Many Rivers to Cross: Of Good Running Water, Native Trout, and the Remains Of Wilderness

by M.R. Montgomery

Thoughtful, witty, and beautifully written, Many Rivers to Cross details M.R. Montgomery's journey into the physical and emotional territory of the American West as he explores the meaning and experience of wilderness.
Montgomery's travels take him from the headwaters of the Columbia River to eastern Oregon and to Big Goose Creek, where General Custer's reinforcements camped and went fishing instead of joining the battle at Little Bighorn. He guides us through overlooked locations in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, and Oregon -- all of the last best places. And of course there is the ever-present quest for trout, from the Bonneville cutthroat to the rare Apache.
There are indeed many rivers to cross, and M.R. Montgomery shows us that each is in just the right place.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

256 pages, Paperback

Published March 18, 1996

Reviews

[Jennifer Detweiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Edward Abbey without the self-congratulation. John McPhee without the effort. A real person, living an interesting life, and writing about it succinctly and poetically. Spare. Smacking of science. Lyrical. Just good.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

M. R. Montgomery goes fishing. Well, to be precise the author goes in search of rare, hard-to-find, native trout. The places and the numbers of native fish he finds are as telling as the sharp observations he gives the reader.

I initially picked up the book on account of it's subject matter - fly fishing for native trout around the West. As I read the last couple of chapters I found myself less interested in his fishing activity and more drawn into his commentary and writing style. To do his writing justice, here's a small taste:

"... The only barriers to exotic fish in the West have always been Keep Out signs and geological obstacles like water-falls that prevented upstream invasion."

"... Anyone who thinks elk and mule deer are as destructive as cows ought to take a tour of the Trinchera (Steve Forbes ranch property). I believe we counted upward of thirty mule deer and a dozen elk in a three-mile drive. And the edges of Placer Creek were solid willows; the dry hay in the meadows was knee high."

"The federal government essentially owns southeastern Oregon. Private ranches, always concentrated at the few places with reliable water, have fallen one by one into the hands of the feds -- the only people in the high desert who always have cash in the bank."

"... At this writing, the Alvord cutthroat is presumably extinct, having had the misfortune to encounter the gregarious and prolific stocked rainbow trout in all its waters except, of course, those waters from which cows had already evicted it."

I selected these passages based on the crisp, dry wit of the author as much as the message he communicates. Anyone who reads the quarterly conservation newsletters - with the word "Trout" somewhere in the title - is familiar with the points he makes throughout the book. Planting non native trout and herding cattle in and around streams spells trouble for the locals. The locals in this particular case being Alvord cutthroat and Rio Grande cutt's to name a few.

As someone who reads those quarterly newsletters, it's not always apparent why a barrier needs to be built across some stream, or why money needs to be raised to purchase private range along critical stream habitat. When you read through Many Rivers to Cross, the need to conserve and protect native fisheries comes into sharp focus. And that focus comes directly through the author's clear vision -- with a fly-rod in tow.

[Josh Leavitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is more arrowhead hunting than fishing in this book. He even devotes several pages to watching the chickens cross the street.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really care about trout but I'm a sucker for reading poetic writing about rivers and peaceful wilderness. That was barely enough to get me to the end. The writing felt uneven...some sections were page-turners (Lewis and Clark history, hunting for arrowheads, the descriptions of the last river in the book) while others were skimmed over looking for something to hang on to.

It didn't help that I kept catching glimpses of, what I thought was, an old, white, right-wing fisherman (the 80s variety of that guy) and it just kinda made me dislike the author. A few too many off handed remarks bitching about conservation efforts made me think he would have made good use of the word 'woke' if he had access to it.

But whatever...rivers are awesome and there were some nice moments in here.

[Steve DeViney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now 25 down the road from first publication, M.R. Montgomery’s book “Many Rivers to Cross” is still a delightful read. If you want to get the most insight from his writing, make sure you have a good map alongside as you read. Many of the rivers he crossed are very small, but very special places where the many varieties of trout still exist.

[Matt Mesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful treatise on catching rare trout—but with so much more. The fishing part of this book is minor—the history, natural history, and anecdotes are the main fodder. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Lou Wentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

M R Montgomery is at his best when he writes about the disappearing native trout of the American West. First rate writer and storyteller, if you ask me.

[Tim Bjork · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monty taught me a lot of good things. Reread chapters on AZ and CO especially about the Low Alamos area