Overview

"""I fish because ... I can't turn myself into a trout!"" Telling a good fish story is a skill that, like good wine or cheese, gets better with age. In The Venerable Fly Tyers, Dave Jankowski presents the true antics and adventures of a group of men united by their love of fly fishing. From the fabled Au Sable River in Michigan to Montana's Yellowstone-with some duck and deer hunting thrown in-the group hooks and hopes and humbles themselves before their wives to escape the humdrum of domestic life. Known by their ""tactical call signs"" of Archer (the author) and Bald Eagle (the illustrator), it's no surprise that the two were attracted to fly fishing after flying jet fighters for a living. Both are multidiscipline sports. In flying, you need a working knowledge of aerodynamics, hydraulics, navigation, and meteorology. Fly fishing depends on your understanding of stream dynamics, water hydrology, casting, and ... meteorology! They both require fine-tuned and practiced hand-eye coordination. They are highly visual. They both require special equipment: a flight suit, helmet, g-suit, and gloves versus waders, Tilley hat, vest, and ... gloves. And finally, they both are dangerous: You can get into trouble in the blink of an eye! But Jankowski reminds us that the storyteller's best friend is time: The time we drank to your health. The time we talked until two in the morning. The time we buried Denny. The Venerable Fly Tyers is a journey back in time. It all happened, and how it happened can't be altered, but it can live again in a good fish story. This book is dedicated to the disabled American Veterans who have so honorably served their country since the early days of Vietnam, through all the Mideast conflicts, to this day and beyond. Dave Jankowski is a retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and Northwest Airlines caption. With a passion for veterans, he participates in Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing and its affiliate, Bamboo Bend, where he serves as lead instructor. Read more at www.davejankowski.com."

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9781954786691

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Reviews

Dave Jankowski's book should be on the shelf of everyone who appreciates beautiful and graceful-and, yes, comic-moments outdoors. Its good-natured humor reminds me of John Voelker's, Danny and the Boys, another rollicking celebration of guys getting in trouble while fishing. -Jerry Dennis, author of A Place on the Water and The River Home Dave Jankowski's The Venerable Fly Tyers is a must-read for any fly fisher or outdoorsman. Follow Dave and his Venerable friends as they explore the storied rivers of Michigan and the Yellowstone. Dave is a gifted storyteller, and his depiction of their adventures will leave you eager to turn the page: It's that good. Learn also how he became an expert bamboo rod maker and how he and his friends adopted Project Healing Waters participants and taught them the same skills. A devoted volunteer, he further supports Project Healing Waters efforts within his local program. This book is a gem. -Captain Ed Nicholson, USN (Ret.), Founder, Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing The Venerable Fly Tyers stokes the very center of the fire all hunters and anglers carry for their sport. A treasure of (often hilarious) stories centered on the sometimes successful pursuit of wild things living in wild places. -Josh Greenberg, author of Rivers of Sand and Trout Water Dave Jankowski has brought his own voice and unique perspective to the outdoor memoir. His adventures with The Venerable Fly Tyers are both fun and enlightening. Whether it's a first-time wade on the South Branch of the Au Sable River, another exodus to the confluences of Yellowstone and Lamar, a morning duck hunt on the flats of Lake St. Clair or a sojourner to the backcountry of Florida's Ten Thousand Islands, Jankowski takes the reader with him and his merry band for all the triumphs and travails, high jinks and histrionics of life in The Big Wild. There's plenty of learning and laughing along the way. Whether it is the meticulous process of how to make bamboo rods or the pitfalls of maintaining his beloved Fishwagon, Jankowski makes it sing in three-part harmony with bridges for lessons on history and breaks to just make crap up. There's something about everything related to hunting and fishing plus life in general. His songbook covers unexpected nocturnal battles with wild geese, arguments over downed ducks, raging rivers intent taking lives and a beautiful, heartfelt memorial service to a fallen Venerable Fly Tyer held midstream on The Holy Water. The tales of Dave Archer Jankowski and his squadron can be enjoyed piecemeal but at some point, the reader will simply keep turning the pages caught up in the story's current and intent to see what lies around the next bend. The Archer hits his target over and over again. -Tom Buhr, editor of The RIVERWATCH

Author Information

"Dave Jankowski is a retired U. S. Air Force fighter pilot and Northwest Airlines captain. He is an ardent fly-fisherman, fly tyer, and bamboo rod maker. With a passion for veterans, he participates in Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing and its affiliate, Bamboo Bend, where he serves as lead instructor. He lives in Traverse City, Michigan, with his wife, Mary. They enjoy a long marriage, have four grown daughters, and eight grandchildren who all love to go to ""Grampy's Cabin"" on Michigan's famed Au Sable River. Rod Jenkins, aka Bald Eagle, is a retired airline pilot and former Air Force pilot. He has witnessed many of the stories in this book and been a character in a few. In retirement, he has pursued his interest in drawing and watercolor painting. Rod has enjoyed all things fly fishing for more than 50 years. He enjoys fly tying, bamboo rod making, and time spent sharing these skills with anyone interested. One of his greatest joys is being an instructor in the Project Healing Waters/Bamboo Bend School that teaches military veterans how to make a bamboo fly rod."

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