The Fonz is a Fly Fisherman!

Following on the heels of my previous blog post about rest, here is a recommendation of how one person gets away from stress to unwind -- with a fly rod in hand!

some of the cast members of the Happy Days TV show

That cute biker guy on Happy Days, you know the one with the leather jacket and perfect hair (due to a comb always in the back pocket of his jeans) -- did you know in real life he's a regular guy with a wife, kids, and he likes to fly fish?

Who knew!

Beloved and I were in an Orvis store (sporting goods) in Denver one day a couple of years ago. Beloved would be taking his time deciding on some flies for the next fishing trip, so I wandered around to see if there was anything of interest to homebody-me.

On a table of sale items, a book caught my eye, written by The Fonz, known in real life as Henry Winkler. .... only he looked older, seasoned, and like somebody my husband might encounter in a mountain stream wearing waders. No leather jacket, or T-shirt, but graying (handsomely rugged) hair and a ball cap.

this book can be purchased from Amazon

I read a few pages and was 'hooked' immediately with his pleasant writing style. When I met Beloved at the checkout register with my proposed purchase, he sort of smirked something about another actor airing their angst.  I'm glad I held firm and bought the book anyway.

Henry (may I refer to him by his first name?) had authored at least seventeen books by the time I found this one, most of them geared toward kids.  

And that's a good thing because Henry has some vivid childhood memories that a lot of kids can relate to, including what it's like to have an undiagnosed learning disability and facing the resulting tensions. His sense of humor is heartwarming with a writing style that draws the reader in.

Sometime after he reached adulthood, Henry discovered the tension-relieving benefits of fly fishing, which led to this book.

Without telling you too much, I'll give you the chapter titles:

Fish Out of Water

The River is a Washing Machine for My Brain

Point, Push, and Pray

Casting for Joy

Going with the Flow

Hooked, Soaked, and Happy as a Clam

After buying the book, we took a road trip. Beloved did all of the driving and I did all of the reading -- aloud-- of this book. It's a quick read with some good snapshots of both Henry and the fish he has caught.

I recommend this book, I've Never Met an Idiot on the River by Henry Winkler. It's a great read for a vacation, whether you're traveling miles away or just to the next room for some mental rest!