annieb123's Review of Casting Onward

by Stephen M. Ramirez

In writing this book, author Steve Ramirez traveled thousands of miles by plane, motor vehicle, boat, and foot. Each chapter includes his fishing with a notable person in the worlds of fishing and conservation. His fishing partners in this book include Bob White, Chris Wood, Kirk Deeter (and many other leaders within Trout Unlimited), Ted Williams, Matthew Miller, and John Karges of The Nature Conservancy, and many more. In the course of this journey, Ramirez explores and fishes mountain streams, alpine lakes, National Wild and Scenic Rivers, desert canyons, brackish water estuaries, and the rolling ocean off the coast of Cape Cod. About half of this book was written while traveling through the COVID-19 pandemic and it touches on the lessons that COVID can teach us about nature and human nature.

The primary focus was the author's extension of Casting Forward by fishing for native fish within their original habitats, and telling the story in part through the eyes of the people who have lived alongside, and come to love, these waters and fish. The secondary story is about the people he meets and befriends while pursuing a mutual love of nature and the best of human nature as the first criterion for finding common ground. This is a hopeful story, in an all-too-often seemingly hopeless time. It is a story of fishing and friendship. It is a story of humanity's impact on nature, and nature's impact on humanity.

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Casting Onward is the second book of fishing stories by Steve Ramirez. Due out 1st May from Rowman & Littlefield on their Lyons Press imprint, it's 320 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is not a "how-to" tutorial guide. There are no maps or directions to recommended fishing areas, and no photographs. What it does include is a warm and conversational bunch of essays about specific game fish in the USA and the author's experiences with them, and with the outdoors people who care about and fish them. The author is quite gifted at conveying a sense of calm and meditative respect for the sport of fly fishing. I grew up with fishermen and have always enjoyed camping and outdoor pursuits. They fished, I read (or foraged, or took photographs). Reading this book reminded me a lot of my younger days. There is quite a lot of history interspersed in the stories: mental attitude, fishermen/women, fish, locations, human interaction, and the bigger philosophical life questions. I wasn't expecting to be as engaged in the read as I was.

The illustrations, which are simple charcoal and graphite sketches, really added a lot to the book. This would make a superlative gift to a fisherman, library acquisition, or for the home library. Highly recommended to fans of nature/sport writers, naturists such as Thomas McGuane and/or Norman Maclean. There are no photographs in this edition, except the covers.

The book also includes a short bibliography for further reading.

Five stars. Beautifully written.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Casting Onward

by Stephen M. Ramirez

Reviewed by annieb123 on Apr 23, 2022

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