Fly Fishing in the 21st Century by Matthew Shane Brown
Casting Against the Current: Matthew Shane Brown’s 21st-Century Fly Fishing
Matthew Shane Brown’s Fly Fishing in the 21st Century is less a how-to manual than a reflective meditation on why fly fishing continues to matter in a world that seems increasingly detached from nature. Across essays that blend memoir, natural history, and cultural critique, Brown argues that fly fishing is not about “catching fish” but about resisting the numbing forces of hyperconnectivity, consumerism, and social performance. Casting a line becomes an act of spiritual recalibration—a way to unplug from the relentless “21st century madness” and rediscover solitude, struggle, and communion with the natural world.
Brown is not a veteran biologist or professional guide but an impassioned practitioner whose authority stems from lived experience on the water. His background is closer to that of an articulate amateur-philosopher than a scientific expert. While he cites angling traditions and nods to ecological concerns such as habitat fragility and overfishing, the book is not heavily footnoted or research-driven. Instead, its strength lies in personal observation and the credibility of a fisherman who has spent countless hours in remote Nevada streams and rivers across the American West.
The prose is vivid, at times baroque, with passages that evoke the wilderness in cinematic detail. Brown’s voice mixes raw candor, cultural commentary, and almost biblical cadence. His long sentences, peppered with sardonic humor, create a stream-of-consciousness flow that mirrors the rhythms of casting and mending a line. While the lyricism will resonate with readers who appreciate literary nonfiction, it may test those seeking a tighter, more pragmatic guide. Nonetheless, his style effectively communicates the passion and philosophy behind the sport, rather than its technical mechanics.
The book’s strengths lie in its originality and ambition. Brown reframes fly fishing as a metaphor for modern existence: each cast a “Schrödinger’s experiment,” each failed strike an echo of life’s broader frustrations. His critiques of social media, consumerist pressures, and urban ennui add cultural depth, distinguishing the work from standard angling memoirs. However, its weaknesses stem from the same qualities. The philosophical digressions occasionally overwhelm the fishing narrative, and the lack of structured research or ecological data may leave more technically inclined readers unsatisfied. At times, the tone veers toward polemic, risking alienation of readers who might prefer a gentler balance between personal confession and cultural criticism.
In an age where “outdoors” is often filtered through Instagram and adventure branding, Brown’s book offers a countercultural perspective: fly fishing as anti-performance, as resistance to spectacle. In this way, it belongs in the lineage of works like Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It or David James Duncan’s The River Why, though it is grittier, more disenchanted with society, and more explicitly tied to the anxieties of digital modernity. It will resonate not only with anglers but with readers searching for literature that interrogates how ancient pastimes adapt—or resist adaptation—to a fractured century.
Fly Fishing in the 21st Century achieves its central aim: to present fly fishing as both a craft and a philosophy of living. It is best suited for reflective readers—those drawn to outdoor writing that doubles as social commentary. Anglers seeking step-by-step instruction may be disappointed, but readers interested in a meditative, critical exploration of why we fish will find Brown’s work both timely and thought-provoking.
Highly recommended for fans of literary nonfiction, contemporary nature writing, and those seeking a contemplative antidote to the digital age.
Voluntary review of a free advance review copy.
—N3UR4L Reviews
