Remembering John Gierach
Recalling the shaper of a Platonic fly-fishing reality, in his own words
CFS crew: It was near press-send-time at CFS HQ last week when I learned John Gierach had died at 78 of a heart attack.
Widely acknowledged as America's best living fly-fishing writer, Gierach built an archetype of the fly angler as outsider and seeker, a contemplative semi-recluse elevated above the scrum. He wrote over 20 books, almost all collections of essays, centering on one simple thread: What a strange and powerful thing it is, to be alive and doing this.
His first compilation, 1984's Trout Bum, grabbed hold of the zeitgeist and wouldn't let go. Gierach's droll individualist style and refusal to take the dramatic, macho subject of fishing as seriously as he should became his calling card.
From there, his fame grew, but always in an approachable, steady way. He seemed to simply take fishing trips, meet people, and make observations about the human condition. Not a bad way to be, for a writer.
There was a kind of "scenius" in his earliest days. A.K. Best and Ed Engle, two of his boon fishing companions, have become lauded in their own right. At the time they formed a kind of Front Range Gang of passionate anglers and fly tiers centered in Colorado.
Tributes have started, in Fly Fisherman and Hatch and Flylords. Trout Unlimited's Kirk Deeter had some nice words on Instagram. I would expect more tributes to come. Gierach contributed to all fly fishing publications at one time or another, and they'll all be paying homage.
Surprisingly, I haven't seen a New York Times obituary yet; he had a few bylines there, and while written for the common person, his work wasn't quite lowbrow enough for the last major national paper that regularly puts fly-fishing in the Sports section to overlook. I haven't seen anything from the Denver Post either.
I never met John. But he was among the strongest fly-fishing teachers I ever had. Here are a few of my favorite quotes, on different topics, from various points in his evolution as an angler. Trout Bum is the place to start. But really, the closest book of his you can get your hands on, from the library or the bookstore down the way, will do.
One tidbit. Those of you who have been through our Intro to Fly Fishing class remember Saint Louis Ponds, in Marion County, as our outing destination after the first introduction to the Pillars, and our casting class at Westmoreland Park.
The goal of that pond outing isn't necessarily the biggest fish, but some fish. Getting a sense of the thing. Excitement and exploration that's accessible and achievable for our first day.
Gierach included an essay about the joys of a similar place in Trout Bum, "Sawhill Portrait". Here 's a copy, just for you. Take a spin, and dig deeper into Gierach's work, and way of fishing, from that essay and some favorite quotes from his work and stories shared by others.
Got a favorite Gierach quote of your own? A story? Add them in the comments.
Or hell, just go out and fish somewhere before it starts snowing.
On knowledge
...the things fishermen know about trout aren't facts but articles of faith. (Trout Bum, 1986)
I've been fly-fishing for over forty years now, and even if I'm not the best wader, caster, fish spotter or flytier, I've learned to work well within my limitations, like a three-legged dog that can still go for a nice, long walk. (A Fly Rod of Your Own, 2017)
On tools
Too much stuff leads to too much fumbling, both physical and mental, while clarity of intent can take the place of one hell of a lot of superfluous tackle. I'm able to travel light on the familiar freestone creeks near home, where I fish comfortably with half a dozen flies and no more other odds and ends than will fit in a pants pocket. (A Fly Rod of Your Own, 2017)
“A couple of hundred dollars for a fishing pole!?" You'll hear that all the time if you don't keep your mouth shut in certain company. You can talk about the aesthetics and even mention a cane rod will appreciate in value while a new graphite rod will depreciate, but the best thing to do is turn around and say, "$9,000.00 for a car? I only paid $500.00 for mine.” (Trout Bum, 1984)
On outcomes
Fly-fishing is solitary, contemplative, misanthropic, scientific in some hands, poetic in others, and laced with conflicting aesthetic considerations. It is not even clear if catching fish is actually the point. (Dances with Trout, 1994)
Never fall into that statistical macho trap that’s so prevalent in fly-fishing these days. If you keep score, you can be beaten, but if you refuse to compete you can leave the impression that you have long since risen above that kind of crap. When someone says to you, “I caught forty-eight trout and ten of them were twenty inches or better. How’d you do?” say, “Yeah, we got some. Couple nice ones, too.” (Death, Taxes, and Leaky Waders, 2000)
On learning
I learned how to fly fish in the hit-and-miss, trial-and-error way that makes things stick, and I learned patience, persistence, acceptance and probably a few other good things too. (Another Lousy Day in Paradise, 1996)
There are few broad strokes in fly-fishing. It's all specific details strung together in a precise order; too many details to think about, really, but over time you wear neural pathways and the process resolves itself into something like instinct. This happens gradually and comes from nothing but repetition. There are no shortcuts, and the hunt for shortcuts only distracts you from the business of letting the craft become second-nature. Eventually you lose track of how little you think about it until someone asks you to teach them how to fly fish and you do have to think about it. (A Fly Rod of Your Own, 2017)
On mysteries
Sometimes a non-angler will ask how I can stand to hook, play, and land these increasingly rare fish that I claim to love and respect so much, adding to their already heavy burden of survival. To that I can only say, “It’s because life is more complicated than either of us could ever imagine.” (Dumb Luck and the Kindness of Strangers, 2020)
Trout are among those creatures who are one hell of a lot prettier than they need to be. They can get you to wondering about the hidden workings of reality. (Trout Bum, 1984)
Passing into oral history
More JG! Montana State's amazing Angling Oral History Project sat down with Gierach, along with many other angling icons. I'm grateful for this project's dedication to capturing these voices.
In his own words...
Gierach's papers and literary effects will also be in the care of the university, accompanying other great fishing writers in the stacks, hopefully for a good long while.
Dig into a conversation between Trout Unlimited and John Gierach on the release of 2020's Dumb Luck and the Kindness of Strangers.
For the past few years, TU's quarterly TROUT magazine had been the place to find Gierach's columns. It's a pretty good little publication, and a great perk to joining TU.
OK, one last cast for Gierach.
In which Gierach pays a pilgrimage to the home water of John D. Voelker, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Voelker, known pseudonymously as Robert Traver, was the literary angling icon of a generation prior to Gierach.
And the beat goes on.
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