Rating: 
Summary: Great Read
Review: I have read this book twice now and it gets better each time. I grew up in Texas and recognize much of what Raines describes. I found the book both amusing and thoughtful. It wasn't as much about fishing as growing up in a changing South, growing old in a changing world and the role of friendship in that process. I would read a chapter and take a moment to digest it before moving on. You could say I like the book.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book on fishing and life
Review: I've read Raines book and enjoyed it thoroughly. Taken on it's own merit, it is an insightful book about the journey from one kind of fishing to another, a journey that is also an analogy for life. Along the way, Raines offers his political views, but to argue as the other reviewers on this page have done that the book is of poor quality because Raines is a liberal is silliness. Sure, his views may be disagreeable to some, but they are his way of inserting his voice and experience into his writing. The writing itelf is rich and the insights are perceptive. I highly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Net This and Keep It
Review: Ignore what the right-wingers say and judge this one for yourself, if you love the outdoors and streams where the fish rise. It's not quite what Penick's "Red Book" is to golf, but it comes closer than any other book of its type.
Rating:
Summary: politically correct fly fishing
Review: It is hard to believe that I could ever be this positive about someone who is a leftist, liberal news editor like Howell Raines. But the truth is, Mr. Raines has written an outstanding book
that is highly recommended to *anyone*, flyfisher(wo)man or not!An added bonus are the fish recipes scattered throughout, mm mm good!
Rating:
Summary: Forget the Politics, It's About Friendship
Review: It's pretty sad that most who've written online reviews of this book have been so prejudiced against Raines because of his association with the New York Times that they can't evaluate the book based on its own merits. Sure, Raines does discuss his own liberal tendencies and opinions, but then how can people turn around and criticize him for being less than forthcoming about his internal beliefs and conflicts? (By the way, Raines spent the entire eight years of the Clinton administration being so relentlessly critical of the President that Clinton was notorious for becoming enraged at the mere mention of Raines' name.) I also find unfair the criticism that Raines' perspective on the "midlife crisis" is somehow not genuine or revelatory. He's blasted for being discreet about the exact nature of his divorce, and for being circumspect about other details of his personal life. Well, if you want all the dirty details, just read some old issues of "Spy" magazine. The man was subjected to enough gossip and innuendo that it's no wonder he chose not to indulge the readers of this book with any more tidbits. A genuine "midlife crisis" is not the cliche about buying a sportcar and running off with a blonde teenager - what's really scary about becoming middle-aged is realizing your mortality, and that's what this book is largely about. Howell Raines made friends with a man who became his companion and mentor, and then that man died, and he had a hard time dealing with it. When Dick Blalock died, Howell Raines had to "grow up". And yes, I am not a neutral observer. Dick Blalock was my father, and I often go back to read Howell Raines' book to "reminisce" with Dad.... "A reader" (too cowardly to post his real name) obviously wasn't paying much attention when he wrote his review of this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Where is the part about Midlife Crisis?
Review: Maybe my crisis is so intense I missed this topic on the book. I purchased this book in the attempt of finding some more information about men midlife crisis. But if you intend on buying this book for the same reason, don't. There's absolutely nothing valuable about the subject, and frankly, the fly-fishing part (almost everything else) is not even interesting. I'm not a fisher, but a well-written book will get your attention about any subject. This one is just a compilation of small autobiographical chronicles with doubtful choice of sequence. Perhaps good if you are a fly-fisher or want to know some meaningless political stories. If not, waste of time and money.
Rating:
Summary: Flyfishing and Therapy in One Book
Review: Raines has done a wonderful job in this book on several fronts. It is a very engaging story, chock full of the entertainment we long to read for. It is also a wealth of nuggets of information about flyfishing -- those nuggets you won't find in the "how-to" books, but normally only learn through long hard experience. Woven through this great tale however is something much deeper and more personal. It is a story, a fly-fishing instructional book, and practical, down-to-earth psychotherapy for men over 40, all in one compact book. It helps us to recognize those traits we've suffered through and tried to understand. All in all, Raines essentially says to save your head shrink money and go fly-fishing. I've followed his advice - and it works!
Rating:
Summary: Gets to the heart of fly fishing.
Review: Skip the discussions in other reviews of the politics of the author - that is not relevant, and not what this book is about. Mr. Raines writes a wonderful, heartwarming story of how fishing was a part of growing up, and then through fishing and one fishing related friendship in particular, of how he came to grips with some of the fundamental issues of life. There is no right or wrong here that the author got, or did not. It is simply one mans experience, wonderfully told with insight and gentle humor, of a passage through life. Fishermen will enjoy the book for the fishing metaphor, others will enjoy it for the story of a special friendship. It is even better as a book on tape, Mr. Raines syrupy southern voice adds just the right tone and inflection to make the story even more memorable.
Rating: 
Summary: and then...?
Review: Take one middle aged guy, throw in the history of him watching a decade or so go by, toss in some past memories, a few friends, a few fishing trips, a little regional history & folklore,some biased political commentary and what do you get...? A decent read. BUT by no means a great read. I like to row (scull) and have read most, if not all, of the "sports/autobiographical" rowing tomes out there -- and there are few. I KNOW when an author has really let it all hang out for the world to see. This book falls into that same "sports/autobiographical" category. One of the few written dealing with the emotional side and contect of a specific sport as applied to life (in this case fly fishing). You can write this stuff around any sport you engage in for some time. Find the meaning, draw the analogies, etc. However in Raines case, and for an experienced writer, he could have just done sooo much better. It's not the feelings he shares, it's the emotions he leaves out. He does NOT let it all hang out. The passion just isn't there like one might think it should be. Pivotal events are often deal with as passings of time. Unlike other autobiographical books I have read, this one left me wanting to share it with.. nobody. And that is a shame because I am not that hard to please... If this were a movie you would wait till it came to video and the big name videos were already checked out... BTW, if you want to try something interesting, try "Rowing Against the Current" to experience personal sports writing where the author really lets you in...
Rating:
Summary: and then...?
Review: Take one middle aged guy, throw in the history of him watching a decade or so go by, toss in some past memories, a few friends, a few fishing trips, a little regional history & folklore,some biased political commentary and what do you get...? A decent read. BUT by no means a great read. I like to row (scull) and have read most, if not all, of the "sports/autobiographical" rowing tomes out there -- and there are few. I KNOW when an author has really let it all hang out for the world to see. This book falls into that same "sports/autobiographical" category. One of the few written dealing with the emotional side and contect of a specific sport as applied to life (in this case fly fishing). You can write this stuff around any sport you engage in for some time. Find the meaning, draw the analogies, etc. However in Raines case, and for an experienced writer, he could have just done sooo much better. It's not the feelings he shares, it's the emotions he leaves out. He does NOT let it all hang out. The passion just isn't there like one might think it should be. Pivotal events are often deal with as passings of time. Unlike other autobiographical books I have read, this one left me wanting to share it with.. nobody. And that is a shame because I am not that hard to please... If this were a movie you would wait till it came to video and the big name videos were already checked out... BTW, if you want to try something interesting, try "Rowing Against the Current" to experience personal sports writing where the author really lets you in...
| 
