Every Day Was Special: A Fly Fisher's Lifelong Passion

by William G. Tapply

Overview

"It’s been a lifelong, ever-expanding journey, with many big ?sh and faraway waters and dramatic moments . . . and yet I don’t think any of those moments or any of those places or ?sh has thrilled me any more than seeing the twitch of my ?y line where it entered the muddy waters of my backyard pond . . .”

In this collection of ?y-?shing stories from acclaimed novelist and outdoor writer William G. Tapply, the natural appeal of ?y ?shing comes to life. Each story in Every Day Was Special was previously published in Tapply’s back-page column, “Reading the Currents” in American Angler, or in Gray’s Sporting Journal, or in Field & Stream. From “Dam It” to “First Light” to “When Trout Get Antsy,” these thirty re-readable pieces are unique in their own ways, and yet, all are classic Tapply. These writings serve as testament to the thrill of ?shing, the inimitable energy of casting at daybreak, and the innocence of streamside summers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626369177
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	05/25/2010
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	871 KB

About the Author

William G. Tapply was the author of dozens of books, including more than two dozen New England–based mystery novels and nearly a thousand magazine articles, mostly about fly fishing and the outdoors. Tapply died in July 2009 after a battle with leukemia. He lived and wrote in Hancock, New Hampshire.Nick Lyons is a former English professor and book publisher, as well as the author and editor of many books on various topics. He lives in New York City.
William G. Tapply (1940–2009) was an American author best known for writing legal thrillers. A lifelong New Englander, he graduated from Amherst and Harvard before going on to teach social studies at Lexington High School. He published his first novel, Death at Charity’s Point, in 1984. A story of death and betrayal among Boston Brahmins, it introduced crusading lawyer Brady Coyne, a fishing enthusiast whom Tapply would follow through twenty-five more novels, including Follow the Sharks, The Vulgar Boatman, and the posthumously published Outwitting Trolls.

Besides writing regular columns for Field and Stream, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and American Angler, Tapply wrote numerous books on fishing, hunting, and life in the outdoors. He was also the author of The Elements of Mystery Fiction, a writer’s guide. He died in 2009, at his home in Hancock, New Hampshire.  

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Introduction 1

Part I Where, When, Why

Are We Fly Fishing Yet? 9

Opening Day 1938 14

Just an Average Day 19

Same Time Next Year 25

Counting Coup 31

The Truth About Fly Fishermen 37

Part II Cold Water

Why Trout Eat, and Why They Don't 45

When Trout Get Antsy 50

Dam It 56

Out of Season 62

Tuna Fish Sandwiches and Other Inert Materials Fear of Midges 73

My Love Affair with Spring Creeks 78

Part III Warm Water

Bass-Bug Humbug 87

Mr. Bass 92

The Perfect Fish 98

Just Fishin' with Uncle Ray 103

The Pig Boat 108

Part IV Saltwater

First Light 115

Silence on the Flats 121

Turkey Bones 127

The Bones of Deadman's Cay 131

Spring Break 139

The Hunt for November Reds 145

Daisy-Chain Blues 153

Part V Some Flies

The Mongrel Bugger 161

Bloodsuckers 166

Clumped Hackles 171

Tap's Nearenuf 177

Old-Time New England Trout and Salmon Flies 182

Editorial Reviews

Tapply is a writer with a fine eye and an acute sense of place.

Boston Globe

Tapply has a rare gift of transport.

Slaton White

He approaches the deeper, subtle questions at the heart of the sport.

From the Publisher

Tapply is unassuming and funny, practical and wry.

Ted Leeson

Bill Tapply is a terrific writer.

Jay Cassell

Tapply, who passed away last year, published his outdoors writing in such periodicals as American Angler, Gray's Sporting Journal, and Field & Stream (he also authored the Brady Coyne mystery novels). He possessed what makes a writer truly special: the ability to take a topic as esoteric as fly-fishing and write about it in a way that interests not just specialists but general readers. Every Day Was Special collects his fly-fishing pieces, and while they will surely interest those looking to pick up some trout-catching tips, those who enjoy genuinely good writing about the outdoors will be drawn in as well. VERDICT Tapply clearly knows his stuff. His knowledge of royal wulffs, wooly buggers, and Chernobyl ants will demonstrate this to those who share his wisdom. Those who don't can content themselves with his evocative descriptions of summer streams, elusive fish, and the elements of life that gave the author joy. Recommended for all enthusiasts of outdoor writing, whether or not they are fly fishers.—John Helling, Bloomfield-Eastern Greene Cty. P.L., IN

Library Journal