Synopses & Reviews
River Songs is rich with bracing, authentic, generous stories — writing that revels in language and spirit. Avoiding most of fly fishing's clichés — the romantic elegies, the Moby-Dick-like conquests, the play-by-play detailing a "victory" over a fish — Steve Duda instead offers pieces that breathe lived experience, reveal vulnerabilities, and convey a broad perspective of what it means to have "a long run with a tight crew." Duda is interested in what has been learned out there on the river: what is it about this "ridiculous activity" that connects us to this planet, makes us human, gives us hope?
River Songs focuses on the in-between moments and the unexpected revelations — awe, fear, frustration, doubt, joy — that are as much a part of fishing as tying knots and chucking flies. Readers ride along with Duda in battered pickup trucks, fish "between jobs," look longingly at unfished famous rivers while touring with a country-punk band, and wonder how a fishing trip led to getting a tooth pulled while being surrounded by trash-talking friends. They will find beauty, discovery, heartbreak, good dogs, and the wonder of nature within the expanse of Northwest landscapes and beyond.
Review
“Flyfishing is Steve Duda's portal to the natural world. His stories are down-to-earth, passionate, and overflowing with wonder. River Songs is scorchingly well written.” Peter Kaminsky, author of Catch of a Lifetime
Review
“Duda's tales are far more than fishing stories. They are the fatty spoils of in-between moments that only someone as unintentionally soaked in the cosmos as Duda could capture. I'm grateful for each of his experiences, in which he holds the fleeting, strange psalms long enough to translate them for mortals like me to cherish.” Hilary Hutcheson, outfitter and guide
Review
“A wonderfully spirited case for one of the great and enduring sports.” David Coggins, author of The Believer: A Year in the Fly Fishing Life
Review
“Like a fireside raconteur plucking his banjo beside your favorite stream, Steve Duda plays notes that ring true. 'Here's to ugly flies that are beautiful, ' he says, in remembrance of a long-lost fishing buddy, and we feel the joy and the pain. His river songs about the angling life — about living — evoke a deep yearning for connection, the regret of missed opportunity, and an impatience with cheap illumination. He finds humor, absurdity, and sorrow in both the magical and the mundane. Duda's is a sometimes gruff, sometimes bemused, but always singular voice that cuts through the discordant noise of our times.” Langdon Cook, author of Upstream
About the Author
Steve Duda is a writer, editor, and producer whose work in film, magazines, books, and live appearances has shaped the voice of fly fishing for over three decades. He is the former editor of The Flyfish Journal and a founding editor at Boise Weekly. Steve's cultural writing has been featured in Rolling Stone, Huffington Post, Seattle Weekly, MTV, San Francisco Bay Guardian, The Fretboard Journal, and many others. Currently, Steve is Head of Fish Tales at Patagonia, guiding the brand's fly fish activism and storytelling through film, video, web, social media, and more. He lives in Seattle with his partner and a semi-feral feline/raccoon hybrid.