It took me a while to get my mind right for this read -- obliterate the low hanging fruit of jumping sharks, “Chuck reminding Bill to SHUT UP!”, Roy Orbsion tats, etc. It also took me a while to drop my cynical attitude of another Hollywood personality sharing his private time on Montana public streams, that have been under the assault of the elitist who think the water is exclusive to those with the means to own the land around it.
As I read, I continued to express my jaded self with comments like, “Duh!” and “we know the river is a church”. Then about a 1/3 of the way in, I let my snark go and accepted that this book may not necessarily be intended for the seasoned fly fisher -- those who have regularly experienced first hand the awesomeness of what we as fly fishers experience each time we go to church. When I did that, I began enjoying this study of Winkler’s reflections of our sport. For me, his observations are additional confirmation that as fly fishers, we all experience the same magnificence, wonder and serenity while we are on fishy water. This book is about a persons wonder and Winkler sums it up in a manner that is appealing to all, whether they fish or not.
“I’ve Never Met an Idiot on the River” is an honest and sincere attempt at conveying Winkler’s joy about life and genuine love of fly fishing and the outdoors. For me, it was coming to accept hollywood gliterati as one of us, an honest-to-goodness befuddled angler. (see accompanying photo for proof)
What few of us are willing to admit publicly, he lays out for all to witness. He ties wind knots, he hooks everything that floats and not. While he apparently falls in water at least once a day, the measure of his passion is demonstrated in his claim he does not stop to empty his waders, in fear he may miss a rise. That was enough for me to give a nod to a new befuddled friend. He seems to be a humble, reverent spectator of something bigger than himself. Respect, HW.
While Winkler claims to have never met an idiot on the river, like all of us can be, he admits he can be a bit of a jerk. This is supported in the introduction by his wife Stacey. From losing his temper in frustration to get to the river to fish, to his down right rude “sport” mentality as he assumes first seat in the boat on his wife’s first outing with him... CAD! Winkler sounds a bit like a hi and/or lo holer by his wife’s account. It is through moments like these that we see his purity of passion and tunnel vision for his time on the river. Clearly his annual trips to Montana and his antics while there illustrate how he will let little get in the way of that pursuit. We have all been there.
The harshest critique I can muster is that the book as a literary attempt is a bit ham-fisted. But this is not intended to be a masterpiece novel, it is a journal. The journal style of writing successfully underwrites his sincerity and fits with the nature of the content presented. He is not trying to write a tome, just convey some of his thoughts about the sport. Being so familiar to his voice from years of exposure, it was weirdly soothing to have Mr. Coach Klein’s voice reading out loud in my head.
I guess it is a statement of my own sophomoric sense of humor that I giggled each time he refers to the quote by Theodor Herzl - “If you will it, it is not a dream”. While inspirational, unfortunately I can now only think of Walter Sobchak whenever this quote is referenced. However, the quote is paramount to supporting Winkler’s philosophy of never giving up to adversity, manifesting your own life and the rejuvenation he receives from his time on the river. Like so many of us “city fishers”, his trips to Big Sky Country are where Winkler gets to fulfill his stereotypical idea of being a man. A place where he makes up for his inner dork and urban lifestyle -- by wearing flannel and fishing for big browns.
“I’ve Never Met an Idiot on the River” is a confirmation and celebration of fly fishing and a good opportunity for a TV star to just be a guy on the river. Personally I find it can be laborious to read another guys fish story. (which probably does not bode well for my success at this job) Still, Winkler does well enough to disarm my inner, bored reader of 30 years of fishing/outdoor stories. I was surprised that I felt my pulse quicken while he retells hooking into the biggest fish he has ever landed. Because it was a real and honest moment for him, I could dig it. Let’s face it, we have all been there holding a big fish and like all the befuddled before him, Winkler loses some composure during the “epic” battle. That is what makes him real, makes the book decent and makes me want to go fishing. The tug, the fight and the adrenaline.
By the end of the book I liked Henry Winkler as a fly fisher. The unpolished style and believable, self-deprecating humor Winkler portrays regarding his fishing skills and personality allows you to appreciate his experiences. Included in the book are a number of Winkler’s own photographs from his career as an actor/director but mostly documentation photos of his catches and landscapes of the country he loves to fish. Many are notable and they further support the layman’s eye of our sport.
If anything, this book is important for it’s portrayal of a passionate love for the sport, to those who have not experienced it. It brings much needed exposure to the wonders of nature, to a world that thinks clean water comes magically from their taps and that fish can live in ‘fracking fluid. It illustrates to the urbanite how important it is to get your head our of your “office” and go see what a higher power is all about.
Get this book for a young or beginning fly fisher or outdoor enthusiast so that they can see and understand the wonderful times to be had on stream side, so that they can develop a sincere appreciation for the moment they connect themselves to a wild fish in a river with a tiny thread between them and the fight for freedom.
Henry Winkler is an actor, producer and writer living in Hollywood but sparing his sanity with 7-14 days of heaven on a river somwhere in MT. He is a strict barbless and C&R fisherman. “I’ve Never Met and Idiot on the River” is available in hardback and was released by Insight Editions and is available May 10, 2011. $21.95
