If you would like to interest your children or grandchildren in fly-fishing, buy them a copy of “Down by the River,” written by Andrew Weiner and richly illustrated by April Chu, both Bay Area residents. It is a story about a boy’s first fly-fishing trip with his mother and grandfather.
In addition to the sweet story about the boy learning to love fly fishing, it has an illustrated glossary providing descriptions and explanations of fly-fishing terminology and equipment. It is just enough information to hold a child’s interest and perhaps inspire a birthday and Christmas wish list.
I regret that there were no children’s books like this when my kids were young.
Only one if my adult children, Ryan, showed interest in fly fishing, my favorite avocation. His daughters, Vivian, 5, and Willa, 3, are the only two of our nine grandchildren with whom I have a chance of turning them into fly fishers. The other seven are in their teens and beyond my influence.
The good news is that Ryan and his wife, Rachel, live in Portland close to many excellent fly-fishing streams, and he has already taken them on camping trips and introduced them to the general idea of fishing. As soon as it is safe for us to visit them, Dottie and I are driving north and I’m bringing a copy of “Down by the River” to read to Vivian and Willa.
Of course Andy Weiner, the book’s author, is a fly fisherman, and he indicates that the folks at Readers’ Books in Sonoma are familiar with the book so you can get it there. He has spent his entire professional career in the publishing business and currently works for Abrams Books. I found it enlightening that it took him more than 10 years after he wrote it to get it published, even though he’s on the “inside” of the business and understands how it works.
Those of us who’ve labored for years writing, rewriting, editing and polishing our books and are still trying to attract an agent and publisher can be encouraged to keep trying, because that is how Andy finally got his creation into print and bookstores.
He is also an active supporter of conservation organizations like Trout Unlimited, and works with The Mayfly project, whose mission is to support children in foster care through fly fishing and introduce them to their local water ecosystems. For more information go to themayflyproject.com.
Good books about fly-fishing are rare. Great children’s books about fly-fishing are almost nonexistent. Now, I know of at least one.
You can purchase “Down by the River” at Readers’ Books in Sonoma or find it online at Amazon. There also is an audio version.
If you want to take your kids or grandkids fishing this month, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife regularly plants rainbow trout in Santa Rosa’s Lake Ralphine, Marin’s Bon Tempe Lake and Napa County’s Lake Berryessa.
You can fish off the bank for striped bass in the Napa River along Cuttings Wharf Road, and off the pier at McNears Beach park in Marin.
Capt. Patrick MacKenzie, a local fly-fishing guide, also offers full day and half-day fly-fishing trips for stripers on the Napa River. Call Patrick at (707) 721-6700.
Looking ahead to summer, Jim and Rachel Andras run Camp Fly Fish, a fly-fishing camp for kids. For more information, go to their website at andrasoutfitters.com.
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