The Flies Are Too Damn Small

Peter Cammann has written about fishing for more than 30 years. In that time, he has explored at length the lasting questions of fishing, chief among them, why anyone would spend their time doing it. This book presents the odd tales, confessions and musings of a deeply flawed angler, well-acquainted with the limits of his own abilities. These humorous tales are presented by the author as a kind of answer to why so many people spend hours in the water, facing off with fish, sometimes only to release them right away. Occasionally profound and always funny, Cammann’s unique perspective on the sport will delight even those who have never cast a line.

Peter Cammann is the author of several books and his work has been featured in On the Water, Coastal Angler, The Fisherman, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Fly Fisherman, Vermont Life, and New England Game and Fish, and on various web sites, including Coastal Angler, About-Flyfishing and UrbanDesires. He lives in Vermont.

Peter Cammann
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 193
Bibliographic Info: 18 photos, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9586-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5388-4
Imprint: Toplight

One—Introduction and Acknowledgments: A Question of Trust 1
Two—Casting 8
Three—Advice 14
Four—Bridges 19
Five—Blasphemy 25
Six—Harassment 29
Seven—The Other Side 37
Eight—Fish Like a Guide 41
Nine—Fly Fishing in the Snow 46
Ten—Fish Like a Local 50
Eleven—Damn Liar 54
Twelve—Giving It a Name 58
Thirteen—The Catch 65
Fourteen—Running After the Salmon 70
Fifteen—­Die-Hards 76
Sixteen—Upselling 83
Seventeen—Bluegills 87
Eighteen—A Fish by Any Other Name 92
Nineteen—Confessions of a Fly Fishing Guide 96
Twenty—How to Treat the Catch 100
Twenty-One—An Ode to the Dogs 104
Twenty-Two—Euclid’s Dilemma 111
Twenty-Three—The Hanging Bass 115
Twenty-Four—The Heretic 120
Twenty-Five—Cheating 126
Twenty-Six—The Flies Are Too Damn Small 130
Twenty-Seven—Solstice Stripers 136
Twenty-Eight—The First Deadly Sin 143
Twenty-Nine—Dropping Stuff Through the Ice 147
Thirty—The Five Gifts 156
Thirty-One—Luquillo 160
Thirty-Two—An Angler’s Bucket List 170
Thirty-Three—Not All There 175
Index 183

• “If it has fins you can bet Peter Cammann has fished for it, and he has let us in on his adventures in a collection of tales that nail what’s real in angling. There are yarns that are madcap, wise, funny and evocative—and always personal. What he has given us is a treasure trove of fish stories—in the very best sense of the phrase.”—Jerry Gibbs, fishing editor emeritus, Outdoor Life

• “Cammann turns the classic fish tale on its head by doing something no angler has done before: telling it with honesty! The result is plenty of smirks and chuckles, almost always at his expense, and a whole lot of utterly relatable moments that beautifully capture the frustration, foolishness, and fun of fishing.”—Kevin Blinkoff, editor of On the Water

• “Peter Camman is one of America’s funniest, most perceptive writers about fishing and nature. The only problem with The Flies are Too Damned Small is that the book is too damned short. Actually, it’s a perfect length. But we can always use more of Peter’s writing.”—Richard Louv, author of Fly Fishing for Sharks, Our Wild Calling and Last Child in the Woods

• “Peter Cammann’s wit has been honed by a lifetime of misadventures in the outdoors, overindulgence in esoteric knowledge of fly tying and arcane books, and an uncanny track record of fishing with the wrong people.”—Ross Purnell, editor/publisher of Fly Fisherman Magazine

• “Similar to the late John Gierach, author Peter Cammann understands that good fishing stories are rarely about the fish—or the fishing, for that matter. His new book, The Flies Are Too Damn Small: Adventures of a Deeply Flawed Angler, was twenty years in the making as Cammann originally wove together stories of friendship, circumstance, and serendipity; then let them stew—for years—before revisiting them with more nuance and perspective on life. All fishermen will find something relatable in the stories, as Cammann explores relationships, old fishin’ dogs, the ups and downs of ice fishing, and lessons learned from family trips to Montana—among many other topics. Turns out, all anglers are deeply flawed, but most aren’t willing to admit it, as Cammann is.”—Eli Fournier, editor of Outside Bozeman

• “It is a rare writer who can make you laugh, inspire you and teach you something all in just a few pages, but Peter Cammann is equally adept in all three departments. In The Flies Are Too Damn Small, he tells the kinds of stories that make for the best campfire conversations, and weaves them in a way that will have you sharing them with fellow fishermen. Sincerity, honesty, humor and humility make this a collection of stories you’ll read, re-read and recommend to friends.”—Rick Bach, publisher/editor of The Road to Water