A couple months back, someone recommended that I read the book Holy Ghost Creek written by Frank D. Weissbarth. My good friend Mike was kind enough to let me borrow his copy. Between work, family, and fall hunting, the book sat on the shelf for longer than it should have until recently. Once I started reading, it was extremely difficult to put down. Holy Ghost Creek is a collection of stories from Weissbarth’s exploration of New Mexico’s small streams. I truly enjoyed the writing. It was an intimate and raw account of Frank D. Weissbarth’s love of small streams. It is so easy to read fly fishing and hunting stories that are loaded with the same cliches, but this book was different. I certainly won’t do it any justice by trying to describe it, so grab a copy and read it.
Here is one of my favorite passages from his book:
“There are things beneath the surface of the river that I will never know. There is not time enough to learn them and the river is always changing. But sometimes, on a rare day, for a few moments or hours, the barrier between water and land vanishes, and I see the trout in their watery world and hear the sound of the stream and the wind in the trees and watch as insects hover over the water and a mink slips silently along the bank. It is an intimacy born of long hours on the water, of study and of love. It is why I fish.”—from Holy Ghost Creek
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I second your recommendation. He’s a small stream angler, born & bred. His writing takes me to some familiar places, yet it’s not about the where, but the why of it all. Mike
Haven’t made it to reading about the outdoor lifestyle just yet – still have a huge stack of the ‘classics’ I’m (slowly) working through. Another one for the list, certainly!
Looks like you’ve lost the battle for your living room. Been there (am there).
I lost the battle for the living room a long time ago. Glad you feel my pain.
Ben
Glad you enjoyed it Ben. Growing up in the south, catching crawdads in Arkansas creeks, eating watercress from gin clear creeks feeding the South Fork of the Spring river, taking time out from long, lazy days fishing Pickwick lake by walking up feeder streams into the hills and now … loving the small water fly fishing wherever I find it … few memories are as sweet as those joyful moments.
Thanks Alan. Its a good one for sure.
Ben
Thank you so much for the book review Ben. I’ve been looking for something like this.
I ordered the book from Amazon right after reading your post. The reviews were all outstanding. Thanks again Ben.
Awesome Howard. You’ll enjoy it for sure.
Ben
The reviews I’ve read have been spot on. It’s one the best books I’ve read in a long time. Thanks again Ben.
Awesome. Just got back from New Mexico last week. Definitely going to pick this book up. It looks like it’s right up my alley.
Thanks Ben
Sounds good Pete. I think you’ll like it.
Ben
Thanks for the review of a book that looks and sounds terrific, one that I will look for. I have fished a number of those small streams neighboring the Holy Ghost, and all I can say is, Wow.