Reviewed by James Castwell
I know Rusty. Rusty is a friend of mine. I am
proud to say that. Rusty worked hard on this
book, did a fine job and I admire him for that.
I admire him for a lot of things. Buy the book.
It will help you and it will help him fight for
his treasured water. Here are three reviews.
Take your pick.
By Gregg Perez:
I think the best place to purchase this book is
from Rusty himself at the Gates Au Sable Lodge.
I've been going there for many years and Rusty
and his staff are the best as far as I'm concerned.
This book is a compilation of a years worth of river
reports which he posts on his web site. Proceeds from
the book go toward the non profit organization,
Anglers of the Au Sable. Rusty's reports are
different from most, and that's a good thing.
Anyone can spurt out a list of bugs hatching
on any given day. Rusty goes further with sincerity
and concern for the Au Sable River. What I enjoyed
most about this book is how the compilation of reports
created a pulse of the river. I also enjoyed the stories
of the fishermen who live or have lived along the holy
waters of the Au Sable. As a fisherman I try to accept
all types of fishermen as friends. But, I consider
Rusty's type to be the best of all because I find
a commonality with folks who drive old trucks, work
for their firewood, and find companionship with good
bird dogs. Those are some of the subjects Rusty writes
about in addition to fly fishing. But, the purpose of
this book isn't just to describe the seasons of the
Au Sable. The purpose is to project the beauty of the
River to help protect it from unscrupulous organizations
who care more about greed and less about destruction of
natural resources. Sometimes you have to fight for what
you love and Rusty is doing just that. If you love the
farmland near your home, or the park down the street,
take some tips from Rusty and fight to keep them the
way they are....or you just may be living next to an
oil well yourself some day.
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.
By Jeffrey K. Peters:
This book is a glimpse at the year in the life of
a man and a river. Rusty Gates, along with Anglers
of the Au Sable[...], is the guardian angel of a
river system that is the jewel of Northern Michigan.
The book contains the week by week fishing logs and
thoughts that any angler visiting this area would
benefit greatly from reading. The book is written
in a way that makes you feel like you're talking
to Rusty in his shop on the banks of the Holy Waters.
A must read for Northern Michigan Troutbum's!
By T. Carson:
This is a book for all fly fishing lovers...Turn
the TV and radio off, open the windows to hear the
birds, bugs and wind and to smell the out-of-doors.
Then settle into your favorite chair and savor every
word of this refreshing book. You can hear the river
and in a minute or two, you are there...on a mini-vacation.
Rusty Gates succinctly captures the mood and the mystery
of the great North and in particular, the "Holy Water"
of the famed Au Sable River in Michigan. What a tribute
to a grand river and what better author than Mr. Au Sable,
himself. I am hoping for another book by Rusty in the future.
Seasons on the Au Sable
By Rusty Gates
6 1/48 ½ x 9 1/4" format
Hard cover 200 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1-58726-452-8
Price: $24.95 US
Published by Sports Media Group
Ann Arbor, Michigan
~ JC
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