The Book of the Fly Rod

Historically, I always thought of Zane Grey as the quintessential pulp fiction Western scribbler. He may well have been that, but he certainly earned a hefty living doing so in the pre-TV era. More importantly, he was able to indulge a fishing addiction in the grandest of styles. I knew that Grey was a pioneer in developing both the gear and the methods used to land giant swordfish, blue fin tuna and marlin but I had no idea that he wrote so compellingly and lyrically about his quests. For keen fishermen who enjoy reading -- irrespective of the quarry -- Grey's books on the South Pacific (esp.) and big game fishing everywhere else are simply "must reads". Even my aged Mom, no fan of fishing, loves reading Grey's descriptions of the surroundings, his battles (more lost than won, and each one reading as a true rendition of the actual event), and the sea itself. I find his prose relaxing, even mesmerizing. (If there are any scuba divers among this audience, reading one of these books is like relaxing on a sunny tropical reef at 40' just listening to the 2nd stage and blowing bubbles. Pure zen.)

Reading this book puts one right on the ship with Mr. Grey, to wittness all the splendor and action that goes with deep-sea fishing. His descriptive writing technique is easy to understand, and beautifully captures in detail the beauty of the Tahitian waters, islands and people. Accompanied by spectacular photos, you can easily slip back to another time and place, when the fish were teaming and the islands pristine. On a side note, the references and brutality to sharks slightly disturbed me, for Mr. Grey claims to be a naturalist, how can he despise any living creature? I chalk it up to another era of outdated thinking, and today we know that sharks have a vital role in the oceans. All in all, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading more of Mr. Grey's writing.