Overview

The Secret Lives of Fishermen is Jim Dean's second book of essays celebrating wild places, rural traditions, and the pleasures and often humorous frustrations of fishing, hunting, hiking, and camping--or, as Dean might put it, """"messing around"""" outdoors. It combines essays originally published in his monthly """"Our Natural Heritage"""" column in Wildlife in North Carolina with longer pieces that appeared in other magazines. These forty-six engaging essays are arranged in a loose chronicle of the sporting year, but they seldom follow predictable routes. From a whimsical story about discovering live wood ducks in a cabin stove to a poignant memoir of summers spent in a remote riverside shack, all of the pieces are bound by a conviction that our resources and time are limited and our finest memories are shared. The title notwithstanding, not all of the essays in The Secret Lives of Fishermen are about fishing, nor are readers likely to discover any shocking secrets--unless they are surprised to learn that fishermen and hunters have myriad interests and seldom measure success by the number of fish caught or game bagged.

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9780807872178

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Reviews

""Dean looks beyond his hooks and flies to capture the cadence of friendly fishing and outdoor adventure. From learning that high-tech rods and lures don't necessarily improve one's ability to catch fish to savoring the 'Sportugese' of his favorite pastime, he offers a wealth of food for thought in his short, spare stories."" -- Publishers Weekly ""Dean takes the reader to his favorite North Carolina laughing places-Emerald Isle, his father's Granville County farm, lakes, trout streams, ponds, mountain cabins and Ralph, his fishing car. Each of Dean's laughing places has stories to tell-of people, dogs, fish, birds, and changing seasons-and Dean tells them in a laid-back Southern way that relaxes and amuses. The Secret Lives of Fishermen is a laughing place of its own."" -- TasteFull ""Jim Dean is warmhearted and wise -- and often hilarious -- about people with a passion for fishing. And he loves them in as many varieties as the species he pursues with all kinds of tackle. You couldn't ask for a more amiable fishing companion in print."" -- Nick Lyons, author of Confessions of a Fly-Fishing Addict

Author Information

Author of Dogs That Point, Fish That Bite, Jim Dean served as editor of Wildlife in North Carolina for eighteen years. He continues to contribute to that magazine and such publications as Field and Stream and Fly Rod and Reel. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

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