I recently joined this forum after perusing it off and on for some time. I was on another
forum for awhile (that forum shall remain nameless; however, I remember it's name
contained five letters and began with the letter �D.�) 🙄

I have been impressed with the overall tone of the posts. They - you the members - seem to be universally respectful and collegial with each other no matter the topic or matter under discussion. And, your replies and the photos you publish are informative and entertaining. I've learned a lot, particularly the fly fishing forum and the small boat/jon boat/kayak fishing forums. Even as a lifelong Dallasite I've learned of some interesting places to fish in the Metroplex that I plan to check out when the weather gets cooler.

I've been fly fishing for almost 25 years, and I always enjoy the perspectives of other anglers. You all seem to share ideas and info openly and graciously, and I hope to be a part of that as time goes by.

Now, for the main reason I posted: Over the years I have accumulated a modest library of books on fishing in general and fly fishing in particular. I wanted to tell you about a recent addition. The book, Goodbye to a River, was written by the great Texas writer, John Graves.

Graves, who passed away in 2013, wrote books and magazine articles, as well as teaching college English. You might consider him a Guy Clark or Townes van Zandt without the guitar.

Graves grew up in Brazos River country, and in the late 1950s heard that the river would be dammed, so he set out to take a last trip on his beloved river, in a canoe, before the dams changed it forever.

His book is a series of narratives of his three weeks of solitude, battling weather, wildlife and the water in an attempt to say goodbye to the river he knew, before it was changed forever.

I�ve read the posts that describe the Brazos trips everyone seems to take at some point. Been there myself. If you enjoy a good read that will surely strike some familiar chords, check it out. Last time I looked, it was available in hardback, paperback and Kindle on Amazon.

I'm sure many of you have favorite fly fishing books as well. Feel free to share.

I'll see you around.

Townes and Guy were both troubled souls which certainly had something to do with the music they created... But I will have to find Goodbye to a river.. For Texas culture try Baja Oklahoma, but I am not sure that I should admit to knowing the book and certainly not the fact that I know people like that... most proper people probably do not want to acknowledge that group of characters exist.

Ahhh...the great Dan Jenkins! "Semi-Tough" and "Life it's Ownself." Awesome writer, and former colleague of Blackie Sherrod and Bud Shrake at the Fort Worth Press back in the day.

Ironically, Graves taught English Lit at TCU probably during the years those guys covered sports in Cowtown..

So many great Texas writers and singer songwriters...we're lucky to be able to enjoy their artistry.

amazon, alibris, and abebooks are three sites where you can find a lot of fishing books with huge discounts; some with free shipping-p-

Thanks.