The Believer: A Year in the Fly Fishing Life

Coggins is a wonderful writer, funny, reflective.

Enjoyable and thought provoking read

“The Believer” is more than a worthy follow up to his wonderful book “The Optimist”. David Coggins doesn’t disappoint, proving himself once again to be an engaging writer with a good sense of humor. The fly fishing travelogue format suits him and delivers us some truly entertaining and captivating new episodes from around the globe. Coggins is also facing middle age, which adds a very personal and deeper meaning to each encounter with the fish and the natural world. Some may mistake the author’s authentic concern with his age with an “I don’t want to grow up” type of attitude, but Coggins deftly shares what most fly fishermen often face as they balance work, relationships, and family. How do you pursue the trout, Atlantic salmon, bonefish, permit, tarpon and other gamefish who live in some of the world’s most beautiful places while leaving a loved one at home or seeming to be lost entirely to the sport? From the outset, Coggins expresses it well: “In this year, in the middle of my life, I went out into the world. Far out into it. I wanted to get closer to extreme places of beauty where I could catch fish. Was it desperate? Probably. Inspired? I’m not so sure. But the itinerary was no joke: Patagonia, Cuba, Belize, Norway, Spain, Scotland.” Fortunately, the author finds a way to weave in all of his insecurities, questions and challenges with midlife with some fishing stories of the highest order. Fish often prove elusive, yet the occasional triumph is that much sweeter. After all, he is an aficionado of tales of woe when it comes to fishing. He describes just about every way you can lose a fish, while cherishing each moment of panic and humor in the end. He clearly relishes the planning, anticipation, on water action and cultural riches of fly fishing in so many different places with such a diverse group of people with distinct local traditions, food, and world views. Coggins can write as comfortably about trout fishing amidst the beauty of Patagonia, its landscape and wildlife, as well as casting for tarpon in Cuba after visiting Hemingway’s house there. He enjoys the finer aspects of cuisine, art, culture and life, and has the chops to deliver as a keen observer and raconteur. Yet, he opens up the fly fishing world in such a humble and personal way that you can’t resist the vicarious thrill of going along for the ride as he pursues elusive Atlantic salmon in the drizzle in Scotland, or learns hard lessons from a stern Norwegian casting instructor or stalks highly selective small trout in Spain. His range is impressive and the many novel turns of phrase in his work make it a true pleasure to read and to pass along to others. In the end, he captures what fly fishing it is all about. On catching a great fish alone: “You look around and nobody is there. It’s a secret, unknown to all but you. That rare private moment is why we return to the water.” Why, indeed. And why we don’t really ever want to stop fishing, or to fully grow up.

Best fishing book I've read since The Longest Silence by Thomas McGuane. Fans of fishing writing will know straight away how good that makes it. Funny, insightful, relatable, human and never a cliché in sight. I rarely re-read books, but I might on this occasion.

An entertaining and engaging book.