Learning To Fly: Hooks, Lines and Singles on Montana Creeks

by Rip Gerber

Some anglers say fish are deaf, that fish can only sense vibrations through their lateral lines, and that’s not really hearing. But fly fishermen on the Hammer creeks know better. When the sun falls and the music rises at the barn, booming the ranges and blanketing all of Gallatin valley, every living creature with or without ears hears the rock and roll.

A prized trophy fish doesn't attempt to be anything other than what it is… a fish. A great song is just like that…it starts out like any other song. But then it grows and thrives and becomes more than a song… it becomes a classic, a moment, a movement. Like a rolling stone. Like a Bessie. And when you catch that perfect melody, like catching a gorgeous rainbow, the euphoria is like no other feeling in the world.

Learning to Fly (released June 17, 1991) is a song by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was written by Tom Petty and his writing partner Jeff Lynne for the album Into the Great Wide Open. The entire song is based on only four simple chords, (F, C, A minor, and G). Petty explained the genesis of the song: “I was coming to grips with the view that you can be optimistic, hopeful and as good a person as you want to be, but it’s not going to make life simple for you. Nothing will. You can have all the success you want and it’s not going to make your life - really your personal life - much easier than anyone else's.”

Bonus: Includes a Spotify playlist containing all 125 songs (in order) mentioned throughout the book. For a total immersion experience, grab your phone, scan the QR code below, and enjoy the soundtrack!

172 pages, Paperback

Published July 22, 2021

About the author

Rip Gerber, a Virginia native from Nashville, former plumber and Harvard MBA, delivers raw country-rock anthems and soulful ballads with authentic transparency and stories of his losses, heartache, and resilience. While Rip’s music is written from the perspective of a broken but grateful survivor, his songs resonate with fans of all ages. His upcoming album, Three-Chord Town, is scheduled for release in the fall of 2025. He has been featured in mainstream and industry press, including Forbes, The Observer, The Guardian, Entrepreneur, Americana Highways, Broadway World, and numerous other publications.

Born into a musical family—his great-great-grandfather invented the euphonium—Gerber’s journey began at the age of five, when he started playing the piano, including concerts at the Kennedy Center. After a diverse career spanning CIA analyst, Firestone factory worker, and Silicon Valley tech exec, personal tragedies in 2020, including his father’s COVID-era loss, led him to Nashville. There, music became his lifeline, transforming grief into songs of gratitude and redemption.

Drawing from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Mark Knopfler, Jackson Browne, Morgan Wallen, and Eric Church, his rebellious yet introspective style captivates fans across generations. Gerber’s debut single “Three-Chord Town” hit #1 on Amazon Music, with videos amassing 500,000+ YouTube views. His latest single, “Limited Speed,” featuring DART professional driver Zoë Barry, is set to release on July 11. He is currently recording his second album and performing in Nashville and California.

Reviews

[Ronald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded up. Rating actually between 2.5 and 3. I was given this book to review based on my previous reading of fly fishing books, particularly John Gierach.

This very short story (less than 45 pages, with 115 pages of description of the 125 songs) is about a man returning to his Montana ranch after apparently a knee operation and immediately packs his mule and treks out to fish several creeks on his property.

I'm not sure where the "learning" comes in except that one is always learning to be a better fly "fisher person". It's obvious that the narrator has learned from a fishing guru named Bob whose wisdom is frequently sprinkled through hout the story.

While the story itself was enjoyable and the technical information was correct, the story was predicable: Man goes fishing for legendary fish and after spending the day on lesser trophies, finds and battles the trout, which in this case has been named Bessie. I won't tell you what happens but you can probably figure it out yourself.

As to the music, it is over eight hours on Spotify! You'll have the book read long before you ever listen to the music. The music gimmick is that the various titles are actually part of the written narrative. While some fit seamlessly into the story, some sound a little oddly placed, while others sound distinctly misused. While I could find some of the titles - Crazy, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Jump - others I was not familiar with (Pride, Umbrella, Everlong); most probably because I didn't follow the musical groups. When I think of music for fly fishing, I think of the movie soundtrack for "A River Runs Through it", the TV shows "Endeavor" theme, or even "All Creatures Great and Small". Actually, when I fly fish I listen to nature - the stream, the wind, the birds.

In sum, a nice short book to read. Just ignore the music references and listen to your favorite reading music.

Thanks to Celia Kenniston for providing me a copy to review.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review. One-third of this short book is a first person account of a man flyfishing some streams in Montana, thinking about his life and family and friends and the positive role of fishing in his world; two-thirds of the book is very short descriptions of the 100+ popular songs from the 1950s-2000s that he has tied into the fishing day by using words from the titles of the songs in telling the story. Unfortunately: (1) many, probably most, of the song names are forced into the writing of the fishing story, and not well; (2) there are numerous typographical/printing/editing errors throughout the book; (3) many of the references in the song descriptions are repetitive; and (4) the fishing story, which has some good references to the joys and challenges of flyfishing, is badly broken up by the forced song references. Sorry I can't recommend this one to my friends who enjoy reading and fishing and/or music.

[Thomas Petri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really get into the story. It uses rock and roll lyrics (and he includes a Spotify play list so the reader with a smart phone can scan the QR code included at the beginning of the book and listen to the music alluded to through out the narrative. No smart phone, spared myself from that.) His point, I guess is that great or small, we are all insignificant. It is in fact a short story that relies on quoting R&R lyrics with footnotes to read along or after reading the narrative. The footnotes tell about the people or persons behind the songs. The footnotes take up about 2/3's of the book. The narrator tells of a day fishing for trout on streams on his Montana property. Should have been a good nature story, but it was about stuff not fully explained or developed in a way that would get the reader involved. Frankly, I was glad to grt trough it.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creative mixture of a fly fishing tale and song titles. The story was descriptive, while the glossary of song histories would interest any music lover.

[Maryanne Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a short book , but if you enjoy music lyrics and reading , this will definitely be a keeper