Great Book - A Life in the Bush

[gordy28]

Just wanted to share

Recently been trying to split my reading between by going fiction - no fiction

Was looking for Algonquin Park info at my local library and hit this:

A Life in the Bush: Lessons from my father

 

http://www.amazon.ca/Life-Bush-Roy-Macgregor/dp/0140275517

 

Based on the posts, type of board this is - I am assuming that the demographics of this board are right in the target of this book

 

Especially a great read if someone in your life introduced you to you love of the outdoors and/or if Algonquin is a place you visit love (lots of park history in it)

 

Cheers

Gordy

Edited October 16, 2012 by gordy28

[jayess]

Agreed... Excellent book.

 

Another with a little more fishing relevance and some great APP history is Ralph Bice's 'Along the Trail'. Some great fishing stories in that one.

 

And of course, The Incomplete Anglers is also great and is conveniently sold at most access points.

 

With winter coming and not here yet, this board's members may be looking for some stellar reading material... great idea for a thread!

[Moosebunk]

Don't do enough recreational reading but the past two books I most enjoyed were,

 

Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden. Fiction/ non-fiction.

 

Trespassing In God's Country by... think by George Therriault (Canadian Bushpilot) himself. Non-fiction.

 

Need a work gig up north for a few weeks. That tends to be where the reading gets done.

[Musky or Specks]

A great bit of Canadiana outdoor writing with a glimpse into life in the 30's in the Nakina area

 

http://traplinesnorth.tripod.com/

 

I highly recommend it

Edited October 16, 2012 by Musky or Specks

[Pikeslayer8]

Don't do enough recreational reading but the past two books I most enjoyed were,

 

Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden. Fiction/ non-fiction.

 

Trespassing In God's Country by... think by George Therriault (Canadian Bushpilot) himself. Non-fiction.

 

Need a work gig up north for a few weeks. That tends to be where the reading gets done.

 

Great thread Gordy28. All of these books look compelling for winter reading. I like my Kindle and try to buy my books in that format.

 

I like Bunk's recomendations. Just ordered Through Black Spruce in Kindle format.

 

I am currently reading all of the Loon Lake mysteries written by Victoria Houston. Set in northern Wisconsin and centered in fishing, nice easy read. One of the main characters is Ray Pradt, local fishing guide who wears a hat with a stuffed muskie on it. I recommend this series highly.

[solopaddler]

 

And of course, The Incomplete Anglers is also great and is conveniently sold at most access points.

 

 

 

Someone (bless his heart) just gave me a first edition copy of this book published in 1943.

I loved it, couldn't stop reading it. Anyone who loves Algonquin Park would enjoy it.

 

I found it especially interesting because their route up the Crow river from the junction of White Partridge Creek is one I've done several times myself.

 

From what I can gather things are still very much the same now as they were all those years ago.

 

As a young teenager I devoured anything and everything that Calvin Rutstrom wrote. His writings had a big influence on me.

[gordy28]

Thanks guys-have now added new books to my winter reading list

Mike had added Rustrom becaise coincedently he is mentioned a lot in A Life in the Bush

Two other plugs:

The Last Guide (can't remember the author) and A walk in the woods by Bill Bryson

Cheers

Gordy

[solopaddler]

Here's a couple more,

 

The Last Pool by Howard T. Walden 2nd. A great piece of angling literature that has very much flown under the radar imo.

 

For the paddlers, Distant Fires by Scott Anderson is great. It recounts an epic journey that started at Superior and ended at Hudsons Bay descending the Gods river in Manitoba.

 

Canoe Country Wilderness by William Rom is also pretty good. It details a lifetime of tripping in Quetico and several other far northern routes.

 

Pretty much anything by Jack Sampson as well. Far and away my favoutie outddor writer of all time.

[jayess]

A growing list...

 

One more -- Great Heart: The History of a Labrador Adventure by James West Davidson details the tragic account of Leonidas Hubbard as he explores the Labrador backcountry by canoe in 1903. Less about fishing, more about tripping.

[Musky or Specks]

Cold Burial by Clive Powell-Williams about the ill fated Thelon River expedition in the 20's is a good canoe tripping what not to do book.

[Nemo]

Here is one you can read on line about Bill Guppy, the man from Temagami who taught Grey Owl all he knew. Very interesting book about the Temagami, Bisco areas. Not just fishing but also the trapping, mining, etc.

 

http://www.ourroots.ca/e/toc.aspx?id=4295

 

Or you can get in Google books.

 

http://books.google.ca/books/about/Bill_Guppy.html?id=vUgzAQAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y

 

Nemo

[bare foot wader]

Fishing with my old guy - Paul Quarrington

[bare foot wader]

I also really enjoyed lines on the water: a fishermans life on the miramichi - david adam richards

[TJQ]

Ralph Bice's 'Along the Trail'. - yup truly old school. a must read for any Algonquin aficionado.

[4x4bassin]

I too have a first edition print of The Incomplete Anglers (1943) have not read it yet but soon , have started to read Algonquin Story

by Audrey Saunders , another good one about the "old ways" of Algonquin . Picked up both these (first editions)at a garage sale for a

couple bucks , great find

[woodenboater]

This is a great thread Gordy, thanks ! here are a couple of my favorite books.

 

*The Land of Feast and Famine by Helge Ingstad. He spent four years up north and writes about the tail end of the fur trade.

 

*A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins. One of the few books I had a hard time putting down. Wonderful stories from all corners and puts the lie to preconceived notions of parts of America. A very touching book tbh.

 

*What The River Says: Whitewater Journeys Along The Inner Frontier by Jeff Wallach. As much as I love lake country, the rapids and eddies of a fast flowing river put my mind in a different space. Another wonderful read for the winter.

 

*Cache Lake Country: Life in the North Woods by John J. Rowlands.

 

*Anything by Sigurd Olson.

 

 

I'll have another look at my bookshelf later for other worthy reads.

[4x4bassin]

Another old book I have is "Camping In The Muskoka Region A Story Of Algonquin Park" by James Dickson first published in 1886

(my copy is a reprint 1959) It is a story of James Dickson's travels and work as a surveyor for the Ontario government through central

Ontario that is now known as Algonquin Park , he is known as one of the "fathers" of Algonquin Park through his role in the establishment

of Ontario's most famous park in 1893 and this book will take you back to that time . Also Dickson Lake , one of the great brook trout lakes

in the park is named after him .

[bigcreekdad]

As someone else mentioned....anything by Sig Olson. In particular, The Lonely Land. True wilderness canoe trips.

 

I've read this one twice....it's that good.

[T-Bone]

Not sure why it's posting like a quote, but anyway...

 

Check out Last Resort by Linwood Barclay, and I really enjoyed The Houseboat Chronicles by Jake MacDonald.

 

Mike...what are the top 3 by Rutstrom, in your opinion?

Edited October 18, 2012 by T-Bone

[gordy28]

Awesome-keep em coming just ordered 3 of the above from my local library

Would also be interested in your top 3 Rutstrum Mike

[gordy28]

Great thread Gordy28. All of these books look compelling for winter reading. I like my Kindle and try to buy my books in that format.

 

I like Bunk's recomendations. Just ordered Through Black Spruce in Kindle format.

 

I am currently reading all of the Loon Lake mysteries written by Victoria Houston. Set in northern Wisconsin and centered in fishing, nice easy read. One of the main characters is Ray Pradt, local fishing guide who wears a hat with a stuffed muskie on it. I recommend this series highly.

 

Just a quick update- read one of the Loon Lakes and really enjoyed it- Dead Frenzy

Also read Through the Black Spruce and also enjoyed it

Right now I am about halfway through John Gierachs No Shortage of Good Days and I'm loving it-and I'm not even much of a fly fisherman!

[Fang]

My Dad's Dad gave him a book for xmas in 1943 (I think). My Dad gave me that book when I was in my 20's and started to show a real passion for fishing and the outdoors. If any of you grew up fishing for small stream trout or just appreciate the old time 30-40's references to oiled lines, dacron and fly fishing this is a fantastic book with some great water color pages of trout and flies

 

Just Fishing by Ray Bergman

 

and as my Dad's Dad signed it in 1943

 

Tight Lines and good reading!

[turtle]

Both are good but I liked J. Boyden's Three Day Road more than the second book Through Black Spruce. Three Day Road is a story of shamans/spiirt world, moose hunting, residential schools, World War One trench warfare/snipers and drug addition. Also like anything by Paul Quarrington, very funny writer -too bad he's no longer with us. A pretty good songwriter/musician as well.