Robert Traver was the pen name for John D. Voelker, who was a lawyer, Justice of The Supreme Court of Michigan, & a successful writer. Along with fishing related books he also wrote the court room drama "Anatomy of A Murder", which was eventually made into a movie starring Jimmy Stewart. Although he had all those successes, I'll bet that if he was still around today, he'd tell you that fishing was the most fun & pleasure he had.
"Trout Madness", originally published in 1960, takes the reader through a series of short essays & stories that cover an entire range of thoughts around fly fishing. Poignant & funny, Traver's writing truly does flow from the page making this a very easy book to read. Like all good books, you won't want it to end. This is because, like a lot of other gifted writers, you feel like you get to know Traver while reading this book & he seems like the kind of guy you wouldn't mind tagging along with you to the stream. He's a knowledgeable & experienced angler you can pick up a few tricks from with a laid-back attitude & an ability to poke fun at himself. This book is filled with examples of this.
He writes with humor & humility about finding new & promising places to fish, dealing with poachers, his terrible mess of a fish car, getting directions to the stream, getting lost, frightening innocent people to death just by his appearance, all of his useful (& useless) tackle, the agonizing anticipation of the opening day of trout season, etc. Through it all you find in Traver an angler you can relate to. You'll be nodding your head in agreement, or trying not to laugh so hard you fall out of your seat. At least I was.
Personally, I wish more angling writers wrote like Traver & that there were more books like "Trout Madness" being published today. In a sport where "the experts" seem to get more technical & specialized every year, it's refreshing to spend some time with Traver - just your 'average Joe' angler with a great sense of humor & insight. This book is truly worth reading. Do yourself a favor & pick up a copy. Honestly, it's one of the best books I've ever read.