John Gierach on Fly fishing in PA

Jeremymcon;
I also noticed the lines regardless his trip to PA:
“commenting on how the diner food was "almost always bad" in central PA” and more.
As everyone can have his own opinion I have to say I agree with John Gierach.
I own all of his books (except “Signs of Life”) and reread them periodically.
I hope he is doing fine.

 
jeremymcon wrote:
The parts that I really found amusing were his description of central Pennsylvanians as "so tough they can eat anything" - commenting on how the diner food was "almost always bad" in central PA.
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He obviously did not indulged in the fries at Spruce Creek Tavern!
 
The Main Street Cafe in Alexandria is a good place to eat.

Maybe he ate at that old diner along Route 22 between Waterstreet and Alexandria. That place has probably seen better days, around 1940 or so.
 
Main Street's food, esp the wings, has gone downhill over the past few years with its new owners. Spruce Creek Tavern is still a good, inexpensive place to go, and the little Rt. 22 diner t/bert spoke of might not look like much but has pretty good food as well. Don't know where Gierach ate, but there are some good beaneries in the central PA area.
 
greenghost wrote:

He obviously did not indulged in the fries at Spruce Creek Tavern!
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Maybe he had the pizza there? Lol.



OIP in Petersburg for the win.
 
PennKev if its the same OIP as in Altoona then I give it a two thumbs up.

I remember reading the pa section when I was on watch in Afghanistan, it made me want to cast a line so bad.
 
mario66pens wrote:
PennKev if its the same OIP as in Altoona then I give it a two thumbs up.

I remember reading the pa section when I was on watch in Afghanistan, it made me want to cast a line so bad.
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Better although it recently changed ownership.

I still haven't figured out how the OIIP franchise works, theres a bunch of them in the central part of the state. All are good but also all of them are a little different. The one in in Petersburg had been run by a actual Italian guy until about a year ago. There's one in Milheim that's also run by a real Italian. His kids speak Italian and everything. That is probably the best of the three OIP resturaunts I've been to.
 
steve98 wrote:
John Gierach does not know anymore about fly fishing in Pennsylvania Colorado Australia Alaska Canada than YOU or ME
He is trying to sell books You and I Know just as much if not more especially when it comes to fishing in PA
Steve98
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Theres always one LOL
 
IloveBrookies wrote:
If there's one person I've never met that I'd want to go on a fishing trip with, it'd be Gierach.
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I have to agree right there!! Ive read most of his books, and they all are entertaining and make you just wanna drop everything and go to the stream!!!
 
Flyfishmedic732 wrote:
steve98 wrote:
John Gierach does not know anymore about fly fishing in Pennsylvania Colorado Australia Alaska Canada than YOU or ME
He is trying to sell books You and I Know just as much if not more especially when it comes to fishing in PA
Steve98
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Theres always one LOL
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Steve98 does have a point. Lots of guys can talk the talk. Gierach is good at writing about fly fishing topics, no doubt about that. But to use that as a basis to automatically assume anything else is an underestimation of ouselves, individually and collectively.

What I'm trying to say is that he's just a dude who fly fishes and can write about it very well. Just because he is a "famous" fisherman does not mean he is exceptionally good at fly fishing in this case.

The only reason that I replied to this is because it kinf of strikes a nerve. I really can't believe how often I see people put "famous" fisherman up on a pedestal and blindly follow and repeat their advice or adopt their way of thinking. We should all be critical of the information we recieve, think for ourselves, and come to our own conclusions.
 
PennKev wrote:

Steve98 does have a point. Lots of guys can talk the talk. Gierach is good at writing about fly fishing topics, no doubt about that. But to use that as a basis to automatically assume anything else is an underestimation of ouselves, individually and collectively.

What I'm trying to say is that he's just a dude who fly fishes and can write about it very well. Just because he is a "famous" fisherman does not mean he is exceptionally good at fly fishing in this case.

The only reason that I replied to this is because it kinf of strikes a nerve. I really can't believe how often I see people put "famous" fisherman up on a pedestal and blindly follow and repeat their advice or adopt their way of thinking. We should all be critical of the information we recieve, think for ourselves, and come to our own conclusions.
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No, he doesn't.

No one that replied to this thread put Gierach's fishing up on a pedestal or said they want to mimic his fishing (well, at least not that I saw, I didn't go back and re-read it). Instead, people went out of their way to say they read him for his entertaining writing and not for instruction.
 
He regularly states in his writing that he is not an expert. He disputes that fact when people say he's an expert because he writes about it.

Sounds like he has enough years and experience to say he is qualified to write about it, but until I get to fish with him in person and observe his skill set, I'll refrain from EITHER condeming or immortalizing.

I certainly do enjoy his books, though!!!
 
jeremymcon wrote:
I've been reading books by John Gierach a lot recently. He's a fly fisher and writer currently living in Colorado, and in his book "At the Grave of an Unknown Fisherman" he had a chapter on a trip he took to central PA! I felt like he really got a pretty accurate understanding of PA during his trip.
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I have four of his books and have read three of them. It just so happens At the grave is the one I have not read. I'm in Spring creeks by mike Heck and dry fly code. When I'm done with those, at the grave is next.I don't read many ffing stories, very few but I think he's a fine writer.
 

In the spirit of March Madness; E. Hemmingway v. J. Gierach = J. Gierach.
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Man I don't know... Maybe a buzzer beater. I'm a fan of Hemmingway. When I walk into the gorge on the little J, I always remember "Big Two Hearted River".
 
greenlander wrote:
No, he doesn't.
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Yeah he does. Lol


No one that replied to this thread put Gierach's fishing up on a pedestal or said they want to mimic his fishing (well, at least not that I saw, I didn't go back and re-read it). Instead, people went out of their way to say they read him for his entertaining writing and not for instruction.
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Steves point may not fit in well with the rest of the thread, but that does not make it invalid and I happen to agree with it. Gierach is a good writer. But just because he writes about a place or experience, it does not make him expert.

Also, my reply was in regard to fly fishing ltierature and the general attitude anglers have toward the authors. It was not limited, nor was it directed at Gierach.
 
PennKev wrote:

Steves point may not fit in well with the rest of the thread, but that does not make it invalid and I happen to agree with it. Gierach is a good writer. But just because he writes about a place or experience, it does not make him expert.
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Fair enough, but lots of statements have a point if you make context irrelevant.

My point was that he was refuting something that no one had claimed, an additionally something that I've never heard anyone claim. No one reads Gierach to learn how to fish.
 
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