John Gierach

John Gierach
OccupationWriter
LanguageEnglish
Alma materFindlay College
GenreNarrative essays
SubjectFly-fishing
Notable worksThe View from Rat Lake
Even Brook Trout Get the Blues
Trout Bum
Notable awardsRoderick Haig-Brown Award from US Federation of Fly Fishers

John Gierach is an American author and freelance writer who lives in Larimer County, Colorado. He was born in Illinois in 1946.[1] Gierach graduated from Findlay College in Ohio with a degree in philosophy and a minor in English.[1] In 1969, he moved to Colorado and began fishing nearly every day while working at a silver mine.[2][3]

He began writing more seriously after his move to Colorado.[3] His books are based on his various fly fishing adventures all over the world, some of which take place with his friend, A.K. Best (Gierach frequently refers to Best as the "dryflyguru" due to Best's affinity for dry flies).[4] A few of his works include The View from Rat Lake, Even Brook Trout Get the Blues, and the cult classic, Trout Bum, which popularized the term "trout bum." Gierach also writes poetry and authored two books of poems.[1]

John Gierach's archival collection can be found at Montana State University, as well as an oral history interview conducted by MSU pertaining to Gierach's life as an angler and an angling writer.[5] The collection includes his manuscripts, poetry, photographs, fishing logs, and general correspondence ranging from 1976 to 2014.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Hultman, Heather (9 September 2019). "John Gierach Papers". Montana State University Archives and Special Collections.
  2. ^ Catskills Fly Fishing Center and Museum (1 October 2015). "John Gierach". Catskills Fly Fishing Center and Museum.
  3. ^ a b Chelius, Ryan (April 20, 2023). "Q&A with John Gierach on his new book "All the time in the world"". Field and Stream.
  4. ^ Ulf, Borjesson (6 November 2006). "A.K. Best, flugbindare". Flugfiske I Norden. 28.
  5. ^ John Gierach, https://arc.lib.montana.edu/angling-oral-history/item/7 , Angling Oral History Project, Montana State University (MSU) Library, Bozeman, MT