next exam. But in the age of electronic media, a trip to the library has the same frequency as a holiday visit to a distant relative.
I was picking up some CDs and decided to see what the library had to offer in the way of fly fishing books. I found the usual suspects: Rosenbauer, Gierach, Maclean, along with a string of how-to books on fly tying, streamer fishing and reading waters.
What caught my eye was a rather thin book entitled Crazy for Rivers, by Bill Barich. Released in 1999 and only 80 pages, it captures his thoughts and feelings on a time in his life when, according to him, “I went a little crazy for rivers.”
The book contains stories about fishing trips that I either aspire to take or remind me of my own experiences. Barich is a truly enjoyable writer.
If you are looking for a quick read, pick up or check out a copy of Crazy for Rivers. Enjoy!