
The Optimist
A Case for the Fly Fishing Life
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Narrated by:
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Stephen Graybill
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David Coggins - afterword
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By:
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David Coggins
About this listen
An “excellent” (The New York Times) modern tribute to an ageless pastime, and a practical guide to the art, philosophy, and rituals of fly fishing, by an expert, lifelong angler.
In The Optimist, David Coggins makes a case for the skills and sensibility of an enduring sport and shares the secrets, frustrations, and triumphs of the great tradition of fly fishing, which has captivated anglers worldwide.
Written in wry, wise, and keenly observed prose, each chapter focuses on a specific place, fish, and skill. Few individuals, for example, have the visual acuity required to catch the nearly invisible bonefish of the Bahamas flats. Or the patience to land the elusive Atlantic salmon, “the fish of a thousand casts,” in eastern Canada. Pursuing these challenges, Coggins, “a confirmed obsessive,” travels to one fishing paradise after another, including the great rivers of Patagonia, private chalk streams in England, remote ponds in Maine, and New York City’s Jamaica Bay. In each setting, he chronicles his fortunes and misfortunes with honesty and humor while meditating on how fishing teaches focus, inner stillness, and a connection to the natural world.
Perfect for the novice, the enthusiastic amateur, and the devoted angler alike, The Optimist offers a practical path to enlightenment while providing “a rueful, thoughtful, and very funny examination of an elegant obsession” (Jay McInerney).
©2021 David Coggins. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Narrator
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Story
Originally published in 1994, this book was a fly-fishing phenomenon in the way Howell Raines' Fly Fishing Through the Mid-Life Crisis was. Taking his fishing hobby to near metaphysical levels, Ted Leeson tells about his passions: rivers, trout, and fly fishing. With wry humor and rare insight, he explores questions that engage most fishermen: What is it about rivers that draws us so irresistibly, and why does fly fishing seem such an aptly suited response?
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Greatest Book I've Ever Listened To.
- By Travis on 03-17-18
By: Ted Leeson, and others
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The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing
- By: Kirk Deeter, Charlie Meyers
- Narrated by: Scott R. Pollak
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Two highly respected outdoor journalists, Kirk Deeter of Field and Stream and Charlie Meyers of the Denver Post, have cracked open their notebooks and shared straight-shot advice on the sport of fly fishing, based on a range of new and old experiences—from interviews with the late Lee Wulff to travels with maverick guides in Tierra del Fuego. The mission of The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing is to demystify and un-complicate the tricks and tips that make a great trout fisher.
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Awesome Book
- By Spencer on 01-25-22
By: Kirk Deeter, and others
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The River Why
- By: David James Duncan
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Gus Orviston is a young fly fisherman who leaves behind his comically schizoid family to find his own path. Taking refuge in a remote cabin, he sets out in pursuit of the Pacific Northwest's elusive steelhead. But what begins as a physical quarry becomes a spiritual one as his quest for self-knowledge batters him with unforeseeable experiences.
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I Can't Listen to This
- By Tom on 05-13-19
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Fly Fishing Small Streams
- By: John Gierach
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Small-stream fishing wisdom with the same insight and pungent humor that has become Gierach's trademark. Advice on tackle selecting, reading water, and scouting.
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Like a conversation with an old friend about all that is best!
- By His Excellency on 03-30-25
By: John Gierach
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Casting Forward
- Fishing Tales from the Texas Hill Country
- By: Steve Ramirez
- Narrated by: Gordon Klassen
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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In Casting Forward, naturalist, educator, and writer Steve Ramirez takes the listener on a yearlong journey fly fishing all of the major rivers of the Texas Hill Country.
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Loved it!
- By Keri Altieri on 04-04-25
By: Steve Ramirez
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Men and Style
- Essays, Interviews and Considerations
- By: David Coggins
- Narrated by: Daniel Henning
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Men and Style reaches beyond standard "what to wear" advice: It is equal parts style guide and intriguing conversation about the masculine identity within the world of fashion. David Coggins explores the history of men's style and learns from some of the most notable tastemakers in the industry and beyond. Its essays and interviews discuss the lessons men learned from their fathers, the mistakes they made as young men, and how they emerged to become better men.
By: David Coggins
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Good Flies
- Favorite Trout Patterns and How They Got That Way
- By: John Gierach
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Few anglers will skip knowing what a master angler and thinker prefers for his fly box. This title covers a gamut of patterns essential to trout fishing in a variety of circumstances: dry flies, wet flies and nymphs, and streamers. Gierach's legion of fans of his regular magazine column will be highly inclined to buy this title.
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Should have got the book
- By Paul Kulyk on 03-20-24
By: John Gierach
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The Stranger in the Woods
- The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
- By: Michael Finkel
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Many people dream of escaping modern life, but most will never act on it. This is the remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality—not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own.
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Captivating Then Exasperating
- By Gillian on 03-10-17
By: Michael Finkel
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Headwaters
- The Adventures, Obsession and Evolution of a Fly Fisherman (Patagonia)
- By: Dylan Tomine, John Larison - foreward
- Narrated by: Dylan Tomine
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Dylan Tomine takes us to the far reaches of the planet in search of fish and adventure, with keen insight, a strong stomach, and plenty of laughs along the way. Closer to home, he wades deeper into his beloved steelhead rivers of the Pacific Northwest and the politics of saving them. Tomine celebrates the joy - and pain - of exploration, fatherhood, and the comforts of home waters from a vantage point well off the beaten path. Headwaters traces the evolution of a lifelong angler’s priorities from fishing to the survival of the fish themselves.
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Because fishing is about more than catching fish
- By Paul O. on 04-12-25
By: Dylan Tomine, and others
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Sex, Death, and Fly-Fishing
- By: John Gierach
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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From the irrepressible author of Trout Bum and The View from Rat Lake comes an engaging, humorous, often profound examination of life's greatest mysteries: sex, death, and fly-fishing. John Gierach's quest takes us from his quiet home water (an ordinary, run-of-the-mill trout stream where fly-fishing can be a casual affair) to Utah's famous Green River, and to unknown creeks throughout the Western states and Canada. We're introduced to a lively group of fishing buddies, some local "experts," and even an ex-girlfriend, along the way.
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Greatest fly fishing author of all time
- By Jason on 02-06-25
By: John Gierach
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The River of Doubt
- Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
- By: Candice Millard
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, The River of Doubt is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt's harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth.
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This audiobook deserves 6 stars
- By D. Littman on 11-15-05
By: Candice Millard
What listeners say about The Optimist
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- tom higgins
- 07-23-23
Got the book as a gift
I liked how each chapter is its own short story. I had a hard copy of the book and used audible to follow along
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- Keith Thorp
- 08-31-23
A great story in the vein of McGuane and Gierach
I really enjoyed this book. The author does a great job capturing the feeling of the preparation and time on the river that his audience relishes. The narration worked well and I'm very much looking forward to Coggins's next release.
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- peconicgp
- 05-12-21
Great fly fishing book
Very pleased with this find. I would say Graybill perfectly captures the essence of the fly fisherman. Hope he writes about fly fishing again.
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- Chloe
- 11-30-21
Great listen!
Loved it! very relatable, narrator was good as well. recommend this to any fly fisherman.
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- Sara S.
- 05-10-21
Great book!
I think anyone from the novice to the seasoned fly angler will really enjoy this book. David touches upon all the fly fishing sub genres from bone fishing in the Bahamas to brook trout fishing in northern Maine. Expect to find decades worth of fly fishing pearls and fun anecdotes. I plan to order a hard copy to go between my favourite Zane Grey and Robert Ruark titles. Tight lines!
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- Zachary
- 05-07-21
Most Relatable fishing book I've come across
This book is essential reading for anyone who has picked up a rod. it is a great balance of high quality writing and relatability when fly fishing. refreshing from the yeti cooler, fly-bro narrative that has began to overtake the culture.
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- David J. Ubaldi
- 07-06-23
Not happy with the narration again
Book is good but I found myself getting really tired of the narrator. The drawl at the end of every sentence had me wanting to delete the book altogether. Maybe I’m just not cut out for audible, or maybe I just need to stick with award winning narrators. Unfortunately award winning narrators aren’t reading the type of books I’m interested in hearing. Ugh.
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- eli molloy
- 07-02-21
Entertaining and Inspiring Take on Fly Fishing
Humorous and inspiring. Coggins motivates you to get out and expand your fly fishing experiences.
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- Tanner Andresen
- 09-07-21
Among my favorites books ever
David wrote a book that feels like an experience. Something that, with each chapter, puts words to feelings in a special way. It’s fun and educational, but most of all it’s honest and genuine. I was sad when I finished the book. Until I realized that its kind of like casting to a fish over and over… I can read it again and again.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-04-21
A well-read, evocative performance
The author did a great job of reading his own work—one that makes you want to get out on the water yourself, especially if you haven’t ventured out in many years.
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