"By Nicholas J. Panno:

You may think you're an accomplished fly fisherman, but you don't know jack about the sport until you've read this new treatise by Rusty "F'in" Gates. From how to tie Dave's Hopper to how to skin the face of a scum-bag who interferes with your cast, Rusty tells it like it is. He brings you all the raw secrets of fly fishing, something no author has had the balls to do before.

From the moment I set eyes on Bill "Duke" Sodeman's introduction, in which he relates a story about the time Rusty caught a trophy brookie and beat a drifter to death with it, I was transfixed. This book truly takes you into the seedy underbelly of the fly fishing world with a level of honesty and brutality that I simply was not prepared for. Every chapter took my breath away.

Sure, this book covers the basics, such as how to choose your equipment, how to make a variety of casts, and what to do in given environmental conditions, but plenty of books do that. Where this book shines is its presentation of fly fishing's all-night cocaine binges, orgies with teenage groupies, and shocking violence perpetrated against fish and man alike. If you are not a fly fisherman, this book will challenge your fortitude as it dares you to pick up a rod and venture into the wilderness alone. If you are a fisherman of any skill level, this book will give you the tools you need to survive on the bloodthirsty Holy Waters of the Au Sable river."

And why would anyone read a book based on this recommendation?

Been asking myself that since Monday, and I still don't have an answer.

John