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.

Kevin Searock is an avid fisherman, photographer, and outdoors writer whose articles have appeared in Gray's Sporting Journal, Midwest Fly Fishing, Wisconsin Outdoor Journal, and Wisconsin Trails. He lives in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and teaches advanced placement biology and chemistry at Portage High School.