Fish stories hold a very special place in our culture. In fact, the expression "fish story" has evolved to mean a story of mythic proportion, one not necessarily having anything to do with fish so long as the story derives from some true origin, but is told in a way that challenges belief, develops moral lessons, and provides entertainment. The best fish stories are strictly factual; someone actually there at the time, confronted by any particular detail from the story would have to say "Yes, of course. That is what happened." And yet the story can still strain belief by the choice of which details to present and by spinning them into a colorful yarn. In most good fish stories--ones dealing with fish at least--the fish is a key character, no less important than the fisherman and sometimes more important. As often as not, it is the fish, and not the fisherman who prevails. In many such fish stories, neither or both prevail, each challenging the other to better themselves, like an epic western where the sheriff relinquishes his badge and the outlaw gives up his gun. This is a collection of fish stories, with a common theme of "luck". In places, the stories discuss techniques where the techniques are essential to describing the true origins or are essential to straining the reader's belief. But these stories are not intended to stress technique. Fishing is, at its essence, a struggle between characters--some above the surface and some below--and the technique is incidental, serving only to bring the two closer. These are fish stories about real fish and real fishermen, and I hope that they develop moral lessons while providing genuine entertainment.

My father with two nice rainbow trout from the Little Valley Creek, Salamanca, NY, 1946.

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