About The Book

Seasons of the Angler brings together stories, essays, and poems, all centered on the theme of fishing, by twenty-eight of America’s most exciting contemporary authors. The pieces – most of which appear for the first time here – range from David Quammen’s harrowing account of his days as a professional fishing guide, to Thomas McGuane’s meditative essay on his discovery of a new river, to P.J. O’Rourke’s hilarious tale of his attempts to learn the art of angling, to Richard Ford’s haunting short story about three adolescents’ painful coming-of-age during a fishing trip in northern Montana. Also included are works by Raymond Carver, Jim Harrison, Vance Bourjaily, William Hjortsberg, Donald Hall, and Bill Barich, along with actor Rip Torn’s moving memoir of his fishing trips with the late Richard Brautigan.

Illustrated with twenty-five original pencil drawings by Joseph Fornelli, Seasons of the Angler is a welcome addition to the literature on this most noble of sports, a must for anyone interested in good fishing or fine writing.

Praise

“The authors whose work Mr. Seybold has collected in this fisherman’s anthology have created an astonishing variety of effects from their basically limited means’a positive miracle of fishes.” –The Atlantic Monthly

“Seasons of the Angler elevates angling stories . . . to serious and entertaining reading.” –Outside

“Seasons of the Angler is the best fishing anthology I’ve ever read. Every story in it is a surprise and a delight. I haven’t read a fishing book with so much pleasure in years.” –Tom Rosenbauer, The Orvis Company

“Seasons of the Angler is a literary gin and tonic”pure refreshment in a desert where “outdoor writing” normally means how-to advice or dying-bird-dog schmaltz. The Vietnam generation’s best writers all seem to be fly fishermen, and David Seybold has corralled them here. This is the most readable bunch of sporting adventures since Bill Humphrey’s Open Season.” –Silvio Calabi, Editor, Rod & Reel

“This is a collection of work by find writers writing about what they love. For my money you just can’t do better than that.” –Craig Nova