The Worst Fishing Dog Ever
And Other Essays
Ron Dungan’s droll, engaging essay collection The Worst Fishing Dog Ever engages in quiet contemplation of fly-fishing in the Arizona backcountry.
About fly-fishing excursions to remote streams, canyons, and lakes as remedies for middle-class lives that became “urban, sterile, predictable,” the essays contrast the asphalt and metal of suburban Phoenix with the beauty and serenity of the mountains and desert hill country only a short drive away. There are insights into the art and techniques of fly-fishing, including the rhythm of casting the line, tying flies, searching for fish in murky waters, and practicing catch and release. Evocative descriptions of nature abound, as of the splendor of changing seasons, bugling elk, moonlit trails, and the timing of mayfly and ant hatches.
The prose is rhythmic and affable: “A breeze stirs, a hatch comes, fish rise, or don’t, and your biggest decisions are fly changes and how far to walk.” Witty passages include observations on anglers’ “dumb luck” and Dungan’s German Shorthaired Pointer who, despite his pedigree and tail-wagging charm, is a disappointing sporting dog.
The essays also denounce cell phones and other aspects of the digital world that “amplified some of our worst tendencies” and warns of the temptations of materialism. Noting that some anglers are obsessed with expensive graphite rods and the latest gear, they instead promote the simplicity of “duct tape and leaky waders … dog slobber and beat-up trucks.” The impacts of climate change, pollution, overdevelopment, and policies that restrict access to public lands and threaten endangered species are considered as well. The book contrasts the greed of “billionaire oligarchs” and wealthy landowners with the desires of ordinary people craving a connection with nature.
Advocating simple living and meditative time in nature, The Worst Fishing Dog Ever is a charming, insightful ode to the craft and appeal of fly-fishing.
Reviewed by
Kristen Rabe
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
