Sparse Gray Hackle

[Andrew]

Anybody read much by Sparse Gray Hackle (Alfred W. Miller)?

I just came upon a book of his ('Fishless Days, Angling Nights') in the local library, and I'm really enjoying it.

If you've read other stuff by him, and can recommend some titles, please do.

[BRK TRT]

Anybody read much by Sparse Gray Hackle (Alfred W. Miller)?

I just came upon a book of his ('Fishless Days, Angling Nights') in the local library, and I'm really enjoying it.

If you've read other stuff by him, and can recommend some titles, please do.

I believe thats the only book he's written.

If you like reading about the golden age of fly fishing, pick up a copy of

"Land of Little Rivers" by Austin McK. Francis.

A fine book about the Catskills, you won't be disapointed.

[Andrew]

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll keep my eyes open for it. Right now, I'm limiting myself to local library options, which unfortunately leaves much to be desired. I just keep driving to libraries farther and farther away!

[DA]

I've read Fishless Days and Angling Nights a couple of times. Catskill Rivers by Austin M. Francis is another good book. Try inter-library loan if your library doesn't have what you're looking for. Your library will get the book from another library and reserve it for you. I read many books that were not in my library's holdings, some of them on loan from out of state.

[Salter]

Anybody read much by Sparse Gray Hackle (Alfred W. Miller)?
If you've read other stuff by him, and can recommend some titles, please do.

An Honest Angler – The Best of Sparse Grey Hackle is a collection of stories, letters and observations which was published in 1998, fifteen years after Alfred Miller passed away. The book was edited by his daughter, Patricia Miller Sherwood and published by The Lyons Press. This collection is every bit as good as Fishless Day & Angling Nights.

As a foot note I would like to add that when I was a young lad in high school back in the 1970’s I already was an obsessed fisherman, who on most days after school could be found prowling around the trout and warm-water ponds of Wellfleet and Truro where I grew up down on the Cape. I had been fly fishing and tying flies for about 5 years and was just beginning to discover angling literature. One of the first books I bought was Fishless Day & Angling Nights.

Each morning before school started I joined a small group of mostly older boys & girls in the cafeteria for coffee and doughnuts. In this group was a beautiful blond haired girl named Diana Page whom I had a colossal crush on, but being two years older than me, was too timid to reveal my feelings to her. One day I brought Fishless Day & Angling Nights to school with the intention of reading it during lunch. When I joined the group and put the book on the table, Diana leaned over to me with sparkling eyes and a sly smile asked me if I was enjoying the book.. As I gasped for air, my heart ready to explode I stammered “ yes, it is a wonderful book, Miller is a great writer. Why do you ask, do you like to fish for trout?" “ No” Diana said giving a me a wink. “But that is a good answer, the author is my grandfather!” It turns out that Diana was the younger sister of Margot Page who later worked for Nick Lyons and wrote Little Rivers – Tales of a Woman Angler

[The Fisherman]

That's a wonderful story. :-)

[Andrew]

That is a good story!


But I still don't know what happened...did you get a date!?

[Salter]

Andrew,

No, I was too shy to ask an older girl out in those days. Only saw her once after she graduated... She ended up moving to NYC.

Michael

[The Fisherman]

Well, you'll always have The Cape....

;-)