David CogginsReviews
Author of Men and Style: Essays, Interviews and Considerations
8 Works 141 Members 3 Reviews
Reviews
The Believer: A Year in the Fly Fishing Life by David Coggins
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1Randal | Feb 12, 2024 | This is a beautiful book, and yet nothing really happens, and is part of the reason it is so great.
It chronicles the authors yearly trips with his family to the island of St Barts.
They lay in the sun by the pool and the beach, read interesting books, walk all over the island, East well, and hang out with friends old and new.
It perfectly describes how I like to spend time on a vacation. The author is an artist and so every page has these beautiful minimalist watercolor sketches of something related to what is being described.
One takeaway for me was how the the island changed year after year and not really in a good way.
Rich people with money or just greed or a desire to make everything luxurious or the same ruin so many wonderful places.
I feel blessed to have been to a number of places before they became another cookie cutter destination, especially Waikiki beach- back when it retained elements of Hawaii and Polynesia some say it was tacky but I see it as charm and being more in line with what you would expect. Now it is as Polynesian as Dallas.
Maui before money and southern Californians made it look like their state.
Cabo San Lucas in 1986 still a sleepy town known for fishing and 1 bar that catered to Americans.
Now it is nothing but luxury hotels and a billion timeshares and their pesky salespeople. And prices that rival LA or NYC.
This book reminds the reader of the joys of unwinding, relaxing and reflecting.
I loved it.
It chronicles the authors yearly trips with his family to the island of St Barts.
They lay in the sun by the pool and the beach, read interesting books, walk all over the island, East well, and hang out with friends old and new.
It perfectly describes how I like to spend time on a vacation. The author is an artist and so every page has these beautiful minimalist watercolor sketches of something related to what is being described.
One takeaway for me was how the the island changed year after year and not really in a good way.
Rich people with money or just greed or a desire to make everything luxurious or the same ruin so many wonderful places.
I feel blessed to have been to a number of places before they became another cookie cutter destination, especially Waikiki beach- back when it retained elements of Hawaii and Polynesia some say it was tacky but I see it as charm and being more in line with what you would expect. Now it is as Polynesian as Dallas.
Maui before money and southern Californians made it look like their state.
Cabo San Lucas in 1986 still a sleepy town known for fishing and 1 bar that catered to Americans.
Now it is nothing but luxury hotels and a billion timeshares and their pesky salespeople. And prices that rival LA or NYC.
This book reminds the reader of the joys of unwinding, relaxing and reflecting.
I loved it.
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zmagic69 | Mar 31, 2023 | As an avid (maybe rabid) fly fisherman, I was naturally drawn to this book. I could not believe my luck, when reading the first chapter, to find out the author was introduced to fly fishing in Wisconsin, just as I was. He had me hooked (no pun intended) from that point on.
This is a wonderful little book, full of the author's experiences and perceptions as he travels around fishing. From Wisconsin to Patagonia, he aptly describes each location, and it's setting and particular quirks. Besides the obvious draw to Wisconsin, I really enjoyed his trips to Maine for brook trout, and to England for brown trout. He managed to make me feel like I was there, fishing alongside him.
I think that I will keep this book near my favorite chair by the fireplace, and return to it again and again when the cold weather hits and keeps me inside!
This is a wonderful little book, full of the author's experiences and perceptions as he travels around fishing. From Wisconsin to Patagonia, he aptly describes each location, and it's setting and particular quirks. Besides the obvious draw to Wisconsin, I really enjoyed his trips to Maine for brook trout, and to England for brown trout. He managed to make me feel like I was there, fishing alongside him.
I think that I will keep this book near my favorite chair by the fireplace, and return to it again and again when the cold weather hits and keeps me inside!
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1Randal | Jun 2, 2021 | This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.