A Different Angle: Fly Fishing Stories by Women

Despite its popular macho image, the sport of fly fishing, according to editor Morris, today attracts women in unprecedented numbers. She further points out that women have been fly fishing for centuries; the first essay on the subject was penned by a nun in the ealry 1400s. To redress the lack of more recent literature, Morris has collected here the meditations of 17 women-from writers to full-time sportswomen-on their experiences with this enthralling pastime. For those who don't know a nymph from a Royal Humpy, or a sparkle dun from a black woolly bugger, this collection may not prove the best introduction. But those already initiated in fly fishing practice and lore are bound to find something interesting in this varied assortment. Ranging from the naturalistic to the turgidly symbolic and philosophical, the most successful tales capture something of the fishing experience while many of the contributors address personal issues such as menopause, bereavement and sexual identity, efforts that produce widely mixed results. Illustrations. (Apr.)