Casting a Spell: The Bamboo Fly Rod and the American Pursuit of Perfection

by George Black

Thirty-five million Americansone in eightlike to go fishing. Fly fishers have always considered themselves the aristocracy of the sport, and a small number of those devotees, a few thousand at most,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400063965
• ISBN13: 9781400063963
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Bamboo for You

If you like flyfishing and want to learn about the history of your tool, this is the book!

Casting a Spell: The Bamboo Fly Rod and the American Pursuit of Perfection

The book is a modern day classic, even if you have never fished with a bamboo rod the book is still well worth reading. In writing this book George Black offers us all a valuable insight into the history of the craft and the lives of the rod builders as bamboo rod building goes from niche to mainstream and back to niche again. The bamboo rod builders dedication to their art and craft is at odds with todays "instant throw it away society" and this book serves as an important reminder of their quest for perfection.

Fun, informative book

This is a terrific book. It covers the history and personalities that shaped the evolution of the craft of bamboo fly rod making. I bought this book thinking it would be informative, and it was. What was pleasantly surprising was how interesting and fun the book was to read. It gave me a real appreciation for the great bamboo rod makers and some insight into their lives. The author's careful research and enthusiasm for the subject matter is evident throughout. Highly recommended.

Marvelous Book!!!

George Black has written a most literary and enjoyable history of the bamboo fly fishing rod. Unhurried, with frequent fascinating digressions, he takes one through the history of the development of this remarkable sporting instrument, beginning in the mid 1800's and coming down to the present. He provides much color to persons whose names were all we knew before: Leanard, Edwards, Hawes, Thomas and more. A grand book by a great author. You will really enjoy this book, even if you are not a fly fisher.

Chasing the Perfect Dream

While the nominal subject of this book is the banboo fly rod, it's really about art. There are those who can look at the Mona Lisa and be enraptured. There are others who hear a piece of music and almost leave their bodies behind. Then there are others who look at the Mona Lisa and see a picture not as good as a photograph, and to whom music is basically noise. (Of course to a lot of music lovers, that 'other kind' of music is just noise.) This book goes a long way to explaining that there's another approach to art. The art of the bamboo fly rod 'casts a spell' on George Black. And as a professional writer he has the gift of words to explain just how it does. His poetic prose takes the reader from the technology and the reknown makers to little known streams across the country to make the perfect catch with the perfect rod. Will he ever reach the untimate? Of course not. Life is a journey not a destination.