Pocket Water by Tapply
Tapply's fly fishing trips often remind me of past adventures of my own. And his Pocket Water book that was published in 2001 is as relatable as it gets for fly fishers. Indeed, his personal stories come across as authentic and not made up as some author's books I've read. My favorite essays of Pocket Water were in the Trash Fish chapter, because it reminded me of a time when Dad took me fishing during a family camping trip. He rigged me up with a baited hook on a dock while we waited for the boat's gas tanks to be filled. And as he was pouring motor oil into the tanks for the two-stroke Evinrude boat motor, I managed to catch a whale. Well, it sure felt like a whale for a kid. Dad helped me net the fish, and exclaimed, "trash fish!" Yup, he threw him back into the lake. You know, I've never been interested in fly fishing for carp to this day because, well, they are nothing but Trash Fish...not for sport. In my mind (and Dad's) anyway. This was an enjo...
