My Nonprofit Reviews

In 2017, I had this cockamamie idea to fly fish in places that are mentioned in literature that involve fishing. I planned a six week trip I called the Storied Waters tour and decided to blog about my trip and hopefully turn my blog and trip into a book.

I decided to start the trip at Walden Pond, as a nod to Thoreau, one of the first great nature writers. He was fascinated by fish, and during his trips to the Maine Woods he tells of catching trout and "chivin" which we now call fallfish or chubs. Like many folks, I had read Walden in high school and had thumbed through The Maine Woods while camping in the Maine woods. But my understanding of Thoreau and his life was somewhat limited.

Before starting my trip, I decided I needed to immerse myself in Thoreau's writing and learn more about Walden Pond. I wanted to start my trip off with a solid foundation of knowledge and be able to offer something new and interesting in my own writing. So I called the Walden Woods Project and asked if I could come visit to prepare for my trip.

Juliet Trofi was very responsive and seemed genuinely interested in my idea. Apparently, not many people approach Thoreau from a fishing standpoint. Go figure. Anyway, she set me up with a meeting with Matt Burne, the conservation director, to talk about the pond, its ecology and its management/preservation. Jeff Cramer wasn't able to make the meeting, but he generously offered me some insights and advice via email. The good folks at WWP gave me a great boost of energy and enthusiasm for my trip, for which I will be forever grateful.

Next month, I'll be returning to WWP for the first time in two years to talk about my newly released book, Storied Waters, and what I learned about Thoreau during my journey and my subsequent readings. Did he ever fly fish for trout? Well, I have a theory and we can discuss it during my visit to Walden Woods. I look forward it!

David A. Van Wie