I've Never Met An Idiot On The River: Reflections on Family, Photography, and Fly-Fishing

by Henry Winkler

Now in paperback, this New York Times best-selling collection of humorous anecdotes and heartfelt observations from Henry Winkler shares the joy and wisdom he’s accumulated while honing his skills as a fly-fisherman.

An accomplished sportsman who meticulously records the measurements of every fish he hooks, Winkler has learned that his yearly trips to the river are not just about catching trout. More importantly, they’re about adopting the proper perspective on life. Or, as Winkler puts it, when he’s fly-fishing, the river acts like a “washing machine for my brain,” recharging him and reminding him that anything is possible.

Winkler makes a habit of sharing his angling adventures with his wife, Stacey, and their three children, Jed, Zoe, and Max. The Winklers’ annual trip, where they can escape the busy-ness of everyday life, has brought them together as a family. On the river, Henry has grown to appreciate the support his wife and children give him, learned to listen, and developed the confidence to publish his outdoor photography in his first non-fiction book.

An expression of the inherent optimism that stems from the simplicity of the outdoors, I’ve Never Met an Idiot on the River is an invitation to share in the realizations and achievements Winkler has found while fishing. Hopefully it will help you catch a few of your own.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Sports, Humor, Autobiography

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

Henry Winkler is instantly recognizable and admired by audiences of all ages for his role as the Fonz on the long-running series, Happy Days. In addition, he is an award-winning producer and director of family and children's programming. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed Hank Zipzer series, which follows the everyday adventures of a bright boy with learning challenges.

Mr. Winkler has also continued his acting career on the big screen, including a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Nightshift, a starring role in the box-office hit Scream, and co-starring roles in The Water Boy, and Holes. On television, he has guest-starred on ABC's The Practice and NBC's Law & Order: SVU. He recently starred on Broadway for nine months in Neil Simon's play The Dinner Party.

Mr. Winkler is deeply committed to children's welfare and works with numerous children's groups. He is involved with The MacLaren Children's Center (a facility for abused children), The National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped, The Special Olympics, and The Los Angeles Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival, as well as numerous teenage alcohol and drug abuse programs. He is a founding member of the Children's Action Network, a non-profit organization that sponsors informational briefings for writers, producers and directors on children's issues and serves as a clearing-house for the entertainment industry on children's issues.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the main reasons why, I admire Henry so much, is his optimism for life. He always has such a positive, delightful, charming way about him, that makes you just want to take in every word he has to say. This is such an uplifting, positive book, that I really didn't want it to end. Even though, this is mostly a book talking about how Henry got into fishing and how it helped him learn to relax and be more patient and confidence in himself, which he believes helped him in his acting career. Thanks to the beautiful pictures, that Henry has taken over the years on his fishing trips, that are in this book, we can see some of the beautiful fish and landscapes, that are out there to be explored. Its a wonderful read that I will be most likely to reread again.

[Jeff Grosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would it be correct to say that this is one of the most fun & positive books I've ever read? CORRECTAMUNDO! Henry Winkler has found his very own "Inspiration Point" and it's on the river in Montana. Through his writing & breathtaking photos he reminds us to be present not just with our eyes & ears, but with our hearts & souls to all that Mother Nature has to offer. He gives a brief overview of his life and how tenacity, gratitude, & patience helped him achieve his dreams, all the while encouraging us to do the same. He also gave me another place to add to my bucket list of places to visit, Firehole Ranch. I give his book two thumbs up! Ayyy!

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it may appear at first that this is a book on fly fishing, it’s really so much more. Henry Winkler divulges some aspects of his life that were not the most pleasant, but he does it with humor and without complaint. Readers learn a bit about fly fishing, and even though we may never go fly fishing, it was still enjoyable to read. We meet his family, and learn of Henry’s attempts to get them to like fly fishing as much as he does. (Not possible.) Some of the book is about life lessons, but it never sounds preachy. Interspersed with the delightful prose are many full color pictures taken by Henry on his travels. These gorgeous pictures of land and water are inspiring reminders of the wonderful world God gave us. This is book you will want to peruse more than once. Wishing everyone “tight lines.”

[Missy LeBlanc Ivey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Month of April 2022: Celebrity Profile

Wow! How unexpected! This is now one of my top celebrity memoirs I’ve read to date. I never really cared for Henry Winkler because of the “Fonzie” stigma, from his Happy Days character, I’ve attached to him. How unfair and wrong I was judging him personally!

This book is a keeper and now belongs on my all-time most favorites book shelf. It is more of a memoir than an autobiography on his reflections and memories of his family and his photography and his yearly fly-fishing expeditions at Firehole Ranch in Montana, which he is absolutely obsessed with. Never have I enjoyed learning about fly-fishing than right here in Henry’s own, very simple and humorous, words.

His story about his photography is hilarious! He started out with a point and shoot. Then, his family purchased him a fancy Minolta with removable lenses. He admits to never ever learning how to use that camera and has never taken it off automatic. He’s read the manual and sleeps with it under his pillow. He at least has a good eye for composition. I don’t even have that.

I have a fancy Nikon with several lenses, one costing me $600…you know, so I can get those good close-ups of birds or any other kind of animal. I’ve read the manual, went through photography group classes on Facebook, purchased other books for dummies on using the Nikon, and have practiced, practiced, practiced shooting EVERYTHING under the sun and feel like I now know my camera pretty well. Still, here I am, several YEARS later…when I go out to shoot wild aquatic birds (pelicans, seagulls, great herons, etc…), I can’t remember crap. My fingers are turning every knob this way and that way, trying to get a descent light or a descent picture. You don’t get second chances when it comes to nature. I may take 500 shots on any given day and like only one or two…or none at all. Hell, even my husband can take better pictures than me when on vacation using his iPhone…🙄 Not funny to me, but I love hearing other’s experiences and I don’t feel like such a complete failure. Maybe my “motives”, my focus, has been all wrong this whole time.

Henry Winkler is three months older than my mom. He was born October 30, 1945 of two hard-nosed German parents who thought he was nothing but a “dumb dog”. The fact is Henry Winkler was very dyslexic and had a hard time learning to read and write, and remember things, and had no eye and hand coordination to be able to play sports. He was also a very proud kid who was too afraid to fail, and have others see him fail, so he was very reluctant to be on the adventurous side and try new things. Now, this right here describes three of my grandsons, and it worries the dickens out of me, especially when they can now hide behind those dang computer games. Ugh!!

Henry has a simple, yet very effective, way of writing and encouraging. He has made it his life’s mission to help other kids and has written “The Hank Zipzer: The World’s Greatest Underachiever” in a series of 17 books that might help kids overcome certain fears and obstacles in life. I’ll be looking into these for my grandies.

[Coryke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this a deep book? No. Do I learn much about fly-fishing, acting, or idiots on the river (or the lack thereof)? Not really.

So, why did I like the book? Because this world is hard, mean, and hurtful at times, and Winkler's seasoned optimism was encouraging. It was a spark. It was a mirror. It was what I needed to read right now.

Another review called this a vanity piece. I respectfully disagree. Winkler consistently shows himself in unflattering lights. That would seem to be a rather perverse vanity project. Winkler talks about how he is at peace while on the river, but the context of that peace is his insecurities, his failings, his upbringing, anxiety, hopes and dreams. It's clear that he wants to be a good dad, and most of the stories he shares reveal a point at which he has failed at that goal. I saw myself right there with him. Only, I'm not so sure that I've had the wherewithal to make the changes he's made. But, he's encouraged me to try again.

I want to be a better dad. It's funny that the Fonz has become one of the most convincing voices in the 'how' and 'why' of accomplishing that.

Thank you, Mr.Winkler.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Henry Winkler book. His love of fishing and photography and his passion for sharing his experiences makes this book great. It's an easy read with great pictures that really opened my eyes to the type of person Winkler is. Easy to see after this that he is a genuinely good person that really hasnt been spoiled by his successful career. I hope he does another book like this.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed most of the book, however; the story he and his wife told about him throwing his boot across the room when the family was taking too long to get ready to fly fish made me think the Fonz has a temper! Having that story at the beginning put a damper on the good parts about his fly fishing. He seems pretty aggressive about getting his fish and getting to the more elite places known for fly fishing just once a year instead of fishing local streams that can be more fun and less crowded and easier to enjoy more often. He did show that he enjoy nature in the rest of the book and photos. Another turnoff for me was his wife saying he has all the brightly colored LL Bean shirts and best gear. Fly fishers usually wear blue green brown or tan that blends in with nature not bright pink. 😆 I do think it’s cool that he fly fishes and think he’s still a good guy just weird that he and his wife shared the story about his temper tantrum at the beginning imo! Otherwise it’s an easy read with some humor.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good! When many of us think of Henry Winkler, we immediately think of a guy in blue jeans and a black leather jacket that went by "The Fonz". We watched him religiously on Happy Days for years!

On Winkler's happiest days, you can find him on a river in Montana .... fly-fishing! That's right! You read this correctly.

This book is part autobiography, part anecdotes of his adventures in fly-fishing. Sometimes funny, sometimes not, but always very interesting.

[Sam Poole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked it up randomly and seemed too fun and unique to pass up. Is it enlightening? Not particularly. It is fun, though, and Henry Winkler's enthusiasm made me smile. His photos we're actually very nice, especially considering he is proudly untrained. Self-deprecating, pleasant and personable. Not much to dislike!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Henry Winkler even more now! This book grounded me. A lot. Aaaand I still want to learn to fly fish.

[Kurtbg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Being a fun of Happy Days and most recently Arrested Development I was interested in just
how different the guy who plays Barry Zuckercorn was like. I went to a book signing in Union square
and found out.

First, the book: complete waste of time. There is no value whatsoever to this book. It's more than vanity. It's a 'I like fishing' book. Now, the concept isn't bad but there's a lot lacking. Everything is precursory and there's no details. "I love fly fishing" - ok, I get it, but give the readers something more than that, something of value or wonder, or a mission.

Henry relates that he catalogs each fishing expedition (1-2 a year) and photographs each fish he catches and release. Now, I'm interested why he has such fanaticism and anal approach to his documentation? What information does he capture? when did he start to document? He never explains it nor why he has such a compulsion to do so. I may love candy as much as he loves fishing, but I don't document each piece I eat. Why does he? I hope he's not a gambler. Is there a fishing person anonymous?
Yes - he never refers to himself as an 'angler.' I would expect a serious fisherman who has appeared
on televised fishing shows to at least include that word in a short book on his love of fishing. Sigh.

Ok, He's co-writer with another person on a series of childrens book. Perhaps he's thinking his audience is children. The book is about 7th grade level and there's so little text it's hard to understand why a co-writer was needed. His talk and slide show was also geared towards an child level. "I love fly fishing", "Oh, here's a picture I really like". He gave a performance which for kids would be great, but as an adult it was a little creepy. Yes, I was disappointed. Here's was an overenthusiastic guy selling his love of fishing and hawking a book. I wanted to see if there was
anything going on underneath.

I was really disappointed the book included no information on national parks or wildlife conservation.
He mainly fished in Montana and in west yellowstone. I was expecting to see some type of "help save & preserve" but there wasn't. No higher consciousness. Who said "Henry, this is a winner, You should do it?" This is poor product plain and simple. Henry likes fly fishing. Give me something to "so what" about. Ayyyyyyyyyyy!

[Merry Miller moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy of this book is signed by Henry Winkler himself! My family got to see him speak live at my alma mater, Indiana State University as part of their speaker's series. We got to see the 'Fonz'!!!! I grew up watching Happy Days. I had no idea that Henry suffered from dyslexia when he was growing up. His German immigrant parents would call him dumb dog as he struggled in school. Sad. He wasn't diagnosed until the age of thirty when his son was diagnosed with a learning disability. Henry has since gone on to co-author seventeen best selling children's books. My son got his copy signed. Henry signed it 'You are so smart!'. That made my day! This book is about Henry's love of fly fishing with his family in Montana. They go once a week each year. There are funny anecdotes about fishing, life and family in general. Also included are pictures that Henry has taken. They are simply gorgeous. He is a very talented photographer. He is married to his longtime love, Stacey and they are the proud parents of Jed, Zoe and Max. The book is honest and funny. He talks about falling into the water in almost every river that he fishes in. Henry Winkler is down to earth and an honest to goodness great guy. My son was thrilled when he said 'HEYYYYY!!!!' to him and put up his thumb! Read this book. It is a great piece of life. I cannot believe I've had it so long and never picked it back up. It is a quick read. You will enjoy it.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit that this book was sent to me with on accident, along with some other books I wanted to read. This book is not something I would typically think to read but I remember watching Happy Days, when it was showing reruns. I am not old enough to have watched the original, when it was airing. So because I enjoyed watching Happy Days, I decided to give this book a try. It was nice to get to know Mr. Winkler a little more better on a personal bases as to who the “real” Henry Winkler is and not the one that everyone thinks they know as “Fonzie”.

Mr. Winkler is a normal, laid-back type of guy. He is a good family man, husband, fisherman and photographer. Mr. Winkler is also someone who has Dyslexia. He found that fishing is one hobby that he enjoys but it also helps calm his brain. Another thing that Mr. Winkler is good at…photography. The pictures he took was like looking through a family album. All the talk that Mr. Winkler went on about Firehole Ranch in Montana makes me want to go there. As much as I did like this book, there was only so much I could take about talk about fishing. Which is pretty much all that Mr. Winkler shared about himself. Don't be expecting a big fish story in this book.

[Vicky Titcomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It's great for people who love fly fishing, but there's so much more to it. It's no coincidence that the title lists family first. Henry is a devoted family man and his time on the river is very much about family. (Although we learn right off the bat that he's also a very competitive fisherman and can't be in the same boat as his wife because his fly will find its way to her waters in a heartbeat if he thinks there's a fish there!) The writing is wonderful and beautiful photos help us see Montana through his eyes.

Henry is funny and self-effacing and a genuinely good and warm person. There is so much about his philosophy in the book. His perseverance as he learns to fly fish mirrors his approach to life. He sets a goal to succeed in doing something he loves and works tirelessly towards that goal - with a great deal of joy and humor along the way. Since Henry struggled with dyslexia, it has a real appeal to older children and adults who have dyslexia as well.

[Matt P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy I read this book. I've Never Met an Idiot on the River is a autobiography by Henry Winkler. The book is about how Henry struggles every day fighting dyslexia. Henry finds fly fishing hard at first but he manages to love it. Henry finds fly fishing makes him happy and he is good at it.

My personal favorite part of the book is how fly fishing was so hard to Henry at the beginning because of his fight with dyslexia but every day he went to a small isolated stream in Montana. He never gave up trying to learn fly fishing even though it was not easy for him. He is my hero for this and I hope I can have the same happiness as him some day.

One thing I didn't like about the book is that it is a slow read. Although he is a great writer.

I would recommend this book to any outdoors men. I too love to fly fish. This is a great book and Henry Winkler is a Great writer.

[Lee Fritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a simple concept - television entertainer writes about another of his passions - and yet it was very enjoyable. A few things helped my appreciation for this book including a similar love for the river and experiencing his acting recently through his Arrested Development role. The latter assisted in hearing the book through his voice while imagining his mannerisms.

It took three commuting legs to complete the book, and I could see revisiting this quick read in the future for just that reason. It comes across as more of an essay suggesting Henry's personal philosophies and explanations of overcoming challenges through the lens of fly fishing. I'm inspired to go fishing again soon through his explained and photographed joy. Hopefully that can happen soon!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a remarkable book by a remarkable and inspiring man. As I was reading it I realized what a wonderful graduation gift it would make, Henry's philosophy is portrayed through stories of learning to fly-fish, when he was convinced he didn't have the hand-eye coordination to accomplish this skill. He is dyslexic, though of course growing up didn't know it, was told by his parents that he was dumb and lazy. Henry's ability to enjoy life and laugh at it's ups and downs is inspiring, as are the gorgeous photographs he took of Montana and Idaho, that are featured in the book, beautiful photographs, Henry!!(less)

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never read any of Mr. Winkler's books until this one, and I was very excited to get my hands on it. I was born & raised in the area he writes about here; I share his passion for trout fishing & of course, it's Henry Winkler! This book is a quick read, loaded with beautiful photos. It's touching(for me, at least) and his sense of humour is amazing. As I was reading, I became a little homesick( I now live in Michigan) and ALOT nostalgic; I could almost picture myself as a child, fishing those same waters and experiencing all he was experiencing! 5 stars from ME on this one & I am now going to check out other books of his!

[Lisa Kindberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first chapter is his wife's observations and I thought, "Of course you never met an idiot on the river ~ YOU were the idiot." And in some ways perhaps that's true; however, given that he is an admitted doubt and fear riddled person as well as a success driven man some of his antics can be forgiven. He is also quite willing and ready to remedy the errors of his ways, particularly recognizing when he is too harsh with his children. That makes him an excellent father in my book. Perhaps he's also an excellent fly-fisher-person. I do know that should I ever encounter him on the river, I'll wave, wish him tight lines and move on.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining memoir, endearingly personal without signs it was touched by a professional ghostwriter. Not super well-written or groundbreaking, but a good read. I thought that Mr. Winkler's personal stories about overcoming adversity, fly fishing and amateur nature photography were an interesting look into his life.

Sadly, though, this book was extremely short. I've read *chapters* longer than this whole book, which I read from beginning to end in less than two days - spending only my commuting time on the train. .

[Cheryle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I live in Montana, I found this book interesting. I am sure as a celebrity there is an overwhelming need to occasionally get away from the pressures of the "silly industry". Henry Winkler is a tremendous talent and one who finds it necessary to re-charge annually on the rivers of Idaho and Montana. He has found fly-fishing to be the outlet that will do that for him.
The focus of the book is the fulfillment he has found in this hobby as well as the off shoot of photography.
It is always interesting to see what famous people do to "stay real".

[H R Koelling · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a generational biography with a fly-fishing backdrop for anyone who grew up with The Fonz. Some decent inspirational stories about overcoming adversity too. The author definitely captures the essence of fly fishing and what draws its adherents to the avocation. There's just a lot of extraneous fluff in this book that doesn't really have much to do with fishing. Still, it was nice to read about the diligent hard working efforts of this eternal optimist who was such a huge part of everyone's lives back in the heyday of Happy Days.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so thoroughly enjoyed this book!
I have been a fan of Henry Winkler for a good, long time - this book turned out to be so much more than I had expected. I have found a great deal of inspiration from his words and photos!! Thank you, Henry!
I'm a better person for having read this book; thank you for sharing all that you share with the rest of us. :-)
Wishing you "Tight Lines"; take care and God Bless.
~dh~

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't fish. But my husband thought I'd like reading this book anyway. He was right.

Henry Winkler's joy and optimism are contagious! This book is filled with his fish stories, family stories of fly fishing trips in Montana, and really great pictures he took himself using his PPP photography method (Point, Push, Pray). Loved reading a book that made me feel happy.

[Andy Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I met Henry Winkler several years ago at Southern Kentucky Bookfest where he signed this book. He's a good, genuine, super nice person. The stories in this book are great life lessons. It's not just about fly fishing. It's deeper. I enjoyed this book. I believe you'll enjoy it as well.

[Mr. Wakiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you read Winkler's wife's intro, you would have to say, 'He is the idiot on the river'

the way she describes him. But I don't think he is, and it is a nice book. Not deep or insightful, but fun with great pictures. I would guess if you hate flyfishing or Henry Winkler you have already decided this is the wrong book for you, but if you like one or the other or both, you will enjoy this.

[Kev Willoughby · Rating 4 out of 5]

An autobiographical sketch from Henry Winkler that conveys his passion for fly-fishing and life. I enjoyed reading his observations and seeing his optimism while getting a brief glimpse into his world away from the screen. This is not a full biography, but an enjoyable book that you can easily complete in an afternoon.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

id give this 3 1/2 - i checked it out for Jim who never got around to reading it then as I am loading the books to take back to the library, I spent the next hour reading it! wanted to see what the Fonz had to say...insightful

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I feel like I have so much to say about how it made me feel, but I don't have the words to describe it other than 'inspiring'. So instead, I will use Henry's own words: "Don't give up on your dreams; you can and must make them your reality." pg. 136

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is about how Henry struggles every day fighting dyslexia, A delightful collection of humorous anecdotes and heartfelt observations, Henry Winkler shares the joy and wisdom of life, family, and his days of TV Happy Days, as well as his time on Broadway, excellant book