I am a junior in high school and i have to do one novel project per semester, i just did “a river runs through it” and got a A on my power point project. i am curious if you guys know any other books like "a river runs through it " that i can do for next semester.
Thanks
Stan
If you liked “A River Runs Through It”, then you should also like, “The River Why”. I am in the process of moving and that book is boxed up now. So, I will take a guess at the author’s name, David James Duncan.
The book, if I remember right, is a fictionalized autobiograghy of a young man in the Pacific North West. Now that I mention it, I should dig it out and read it again.
Good luck on your next report. Keep your love for fly fishing going.
I’d agree with “the River Why” as a fine option…
“True Love & the Wooly Bugger” would be another.
Later,
an Oregonian
Fly fishing novels aren’t many in number. As for fishing related literature, the selection is greater in short story collections and essays. The River Why is nicely done, and Duncan also wrote River Teeth and My Story as Told by Water, not as well known but not the lesser. I haven’t read True Love…, but it sounds entertaining as well as being one of the few that may fit your novel requirement, depending on how restrictive.
Some of the other fishing themed literature I’ve enjoyed and would recommend include:
The Earth is Enough by Harry Middleton
On the Spine of Time by same
The Bright Country by same
Fly Fishing through the Midlife Crisis by Howell Raines
92 in the Shade by Thomas McGuane
The Longest Silence by same
A Wedding Gift by John Taintor Foote (out of print)
Crunch and Des by Philip Wylie
The Dog-Nose Chronicles by Cliff Hauptman (or Hauptmann?)
Running Waters by Datus Proper
Fishing Lessons by Paul Quinnet (also wrote Pavlov’s Trout)
Gone Fishing by William Tapply
Pocket Water by same
The Fly Fisher’s Guide to Crimes of Passion by Seth Norman
Meanderings of a Fly Fisherman by same
Royal Coachman by Paul Schullery
The Founding Fish by John McPhee (historical, but quite interesting)
Jerusalem Creek by Ted Leeson (regional stories)
The Habit of Rivers by same
“Pale Morning Done” by Jeff Hull. Just finished it. Good novel.
Don’t overlook:
‘Old Stoney’
or, ‘Upstream/Downstream’
both by Howard Walden
Or those two are compiled in the book: ‘The Last Pool’.
Another would be Charlie Fox’s, ‘The Wonderful World of Trout’.
Deezel
And if you want to stick with Macleans writings his other short novellas are: “Logging and Pimping and Your Pal Jim” and “The Cook and the Hole in the Sky.” Not really fly fishing related but each has a good Montana western flair.
Three words:
Hem. Ing. Way.
Seriously, you couldn?t have chosen a better book than Maclean?s for the power of his writing as well as the story line. It?s pure gold. And congratulations on your grade!
If you?re interested in really good writing, where every word seems perfectly chosen, as well as a fishing or nature related story line, here are some of my favs, and they should all be available through your library or inter-loan program:
Big Two-Hearted River, by Ernest Hemingway technically a short story, is about a soldier returning from WW I and getting ?restored? on a fly fishing trip in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It?s found in the collection of his short stories in ?In Our Time?.
The Old Man and the Sea, also by Hemingway. You may have already read this novella (short novel). Not strictly fly fishing, but it?s a classic
Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Not exactly fly fishing, but certainly one of the best novels ever written. It?s long and a heavy read, but, arguably, serves as ?the? benchmark American novel.
Practical Fishing Knots II by Mark Sosin and Lefty Kreh. Just kidding, couldn?t resist.
Jaws Peter Benchley. What can I say? Not in the league of Hemingway, Melville, or Mark Sosin, but still? it?s a great read. Not FF tho.
Other great fiction I liked a lot when I was about your age:
Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane about the Civil War. An easy read, and a classic.
The Call of The Wild Jack London .Alaska, sled dogs, snow. A classic.
Mila 18 Leon Uris About resistance and uprising against the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto during WW II. A long book, but spell binding.
Other Fiction
Killing Mr. Watson Peter Matthiesen. If you?re interested in writing, this novel is an example of some one at the top of his game. It?s a fictionalized story set at the turn of the century in the Florida Everglades about a real murder, told in the ?voice? (1st person) of different people in each chapter, in their local dialect. It?s a bit of a tough slog to get through, but it?s an amazing example of the ?craft? of writing.
Far Tortuga Peter Matthiesen A novel about turtle fishing in the Caribbean. Again, simply amazing writing, and an easier read than the one above.
Non-fiction, nature related, great writing
Sex, Death and Flyfishing by John Gierach is a light read and a lot of fun. It?s a collection of essays on fly fishing, and life through the eyes of someone that lives and breathes it. It?s very well written and very entertaining. Anything by him is worth a read. And, the title is sure to give your teacher fits, so that?s gotta be a plus. But the ?s-e-x? just refers to the life cycle of mayflies.
Coming into the Country the settling of Alaska and The Founding Fish about cod and early America both by John McPhee
Blues by John Hersey about bluefish, fishing and the life on the New England coast
Sand Rivers Peter Matthiesen a trek into a game reserve in Tanzania. With his writing, you can hear the moths hitting the glass of the lanterns at night. He?s my favorite writer.
Men?s Lives Peter Matthiesen About baymen and commercial fisherman on Long Island
The Snow Leopard Matthiesen an expedition with wildlife biologist George Schaller to study the snow leopard in Tibet, and a whole bunch of ?life? stuff that may not mean anything to you until you?re around 45 or so. My favorite book, but not light reading though.
The Blue Bear Lynn Schooler An incredible book about a search for the rare ?glacier? bear (a ?blue? color phase of the black bear) in Alaska. A very powerful memoir about friendship, tragedy and ?life?. A great read, and very well written.
Never Cry Wolf Farley Mowat. Study of wolves by a wildlife biologist, it?s an easy read. Not the greatest writing, but it?s very interesting.
Hope this helps.
peregrines
Actually Hemingway’s “Big Two Hearted River”, is one of the Nick Adams stories. Many of which are about the outdoors. You can get all of them in one volume titled, “The Nick Adams Stories”. It’s a great read.
Tony 
Don’t expect to find anything else that really matches “A River Runs Through It.” That’s a one of a kind. I think a lot of it’s power comes from the fact that it is not a novel, it’s a true story. The writer was writing about himself and his family. It’s a stunning book.
The only other flyfishing “literature” that I can really recommend are the books by Robert Traver, which have a lot of good humor. Good stuff to read, but I don’t know if it will work as well for your reports.
I have to differ on the Hemingway. I was impressed by it when I was young, but as an adult I don’t like it all, and actually think it is pretty toxic stuff, especialy for impressionable young minds.
I’ll have to “roll way back up here” and join in on the endorsements for Duncan’s book “The River Why”
Depending on just what your reports are supposed to be based on, and “how deep in meaning”, they’re perhaps supposed to be, “The River Why”, is not merely a “novel” on fly fishing, but mainly a story about love, family, friendships, loyalty and “one’s choices in life, to choose one’s own directions”.
It’s part fiction, part reality, of growing up in a dysfunctional family. Based here in the Pacific Northwest, it centers around “The River Why” a coastal river the story character chooses to live on, to think through his life and make life altering choices. (The river, by the way, is actually the “Nestuca River”, which when emptying into the Pacific, forms the letter “Y” in script form).
Anyhooooooo, it’s a great read, extremely funny in parts and when reading between the lines, actually tells several stories at one time! But, Duncan’s books ALL have 2-3 stories running through them. The same with “Brother’s K”,“River Teeth” and “My Story As Told By Water”.
Good luck and congrats on that first “A”!!
I am suprised no one has mentioned Trout Bum by John Geirach.
Actually he has authored many find book on fly fishing.
Bill A
That was the one I was going to say.
Stan;
Must it be a book on flyfishing?
There are several great books on the life and times of of people (fictional) in the early to mid 20th century.
John Grisham’s “A Painted House”, rural southern life in, or about, the 50’s as seen through the eyes of a 7 year old.
Olive Ann Burns “Cold Sassy Tree” which is again Life in the rural south as told by a 12 year old at the turn of the century.
Aren’t a lot of these books you all have listed no more than a compilation of short stories. Hardly novels and least in my sense of the word.
Don’t get me wrong. Seth Norman is one of my favorites and I’ve read a few of the others listed. I just don’t think that those kind of books are what he’s looking for.
But hey … I could be wrong. 
I will second the motion for “Pale Morning Done” by Jeff Hull.
Another of my favorites is “Under Cottonwoods” by Stephen Grace.
There are also a lot of fly fishing mystery novels out there. Some of my favorites:
“The Snow Fly” by Joseph Heywood
“B*tch Creek” by William Tapply
“The Nail Knot” by John Galligan
“The Blood Knot” by John Galligan
If you’re NOT looking for a book, (like John G.'s for instance), that’s a grouping of fishing stories, but yet you want to stay with a more “true story format”…
I’d opt for; “Measure Of The Year”, by the great-Roderick L. Haig-Brown.
Or-“Return To The River”, (by same)
For the “Murder/Mystery” type, “Dying To Fly Fish”, by David Leitz, is a good read!
He also, authored- “Casting In Dead Waters”, but I haven’t read that, one, yet.
My top five have already been mentioned.
Pale Morning Done- Hull
The Snowfly- Heywood
River Teeth - Duncan
The River Why- Duncan
Fly Fishing Through a Mid-Life Crisis - Raines
I would also recommend a couple of authors that are very close to my backyard.
Anything by Jim Harrison and Robert Traver (John Voelker)
Be careful, before you know it, you’ll have a library full of fish that will keep your mind stirring well through the night into the early morn.