If we’re being completely honest, fishing was never something that really appealed to us outside of the fact it afforded us to be alone for hours at a time while drinking beer in the process. Fly fishing, however, is a completely different ball of lines, lures, and wax as it were because it’s a timeless, ageless pastime filled with the kind of essential skills and sensibility required for everything else these days. That’s where author David Collins and his recent book The Optimist: A Case for the Fly Fishing Life comes in. The Optimist sees Coggins making a case for the skills and sensibility of this enduring sport with its secrets, frustrations, and triumphs over the course of its 250+ pages of witty, keenly observed prose, location-specific details, and the detail-oriented human characteristics required for success. Whether you’re a novice, enthusiastic amateur, or devoted angler, The Optimist has something for every fishing enthusiast to learn.