The Believer

A Year in the Fly Fishing Life

By: David Coggins

Narrated by: Scott Brick

The author of the instant fishing classic The Optimist shares new wisdom, humor, and experience in seven extraordinary fly-fishing expeditions—“an engaging personal journey about finding what you need to find and keeping it in your heart” (Kirkus Reviews).

In The Optimist, David Coggins tackled the techniques of fly-fishing and meditated on its virtues, recounting his triumphs and failures. Now, in The Believer, he deftly mixes travel, local cultures, further fishing challenges (some knee-buckling in their disappointment), and details his own experience as life and love crowd his time to fish. Self-consciously—and self-deprecatingly—Coggins embarks on seven far-flung fishing voyages, away from screens and social media, not answering his phone, and reveling in humanity’s undying yearning for a quest, for the rituals and rites of passage that mark transition.

For Coggins, these journeys—to Norway, Scotland, Spain, Cuba, and Argentina, as well as road trips to Wyoming, Tennessee, and the Catskills—not only showcase his skill as an angler but also signal the end of his fly-fishing youth. But that doesn’t mean that Coggins will sell all his rods and hang up his hat; rather, his relationship with his fly-fishing obsession will evolve—especially if he can catch an elusive salmon or a ferociously strong tarpon or the mercurial permit.

The Believer is a humble, humorous call for the journey that is as enriching as the destination, where the search for greater self-awareness leads to patience, observation, and endurance. And, since this is fly-fishing, after all, there’s always the possibility of abject failure and leaping, glorious reward. Wry, entertaining, thoughtful, and relatable, The Believer is “a wonderful example of how well angling can weave us into the world” (Gray’s Sporting Journal) and will hook both anglers and non-anglers alike.

Great Writing

Great book on the passion we as anglers feel….. very descriptive and well done. Tight lines!

Never Thought Fishing Stories Would Captivate Me Like This

When a friend recommended David Goggins book to me, I was skeptical. I'm not an angler and have never held a fly rod. However, I felt honor bound to give it a shot and I'm so glad I did. I highly recommend this book to anyone. I felt transported. Time slowed down and I appreciate the author's writing style and the orator's performance with the audio book. While I'm still content to live vicariously when it comes to the fishing, upon finishing this book I'm motivated and inspired to pursue the things I enjoy with a renewed passion and purpose. Thanks for a great book(s)!

Interesting Perspective

Really cool to hear about all of the worldly adventures in a year, some all too relatable, surely one to add to the list of fly fishing books if that’s what your into; I certainly am.

Igniting and Insightful!

A rare and worthy sequel to The Optimist, The Believer helps ignite the passion you have- inviting you to adventures in fly-fishing and life. Highly
Recommend to read them both- and know you are not alone, in realizations that fly-fishing is mostly not the fish or the fishing! Enjoy!

An old life revisited

I am 80 something who has fly fished around the world, and who has as the author has written, put it all back to the rear of the closet like a loved sweater. But Mr scoggins makes it possible to take it all out and relive my own memories once more and do it with all the joy and none of the angst.