Many of us enjoy fly fishing minus the support on the home front. Oh sure, it is all fine at first until the our passion develops for the sport and then a sort of jealousy or resigned tolerance sets in as your time, money and attention span goes toward energy not deemed properly directed.

Last night my wife and mother-in-law stole away to run an errand. Later, I received a gleeful phone call alerting me to a pending surprise for me. Also, they told me what a fun time they had acquiring this surprise for me. No occasion…just an ad in the local paper highlighting a book  reading and signing by a local author, Jack Ohman for his new book, Angler Management. My mother-in-law, yes that is what I said, alerted my wife to this event and recruited her to attend the reading/signing at Powell’s Books, Portland, Oregon.

They sat through the presentation and thoroughly enjoyed the stories and humor of the moment. The crowd was respectable and equally appreciative of the author’s presentation. The ladies in question, made their move to get in front of Jack and got their autograph on my behalf. My wife said my mother-in-law, yes her, informed  the author of my blog…I am sure she has never looked at my blog. That didn’t stop her from touting the blog to Jack Ohman…who dutifully showed interest and autographed the book.

My mother-in-law (a very lovely woman) knew of my love for the sport and because of that drew her daughter into an evening of doing something nice for me while creating a memory for their selves.

Back, Inside, Dust Jacket: ‘Jack Ohman is the recipient of the 2009 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for editorial cartooning.’ Besides his politically pointed energies, we now know that Jack Oman has the gift of humor that lifts the spirits of those that love fly fishing and all the associated pursuits of fly tying, gear acquisition and rationalization, and the pacification of the home front.

Needless to say, I know by the cherished gift, Angler Management by Jack Ohman, from my spirited girls, that I have the love and support of the women in my life for my long time pursuit of solitude, beauty, fish, gear and renewal.

Angler Management, Jack Ohman, Headwater Books at http://www.headwaterbooks.com

Update 1/30/2010: “Hilarious and Spot On!” -SwittersB & Fly Fishing

Ok, this morning I was sitting in a local tire shop waiting on the bad news re that  squeal in the R Front   area of my rig. I brought along the Ohman book, Angler Management. The chapter ‘Scientific Angler’ is worth the book alone. I sat amongst several men, who sat watching the overexposed Oblama (s0rry Jack) on the TV. No humor on their faces. I directed my attention into the book and to be honest my chuckles, little wheezes and stifled belly laughs soon had the men looking askance at me. No matter. I had a great time waiting it out on a Saturday morning. Excellent book and he knows what he is writing about…oh, and I didn’t need that brake job…just a tweak of the right front pad…out the door for zero $’s.