Delightful Reading

I guess I knew it would happen. You can only stretch 211 pages so far. Still, I was disappointed when reached the end of Tents, Boats and the Ones That Got Away by Tim Mead. I nursed it the best I could -- reading only a chapter at a time, and not every day -- because I realized right away that I would come to the end too soon. Still, the end did come. Thankfully, I can revisit these stories. As Tim notes in Chapter 26, sharing a lesson he learned from a librarian many years ago, some books should be read more than once.

Of course, a few of my "on deck" books also make this one a little easier to finish because the list stemmed from its contents. I was excited to get Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler, Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac and Henry David Thoreau's Walden for Christmas. I've read A Sand County Almanac, but it has been too many years, and I did not own a copy. I certainly should have read the others, but I haven't.

Tim's stories, which he says are "the truth, mainly," quoting Mark Twain, are built around fishing trips and a few other outdoor adventures, but they are about much more. Sounds cliché to say that, I realize, but it this case it's true. He does an astounding job capturing the wonders of spending time on the water with friends (and alone), the sense of accomplishment in learning a skill, the joy of teaching a skill or passing along a passion to someone else, the thrill of discovering new places, the odd romance of sometimes-miserable conditions... The list could go on. Tim also weaves in life philosophies without preaching, is candid about his own relationships, and shares many of the influences on him as an angler and as an outdoor writer.

Tim Mead is a long-time friend. (He would say, an old friend.) And we've spent a fair amount of time together both on and off the water. Therefore, many of the stories' characters and settings -- and even a few of the stories themselves -- in Tents, Boats and the Ones That Got Away were already familiar to me. The personal tie (including my own name in one surprise mention) added an element of fun. However, my greatest reading joy, and one I'm certain would be shared by virtually any angler or close friend of an angler, came from very relatable themes throughout the book and stories told in a way that simply make them fun to read.

Tim and I have a plan to fish together soon, and I look forward to trading some fish stories and creating a few new ones. Ideally not a memorable story about a fish that gets away, but if so, I suppose that's OK!