River Journal: Sacramento River

Rating:
Summary: A Welcome & Appreciated Gift
Review: The author was kind enough to give me a copy of this delightful book and has inspired me so much that I might let him teach me how to fly fish.

First, some words about Chip O'Brien. There can be no doubt that Chip is an experienced angler and guide who has an in-depth knowledge of the Sacramento River. In speaking with Chip and reading this book, I have no doubt that this resource will help you catch fish. I gain confidence in this book because I know the author's deep passion for his sport and, dare I say, art.

However, that is only the practical aspect of this book. Chip has a gift for conveying beauty through his words. I quote from the first page of the book:

"The day was typical for late August on the Upper Sacramento River in that you could incinerate bacon and eggs on the streamside rocks if you wanted to. A featureless blue sky absorbed the herky-jerky rumblings of the occasional frieght train up the canyon mingled with the distant drone of a superhighway, massive U.S. Interstate 5, from the bridge high overhead. Thorny vines laden with ripe blackberries groped down into the water presenting an angler with the happy dilemma to eat or to fish ...

First the crash of an osprey not practicting catch and release distrated me. Then railroad smells, creosote and diesel smoke, carried me back to a teenage summer I had spent working in a switching yard while the boss sipped bourbon all day in an air conditioned truck ... At once my reel let out a shriek as the fish peeled off 30 feet of fly line in all of two seconds, leaped free of the water and popped my tippet with a twang like a too-tight banjo string. Then all was quiet."

I read through this book in two nights of casual reading, and I'm overjoyed that my friend was kind enough to provide me the copy. I now know where to fish, what to use, and more importantly, I know who I need to take with me.

Purchase this book for love of the Sacramento River, love of a good read, love of angling or just because you want to catch fish on the Sacramento. You won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: A Welcome & Appreciated Gift
Review: The author was kind enough to give me a copy of this delightful book and has inspired me so much that I might let him teach me how to fly fish.

First, some words about Chip O'Brien. There can be no doubt that Chip is an experienced angler and guide who has an in-depth knowledge of the Sacramento River. In speaking with Chip and reading this book, I have no doubt that this resource will help you catch fish. I gain confidence in this book because I know the author's deep passion for his sport and, dare I say, art.

However, that is only the practical aspect of this book. Chip has a gift for conveying beauty through his words. I quote from the first page of the book:

"The day was typical for late August on the Upper Sacramento River in that you could incinerate bacon and eggs on the streamside rocks if you wanted to. A featureless blue sky absorbed the herky-jerky rumblings of the occasional frieght train up the canyon mingled with the distant drone of a superhighway, massive U.S. Interstate 5, from the bridge high overhead. Thorny vines laden with ripe blackberries groped down into the water presenting an angler with the happy dilemma to eat or to fish ...

First the crash of an osprey not practicting catch and release distrated me. Then railroad smells, creosote and diesel smoke, carried me back to a teenage summer I had spent working in a switching yard while the boss sipped bourbon all day in an air conditioned truck ... At once my reel let out a shriek as the fish peeled off 30 feet of fly line in all of two seconds, leaped free of the water and popped my tippet with a twang like a too-tight banjo string. Then all was quiet."

I read through this book in two nights of casual reading, and I'm overjoyed that my friend was kind enough to provide me the copy. I now know where to fish, what to use, and more importantly, I know who I need to take with me.

Purchase this book for love of the Sacramento River, love of a good read, love of angling or just because you want to catch fish on the Sacramento. You won't be disappointed.