I approached this book with a degree of hesitation out of concern that it would be an argument for fly-fishing purism disguised as a collection of fishing stories. Let me relieve you of that concern outright. That is not the case. Although Coggins discusses his desire to stay dry-fly-only during a couple of the stories and mentions that he never keeps a fish, this is a collection of well-written fishing tales in the vein of John Gierach that even your worm & corn trout fishing uncle could love.
The Optimist gives the reader a glimpse into the society of “serious” hobby anglers. In it, Coggins tells us about “[T]he angling specifics, the rituals, and peripheral pleasures that are also part of the sport: early breakfast at a saloon before driving into Yellowstone National Park (hashbrowns well-done), buying ice at the gas station, picking up lunch, talking to the slightly dismissive men at the local fly shop and trying to sort out their cryptic advice about what’s been working.” If you aren’t accustomed to these traditions, this book will introduce you to the club through trout tales that keep the pages turning.
If you are familiar with Coggins, it should come as no surprise that the book is well written. Coggins spins his yarns with the delicate prose that he’s perfected over his career as a writer, editor, and copywriter. Coggins begins by giving you a glimpse into his learning experience with fishing under the tutelage of the type of mentor that doesn’t give out much praise beyond a simple nod or an off-hand comment about a well-placed cast. From there, Coggins takes us on a series of fishing adventures in Montana, the Bahamas, Patagonia, New York, Canada, Maine, and (of course) England. Throughout the journey we are introduced to a series of memorable characters who live lives devoted to fishing in quaint corners of the world. These are the type of stories that have you checking flights and lodging in Patagonia “just to see what it might cost” and secretly hoping that the same fishermen that Coggins met are still hanging around.
The book is entertaining. You can feel the joy in the author’s voice when he describes these escapes from his life in New York City, where he complains about experiencing unobstructed sunlight only in seldom intervals, to the open ranges of Montana or the star-covered sky of Patagonia. But there are also lessons to learn along the way, whether you realize it or not. You get book recommendations from the anglers that we meet, like How To Fish From Top to Bottom, which is described as an almost-sacred text. Or you can check out Tarpon, the documentary set in the Bahamas that follows authors Jim Harrison (Legends of the Fall), Thomas McGuane (The Longest Silence), and Richard Brautigan (Trout Fishing In America) on a fishing trip to Key West for tarpon. It features an original film score by Jimmy Buffett and you get the joy of eavesdropping on the group’s conversations where you pick up little gems like Brautigan quoting Ernest Hemingway to explain the joy felt by releasing a Tarpon.
Overall, this book was fun to read. It was informative. But it was also inspiring. It is proof that you can have your career in one of the largest cities in the world and still accumulate a book’s worth of experiences in wild places. Pick up a copy. It will make you want to spend more time in the stream. But be careful. As Coggins warns us, “Too much fishing, and too much absinth for that matter, can leave you with an overgrown beard far from home raving about the fate of the world. It’s like I’m part of a disreputable cult known to have suspect views about the creation of the universe . . ..”
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