5 fantastic fishing books you should read this winter

The Longest Silence: A Life in Fishing

Author Thomas McGuane is both an internationally renowned writer of literary fiction and a dedicated, vastly experienced fly fisherman—a seriously rare combination. The writing of some literary authors can be dense or florid, but McGuane’s writing is masterful, witty and accessible. And when he turns his attention to fly fishing, his essays, observations and reflections are without peer. This book collects 33 stories about angling adventures, lessons learned and characters encountered during McGuane’s lifelong fishing obsession. When reading, I sometimes dog-ear pages with interesting ideas or turns of phrase. With this book, that was almost every page.

The Royal Wulff Murders

As a lifelong devotee of mysteries and thrillers, I know that themed stories—with a detective who knits or races motorcycles or trains cats, but is otherwise totally bland—are inevitably cheesy. But not this one. Author Keith McCafferty crafts a lively and compelling mystery starring fly angler and semi-pro detective Sean Stranahan, set against a backdrop of Montana’s fly-fishing culture. In fact, mystery lovers who don’t care about angling still enjoy this book, which is high praise. And for those of us who do fly fish, long-time outdoor writer McCafferty gets every detail perfect. There are now six more books in the series, starring Stranahan, and his friends sheriff Martha Ettinger and colourful fly-fishing guide Rainbow Sam, and they’re all terrific.