Fishing
Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania, where Whistlestop Bookshop is situated, is generously watered and drained by creeks renowned for their fishing. Conodoguinet Creek, which flows about 100 miles to the Susquehanna River and is nearest to Carlisle, is actually better known for the fishing in its two tributaries, Big Spring Creek out of the Newville area (only 5 miles) and Letort Spring Run, which arises south of Carlisle and flows north 9 miles to the Conodoguinet. The Yellow Breeches Creek, which flows along South Mountain for 56 miles to the Susquehanna, is internationally famous for its trout fishing.
Naturally, a trout-fishing and especially a fly-fishing culture has developed, sometimes thought to be mostly local, sometimes acknowledged to be of world interest — the world that loves the quiet and focus and solitary rewards of fly-fishing. Rarely, the local zen masters of fishing wrote books. Charlie Fox was once a customer of Whistlestop, and Joe Humphreys is still in print and in fact the subject of a documentary we carry. Fishing does inspire fine writing, after all — the names of Izaak Walton, Norman MacLean, Thomas McGuane, Patrick McManus, John Gierach suggest the range of approaches in writing about “standing in a river waving a stick,” to use Gierach’s famous descripton.
Dedicated to the memory of a great fisherman and an even better brother, Gordon Wood (1956-2020).
The Orvis Guide to Reading Trout Streams
The Orvis Guide to Reading Trout Streams
The Orvis Guide to Reading Trout Streams is a complete guide to where trout live and feed in a stream. By learning to predict where trout will be, fishermen can cast effectively and wade confidently without spooking trout into cover. Perceptive and practical chapters include "A Trout's World," "Currents and Rocks," "Pools," and "Riffles, Runs, and Bends." Also included are sections on seasonal and daily changes, various approaches, and the differences among species of trout and between big and little rivers. Graced with dozens of helpful schematic drawings by Jim Sulham and more than seventy-five revealing photographs, this book will give all trout fishermen a more coherent understanding of the waters they fish.