The Optimist: A Case for the Fly Fishing Life

by David Coggins

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).

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Outdoors, Sports, Travel, Adventure, Audiobook

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2021

About the author

David Coggins is the author of "The Believer: A Year in the Fly Fishing Life" (Scribner). His previous books include "The Optimist," "Men and Manners" and the NY Times best-seller "Men and Style" (Abrams). He writes The Contender, a newsletter about style, travel and design. His work appears in numerous publications, including Esquire, the Financial Times magazine and Robb Report. He lives in New York.

Reviews

[Susannah Lauber · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is new to fly fishing, this book captured what initially appealed to me. Coggins is a master storyteller who made me feel like I was on the river with him and made me add a whole lot of things to my bucket list.

“But I cast, not knowing what will happen. In the waking life I cast too, and still I never know. If no trout rises, I cast again. I feel a shiver of good fortune to be in the world, a world without end.”

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect Summer read!
Coggins has a pleasant, conversational, and witty style of writing. I was "hooked" from the introduction, leading into the eight chapters of the book, each centered upon his quest fo a different species of fish in a different part of the country and/or world.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t really know anything about fly fishing and I found this book really engaging and interesting! While I don’t think it’s for me I have a better understanding of it now!

[Johnnie]

i just wanna fish for gods sake

[Jason Herrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. There are chapters on trout, salmon & bonefish. The author tells of great catches & of the ones that got away. Definitely made me want to get out on the water.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I'll start by saying that I generally like Coggins' short-form writing. In a few pages or paragraphs, I find his voice and his outlook enjoyable. But I think in a long-form book, he loses some of his appeal for me. The insights and philosophizing feel a little shallow, and his otherwise genial personality comes off a little pompous. That being said, not a bad read for what it is - a very topical, not-at-all in depth story about liking to fly fish.

[Will Hearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great nonfiction account of one man's fly fishing experiences from a very young age until the present. Covers a host of regions and variety of fish species and includes his experiences traveling to great destinations. There's a great philosophical thread throughout the book that truly would be good for any new fly fisher to absorb, or at least acknowledge, before beginning the painstaking process of becoming competent at the sport.

[Randal White · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid (maybe rabid) fly fisherman, I was naturally drawn to this book. I could not believe my luck, when reading the first chapter, to find out the author was introduced to fly fishing in Wisconsin, just as I was. He had me hooked (no pun intended) from that point on.
This is a wonderful little book, full of the author's experiences and perceptions as he travels around fishing. From Wisconsin to Patagonia, he aptly describes each location, and it's setting and particular quirks. Besides the obvious draw to Wisconsin, I really enjoyed his trips to Maine for brook trout, and to England for brown trout. He managed to make me feel like I was there, fishing alongside him.
I think that I will keep this book near my favorite chair by the fireplace, and return to it again and again when the cold weather hits and keeps me inside!

[Travis Meserve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I'm a David Coggins fan and a fly fishing enthusiast. So it would have taken a lot for me not to have enjoyed this. If the author reads these reviews, only thing I would say is that, I see another fly fishing book in your future! Feels like there's still a lot of ground left uncovered. This book was heavy on travel themes which was fun to read. But I would enjoy reading more about some of the intersections of fly fishing and other areas Coggins is expert in (clothing, manners, life well lived, etc.) as well as some of the more typical fishing experiences on home waters. But as for this book, it was a solid enjoyable read. Left me wanting more!

[McClellan Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt like a vacation.

No heroics or over philosophising about fly fishing. Just a good book about fly fishing around the world.

Enjoyable writing of wonderful places and the process of casting flies for beautiful fish. Coggin’s doesn’t set fly fishing up as anything more than the recreation that it is. But it is a means of connecting with the natural world and escaping the frenetic pace of modern life, and for that he is grateful. Fishing seems to be a connection to the natural world yes, but also to a history bigger than himself.

Simple. Straightforward. And very enjoyable.

[Rick Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Not yet an angler, but a friend is and has recently invited me on a trip.

Read this to get a feel for whether I would enjoy it. If it's half as good as DC describes, I think I'll be hooked.

I loved the way this was written. The technical tips were excellent, and I will refer to them again, but I loved his description of the philosophy, the mindset. His passion comes through so clearly.

[Cole Kaestner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fishing stuff is really good. Great storyteller and I like that he writes just as much about the failures as he does the successes.

He gives me a little bit of a 2013 hipster/steampunk vibe that I’m not a fan of but that’s ok👍🏻

[Meghan O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fly fishing obsessive and lover of life, I 100% appreciate a book that speaks eloquently about what my very being cannot. Beautifully written, honest and just elitist enough you know it's written by a die hard. Love this book and will probably reread multiple times a year on my way to fishing destinations.

[R. N. Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love of the sport

Enjoyable and self-deprecating in the vein of writers such as Gierach, though without regularly having to pick the straw out of his teeth.

[Chris Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Coggins fully encompasses the thoughts, feelings, and emotions of a simple fly fisherman, as well as the beauty and meaningful adventures it takes us on. Couldn’t put this book down!

[Anton Hychka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never been fishing, and perhaps I never will. But this book painted vivid images of nature’s wonders, awakened my taste buds, and brought me a sense of peace as I read it.

[Joseph M Stratton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spot on

This is one of the purest most honest explanations of fly fishing I’ve encountered. David describes the range of emotions more accurately than anyone I’ve read-well done.

[Elena Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coggins captures the thrill of fly fishing well and makes me want to fish more. I appreciated his humility with the sport and was routing for him in every cast.

[Michael Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't fished in ages but so well-written it doesn't matter

I was skeptical since I'm not a fisherman but I got carried along by the writing. Great scene-setting and beautiful writing.

[Joseph Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional book that covers the joys, and dismay, of the angling life while also giving the reader a wonderful overview of the places that the author has traveled to in order to persue his obsession. Equal parts funny and fascinating.

[Jessica Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a small but growing section of my library devoted to writing about very specific obsessions/sports/activities which interest me not at all but, thanks to the quality of the writing, suddenly seem fascinating. This book falls squarely into that category and can sit happily alongside William Finnegan's Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life , E.B. White's One Man's Meat, and anything by John McPhee or A.J. Liebling. The writing is beautiful, often hilarious and frequently poignant, and evokes a deep sense of place in each section. I can't speak to it from an angler's perspective but my guess is just about anyone will find something to love in this one.

[India · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coggins reflects on several of his fishing trips, offering up both technical knowledge and philosophy about the fishing life. He captures the complicated relationship of any fishing adventure: the anticipation, the patience, the disappointment, the glory, and the community.

And yet, the disappointing aspect of this book for me wasn’t concerning the book itself, but more a reflection of the fly fishing community. Not a single woman was mentioned in this book. You’d think that none of us fished and this was only a stuffy rich white guy’s sport. The next fly fishing book I read will be written by a woman, for sure. This one left me feeling a bit sunken.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coggins is a masterful storyteller. In this series of tales from around the world he showcases the trial, tribulations, and triumphs of fishing with the fly rod. Every page beautifully describes the adventure of chasing elusive fish and provides self reflection of the fisherman. You don’t have to fish to enjoy the tales.

Heck, this makes me want to fly back into a remote fishing camp and seek my own redemption chasing trout.

[David A. Ladensohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best fishing book in years.

This is the best written fly fishing book I’ve read in years. Coggins has a great sense of humor and beautifully
expresses the thoughts we have in ways we cannot. His self-deprecation and emotional highs and lows are classic descriptions of every angler’s fishing life.

[François Dumaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not crazy about the definitive nature that a five-star rating boxes you in, but I just can't imagine a more engaging, pleasant and witty book about the craziness of fly fishing. Exquisite.

[Troy Weiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hesitant that this would keep my attention but overwhelmingly impressed! This is going to be a re-read in the future.

[Wallace Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love buying and reading these types of books.
Boats, yachts, historical events and books about the sea are generally excellent. If there are sequels in your series, I would love to read them.

The beauties of owning the books of important authors cannot be discussed. I'm looking forward to your new books.

For friends who want to read this book, I leave the importance of reading a book here. I wish good luck to the sellers and customers...

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[Colin Walls · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading this book I flew down to Tasmania (I was studying abroad in Australia) and fly fished with a guide for four days on the lakes in central Tassie. I caught no fish. There was a cold snap and the fish simply weren't feeding. This normally would have upset me pretty bad (and it admittedly still did), but Coggins is almost as good at describing the process of not catching a fish as he is at describing the end goal that we all hope for. His words were calming despite the empty-handed frustration of spending full days in a storm on a small boat that you paid a lot of money to hire. I am definitely inspired by his worldwide fishing endeavors, and can see myself revisiting his writings after a few more thousand spent and a few more fishless days. His difficulties fishing Atlantic Salmon in Canada seemed pretty close to the emotions that I felt.

I thoroughly enjoyed his descriptions of the English countryside and customs and the beauty of Patagonia. So many bucket list fishing spots, so little time. I would absolutely read another David Coggins book.

Quotes:

"Fishing in the modern world, I’ve come to realizes a contrary act. While it might improve one’s moral character (a possibly dubious theory), to fish with purpose and intensity, to seek sporting opportunities in far-flung places, strikes many as decadent." - Page 3

"It’s said that 10 percent of anglers catch 90 percent of fish. This is a frightening statistic for anybody suspicious that he’s not in that expert 10 percent (as with most fishing truisms, the fact that it’s totally unverifiable only increases its power). Sitting there with Carter, I started to realize what it actually meant to be accomplished. Do you commit to something and do it well? Or do you do it casually and imperfectly, content not to know what you don’t know? Carter didn’t merely fish, he studied, experimented, refined, and nearly perfected his art. He was catching 90 percent of the fish. Did I want to catch what was left over?" - Page 34

"But do you want to be told you’re doing the right thing or do you want to catch a fish? We all know the answer to that. This remains part of fishing — coming to terms with the fact that you can do everything correctly and still not receive deliverance. You can cast well, throw in a mend, let a drift go perfectly, and… nothing happens. Ideally everything aligns. Not always." - Page 202

[AJ Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

competently written and readable, but ultimately unremarkable. It follows a well-established template in fly-fishing literature: travel vignettes, introspective pauses, and familiar reflections on patience, presence, and meaning. None of this is poorly done—but very little of it is new.

For readers new to the sport, the book will likely feel inviting and even formative. For anyone with deeper exposure to fly-fishing writing, the philosophical terrain is shallow and heavily trafficked. Nearly every insight has been articulated before, often with greater restraint and less self-conscious framing.

The tone occasionally slips into polish that feels curated rather than earned. Reflection is present, but vulnerability is limited. The writing often arrives with its conclusions already formed, leaving little space for the river, the work, or the failure to shape the insight organically.

What’s missing is the quiet humility and unforced warmth that give the best fly-fishing writing its durability—the sense that meaning emerges incidentally through experience rather than being presented as a thesis. Without that, the prose can feel faintly pompous, not through ego, but through overcontrol.

In the end, the book functions well as a gateway for newcomers and aspirational readers. As a contribution to the genre, it adds little beyond competent prose and familiar sentiment.

[Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Optimist allows the reader to live vicariously through the tales of David Coggins epic fly fishing adventures. He toes the line between the meaning of life paralleled with fly fishing. Every time I opened for a read, I wanted to be on the river experiencing the joys and failures that are well known in this life.

Some of my favorite quotes:
Page 105 Patagonia,
When I fish, I forget all that. Patagonia is not what anybody's made, it's what's lasted despite all we've made. This is the natural world at the most direct and I feel lucky to be in a place that's indifferent to me...

Page 162, Canada,
You can set down your platinum card and book a place on a helicopter to a remote lake, or you can hike for hours for free in a national park. To me, the danger of high prices for lodges, guides, camps and the rest is that it distorts the experience...There's no short line from a credit card to catching a fish..."

Page 219 England,
Each cast, each drift, is a possibility

Fly Fishing brings you back to some of the priorities in life. Being in nature. There is certainly more to life, but fly fishing is certainly key.