Whether standing in a quiet Wisconsin creek, by a high-country lake in Wyoming, or on the grassy margins of England's hallowed chalkstreams, Kevin Searock believes anglers are driven by a vision: ""There are things on this good Earth that only the angler sees, and one of them is the breathless beauty of a trout emerging from a river."" Here, in this evocative collection of fishing essays, he takes readers under the surface of this ancient sport, casting a spell of water-magic. Although trout are central to many of the stories, bluegills, bass, and other warm-water fish also grace these pages.

Telling stories in thoughtful prose, Searock writes about fly-tying, collecting fishing literature, journaling, and traveling in a way that makes Troutsmith a rich and varied meditation on fishing and the outdoors.