The Confluence: A Collection of Essays, Art & Tall Tales about Fly-fishing and Friendship
Annotated Table of Contents
Foreword
Kind words from Lou Zambello, Author of
"Flyfishing Northern New England’s Seasons"
Introduction: At The Confluence
How a book happens.
Coming Together
The Boys, their paths and the rivers
that converge at the Confluence.
The Origin
Phil’s story of an inept encounter
with an epic hatch in the Grant.
An Eddy in Time
Guy's stroll through the history of the Grant,
a visit from President Eisenhower, and some
fascinating excerpts from the cabin log books.
Of Wild Rivers and Wild Trout
An overview of the landscape, hydrology, weather, and ecology of the wild trout in the Diamond River watersheds.
The Hellgate Years
Early years in the Hellgate Hilton cabin with a story of a near disaster from an unexpected flood.
The Quartermaster’s Lament
Bob's exploration of the almost insurmountable challenges of shopping for food and beer for the Boys.
Catch and Release
Guy and Phil's discussion of why we don't eat the trout.
Art & Lit in the Grant
Surprising but true commentary on artistic and literary pursuits in the North Woods.
The Year of The Kids
How Phil's wife and kids ended up in the Grant and why most of them won't come back.
The Hag Trout of Coos County
Norm's tall-ish tale of the incredible Hag Trout in Diamond Gorge, with nods to Frost and Thoreau.
Thinking on the Fly
The Boys take on: "What one fly would you take to the Grant?" Plus valuable Grant fishing advice.
A Case for Unwaders
The reasoning behind Phil's quirky choice to fish without waders.
Privy to Privies
More than you ever needed to know about outhouses.
The Fallen Soldier
A dramatic story of search and rescue from two perspectives.
The One Fish
Phil’s hard-earned lesson from a wily ol' trout.
Doug’s Rock
Guy’s reflection on being a brother when life deals some tragic blows.
Standing Waves
Billy's harrowing story of a canoe trip gone awry and how the Dead Diamond almost earned its name.
Late To The Party
Ed's revelations on how he got himself invited.
The Make-Up Trip
How life intruded in the trip and forced us to enjoy September in the Grant.
The Best Arrival
A big surprise that awaited Norm and Phil.
Tenkara
The simplicity of Tenkara fishing.
Boys, Wine and Bullshit
Wine tasting in an unusual setting…plus insights.
Dog Days
Backwoods adventures of Bob’s four-legged sidekick.
City Boy
Norm's amusement at being mistaken for a woodsman.
Standing in The River
In-stream vignettes that span the 20+ years of fishing and friendship in the Grant.
Meet The Boys of the Grant
Turnoffs and turn-ons.
The Witch of Coos
A reprint of Frost’s classic.
