Dumb Luck and the Kindness of Strangers
Simon and Schuster; $27; 225 pages
John Gierach’s most recent collection of essays, Dumb Luck and the Kindness of Strangers, demonstrates the numerous and varied ways that fly fishing can be a metaphor for life. He writes about fishing dogs, the intricacies of musky flies, restoring wooden drift boats, the pleasures of fishing for and eating bluegills, and much more, all while making observations that come from a lifetime on the water. After writing more than 20 books and countless articles, Gierach’s latest work makes it clear that he is still a master storyteller at the top of his craft. His work convey an attitude of someone who has fished enough to realize how little they actually know. Gierach muses “To hear some fishermen tell it, it’s possible to be an expert on everything that swims, but among us mere mortals there may only be room in a lifetime to fully come to terms with a single species . . . .” If you’ve read Gierach you know what a treat you’re in for, and if you’ve never heard of him his new book is a fine place to start. Gierach’s writing is humorous, clever, compulsively readable and, best of all, always alert to the absurdities of fishing and life. “The best and possibly only way to get good at anything is to do it for a living,” he concludes towards the end of the book. Gierach, after a lifetime of writing and fishing is arguably one of the greatest outdoor writers of all time. Dumb Luck and the Kindness of Strangers is an irresistible addition to the literature of fly fishing.—Ryan Sparks