Have you ever wanted to write a book? After publishing my book, Death of a Fly, I heard a lot of folks tell me how impressive that was, but I have to be honest, anyone can do it. With all the resources out there, self-publishing is an option, and the real difference between me doing it versus the "I've always wanted to write a book but never did" person is that I had the time and motivation to actually get it done. I also have never been afraid of putting myself out there for critique, which is what I think keeps a lot of folks from writing or performing and sharing their talents. (I'm sure some folks think I should have more of that fear...)
I wanted to write this blog post because I have received a lot of questions about the process, or journey, I took while writing the book. My personal journey into this project could be broken up into three subsets or elements of actually writing the book. First, the creative spirit and motivation for writing; then, the actual process of writing and publishing; and, ultimately, getting it out to the people I want the book to reach. This last point is just as subjective as the creative process itself. To some, you might just want to write a book for your family to read. Others may have something they want to distribute widely to a specific type of reader, or genre, etc. This book is something that could be enjoyed by a large pool of readers, and I feel like there is a valuable message worth sharing, so my goal is to get it out to everyone. And you don't even need to fly-fish to get something out of the book.
Motivation, in the abstract, is an interesting concept and something I've thought a lot about. I believe there are negative motivating factors and positive influences that I have benefited from throughout my life that have taken me to places and experience things that I might have otherwise missed out on had those influences not been there; positive or negative. When I was in my early twenties, I had a girlfriend tell me that playing my guitar so much was a waste of time because I was never going to make anything of myself. Well, I considered that feedback and instead of letting it crush my dreams, I used it as motivation to prove her, and some others in my life, wrong. A couple of years later, I found myself traveling around the world, playing guitar for an international musical production. Did I ever become a rock star? Nope, but the experience was invaluable and something I would never trade.
As for the book, I always wanted to write about my experiences either performing or traveling, or working with adjudicated kids in the backcountry, or just pursuing my dreams. Another girlfriend and I were talking one day about goals and the "what's next." When I mentioned wanting to write a book, her response was, "What makes you think you could write a book? You don't even like to read."
"Really?" I thought. "I'll show you..." (Said with a frowny face and arms folded across my chest.) That was twenty years ago.
A couple of years later, I had a couple of dudes in my boat who asked me how I got into guiding. I told them I had recently come to a crossroad in life and needed to figure out what I wanted to do. I had worked an entire summer on my golf game, wanting to explore opportunities to become a teaching pro at a clubhouse, and when my handicap went from a 12 to a 15, I decided to become a fly-fishing guide. Fly-fishing was something I was super passionate about, along with golfing and music, and I knew that somehow, I was going to make a career out of something that inspired that kind of passion. So, after breaking up with the "what makes you think you could write a book" girl, I bought a 1967 Shasta camper, moved it up to the river, and did everything I could to get on as many of the outfitters' radars as possible. My two clients were drooling over the idea of selling off everything and giving up their "real" jobs (and real lives, for that matter) to move to the river and fish the rest of their lives away. They said it was every guy's dream and that I should write a blog about it, so I did. (That was when blogs had just become a thing, and people actually read them. Kind of ironic that I'm writing an entry right now.)
In the first year of writing, I took another client with his son out on the Dearborn River. I wrote about that experience where I tried so hard to get the son into fish and just couldn't get him to connect with a single trout that day. I actually went back up to where we had been fishing to try to catch the "one that got away." In the process, I came to some revelations about the relationship that just ended, and where I wanted to go from there. It was cathartic, and as I wrote about it, I thought of how that experience and the path I was on might make a really good book.
A few years ago, I fished with another guy who was out in Montana giving a talk about a book he published that had been included in the National Endowment for the Arts' Big Read. The Bear was Andrew Krivak's third book, and something I would recommend you all read. I had actually just finished The Bear two weeks before I met A.J., which was totally by coincidence because I had no idea at the time, it was he whom I had booked the trip with. As we fished, we talked about writing, and of course, I told him I was thinking about writing a book just like everyone else on this planet. He was very encouraging, however. In fact, I texted him a few months later after finishing another of his books, and he told me he had gone through my blog and thought we should talk about turning it into something.
After hearing that, I figured maybe I could put together a story people would benefit from reading, so I sat down and started writing. I had just completed building my garage and wasn't going to start another big project. The guide season hadn't started yet, and I had some time, so I went back to that post about the guy and his son and started scratching some things out. I let it sit for a while as the guide season started rolling that spring, and then the next off-season (after another breakup), I felt it was time to really get to work.
I often get a few questions about the creative inspiration for Death of a Fly, such as how the plot came about, why I picked a woman as the main character, how much of the story is about me, how much is true, and whether there are any characters in the book who actually exist.
First of all, I really want to emphasize that the plot of Death of a Fly is 100% fiction. Although there are actual places that people familiar with the area will recognize, and many of the anecdotes that help tell the story are actual events that happened to me, what happens to the characters in the book is all made up.
After guiding James and his dad on the Dearborn River that first year of writing the blog, I thought about the idea of writing a book that uses fly-fishing as a vehicle for change and growth. The thing is, that's already been done way too many times--sometimes successfully, but often in a way that becomes a book of cliches. I didn't want that. I wanted to write something that would really leave an impact, and because my life isn't all that interesting, I knew I was going to have to make it up.
I spent years thinking about a plot that might leave a mark on readers. I've only taken lit classes in high school, but I think we all have some understanding of what makes a good story. Characters that are relatable and go through a fair amount of shit, for starters, are pretty important. Having twists and turns that keep people reading is also important. Without giving anything away, let's just say that I spent a lot of time hiking the mountains and hanging from ladders while building my garage, thinking about this story before I actually sat down at my computer and started writing. Once I started writing, the anecdotes--the real stories of my life that helped the book get from point A to B--seemed to fall right into place. It was really a fun process.
I picked a woman as the main character for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I just thought it would be more interesting. Although there are women guides out there, and some really good ones at that, they are still a significant minority in the industry, and they are, by definition, the underdogs and people a reader should root for. The struggles are also more real to me, but there is another motive behind having Rose Marie as the main character. There is a message I want my fellow guides and the clients we fish with to hear. It's not a fair system, and I really believe it's something we need to keep talking about and putting a spotlight on. The other thing is that there is a love interest, and one of the characters has to be a woman. (Unless of course, the love interest was homosexual in nature, which there's nothing wrong with that--just not the book I was writing.) Lastly, I thought it was more believable to have a female guide versus a girl playing tight end for the Grizzly football team...
As for the idea that real people are represented in the story, there are a few, and for those who are familiar with the guide scene in Craig, MT, you know who they are, at least one of them. He also knows I used him for this role, and I'm going to keep that a secret for our little guiding community. Other folks have indeed influenced me in various ways that I included in the book. I actually had a conversation with one such individual while leaving Uncle Joe's Bar in Craig on an evening earlier this fall.
In my first year of guiding on the Missouri, I had a run-in with this individual on the river that led to another interaction at Izaak's later that evening. All of that made the book, and in the fictional story, led to an important, life-altering event for Rose. However, what happens in the book after Izaak's is 100% fiction. I can't stress this enough, as the "real" person would never do what the character in the book does.
Other folks pop up from time to time, who are loosely taken from real people. Even some exes made the book in one capacity or another. Again, those who are familiar with some of the residents of the area can try to make the connections, which again, will be our little secrets. One person who is a complete fabrication is Billy. Although there are a couple of Billys in the guide community, none of them exude the attributes that Billy in the book does, which is a blessing.
Ok, so how much of this story, as well as the characters in the story, is really about me? Well...I feel like if I don't say something, it will be assumed that's way too much. I will say this: most of the characters have a little piece of me in them, even Billy. (Some of them more than others.) I did have similar struggles as Trick playing sports in high school, always being a rail. My coaches were constantly telling me to put on weight, and I did meet an ex-con who busted my ass to gain some muscle mass. Many of the anecdotes are my stories. That is true. I hope that appeases the curiosity.
By the way, the first trout I ever caught on a fly was indeed with Garrett Munson, who was a co-worker of mine at the time. And like Rose picking Mike Garrett's pocket in the book, I feel like I stole one from Garrett on the first float I ever took on the Missouri. He also made me row the rest of the day, which absolutely changed my life, so thank you, Munson.
Now that the plot was set and I had most of the story down on paper, or in a Word file, I had to figure out what to do with it. To just write a story and leave it in a hidden file for nobody to see seemed like a complete waste of time. Besides, I was proud of the story and wanted to share it. So, how do you do that?
I thought I had a pretty well-finished product, so I sent samples off to some folks in the business, including a couple of actual big-time publishers I had either met through guiding clients or one I had met at a Jon Tester appreciation dinner. It turns out, I wasn't anywhere near finished. Looking back, it's almost embarrassing that I even sent it out. The thing is, although I never really thought I'd make money off the book, I thought it was something people should read and would gain perspective from. But how do you get it on paper, especially when those publishers had no interest? I've heard the stories of Norman Maclean shopping his book to around 43 different publishers before anyone picked it up, and I realized I didn't have much of a chance for a real publisher to invest in me. After seeing an ad on TV about self-publishing, I started doing some research.
I learned quickly that self-publishing a book isn't anything like the ad would have one believe. It's a lot of work. First of all, you can't just upload a PDF and click a couple of buttons, and voila, it's on the shelves. The book has to be formatted for print and electronic publishing, which means you have to know the number of pages the finished product will be, the size of font, dimensions of the book, and the weight of paper, determining the thickness, which figures into the design of the spine, etc., etc. Fortunately, I know a guy, Geoffery Wyatt, who is a patron of the Blackfoot Brewing Company, who did my logo for my outfitting business. He's also formatted several books for people going through the same process I was. He's also a fly-fisher, so we struck a deal.
The other thing I realized is that I probably needed help editing. The story is there, but how does one put it down on paper in a way that people would keep reading? Again, I know a lady, Julianne Burkhardt, another client of mine, who is an attorney, who said she would love to read it and mark it up with the expectation of taking her and her partner fishing. Another deal was struck.
As for the finer details of editing and a way to completely humble yourself, Grammarly was another essential tool for punctuation and spelling. Even with that, however, you will find mistakes. My mom found a couple and is not shy about pointing them out. I do appreciate that, though, and made the changes to the manuscript. If there's interest, there will probably be a second edition with another round of edits.
Another deal was struck, and I had the cover art. Michelle Ogle is an amazing artist and school-teacher who, not only drew the cover, but also contributed to the editing process.
In the future, the book will be available in audio formats. I am currently working that out with a voice actor. That is another learning process and another opportunity for bartering services, as the woman who has agreed to produce the book is also a fly fisher.
Before one publishes a book, they have to have an ISBN, or actually, several ISBNs. It's the number that gets filed with the Library of Congress, which ties the book to a publisher and gives the publisher the right to distribute the book. Each format of the book, e.g., hardcover, paperback, and digital, needs to have its own number. Each number costs about $125 unless you buy a pack of 10. There is a way that the author can use a number provided by the printing company, in my case, Ingram Spark, but then they own the rights. I opted for the 10-pack, which means I will probably need to write another book...
Every day I had off last guide season was spent editing and pulling together resources, and eventually, on September 9, 2025, Death of a Fly was available on all the major bookselling websites, including Amazon, Google, Apple, Barnes and Noble, and even Walmart. I have even found it on international sites selling in places like Germany, Japan, China, and even Russia.
The final process in this journey, and proving to be most difficult, is getting it out to the masses. Everyone seems to have an idea of how that should happen. This is what makes a publisher incredibly valuable because they have the relationships and know what strings to pull. I will say, there is no "one" way of accomplishing this, but there are tools out there that can be more or less economical and effective. I have yet to crack that code, but here is what I've realized: you have to get the book in front of people who, one, read, and two, are interested in what you have written about. I've tried social media platforms and have had minimal success. Where I've sold the most books is by carrying a backpack of copies around and selling them at the brewery to friends. I've also sold a number of them to friends and family on Facebook, but that audience seems to have run out.
A couple of people have suggested I do a book tour and have book signings and reads. That, however, is an expensive and incredibly time-consuming process to sell a couple of books. And it's kind of like the chicken or the egg argument. Would anyone show up to a book-signing if they had no idea who I was?
A couple of positives to build on, however, are the feedback that I've been getting from individuals in the guide community and the fact that a couple of the local shops have put the book on their shelves. The Trout Shop in Craig was the first shop to sell the book, and now Montana Fly Goods in Helena has also carried it. In fact, MFG actually sold out of the book in about a week and called to order more. If you're not into fly shops, you can also pick up a copy at Aunt Bonnie's Books and Gifts on the Gulch in Helena.
Writing a book, or making any art for that matter, can leave a person feeling incredibly vulnerable. I want to point out that the feedback from guides and others in the industry has been very supportive. I have received text messages from shop owners and guides thanking me for writing this, which means a ton. I was even stopped by an outfitter on the ramp one day who told me his buddy from Bozeman just finished the book and said he really enjoyed it.
Honestly, I think it's really hard for folks in this industry to give each other props, partly because of the ego and because we tend to be an incredibly competitive group, so that feedback means a lot to me. Anything we do that can be judged and compared to by others, like performing music or playing sports, etc., is, by nature, opening ourselves up for criticism. Maybe that's why people don't do it more, and I feel we are all at a loss for it. Even writing this post makes me aware that I am coming off as being pretentious and maybe even arrogant to a lot of people. I can hear the thoughts as though they are ringing out over an empty theater through an unbalanced mic. "What does he think he knows about fly-fishing, or love, or relationships? Why does he think he's so special that we should read his book?" I get it. However, I am proud of the product and am equally proud of the education I've received through the process, and what I would tell anyone even thinking about putting themselves out there is just fucking do it. It may be way more rewarding for so many other reasons than getting book sales or praise.
On that note, I would love for you all to purchase a copy, and because you got to this point, I'm leaving you a QR code to order directly from Ingram Spark at a reduced price. When you finish the book, I would really appreciate it if you'd go to any of the major sites and write a review. I truly believe that once you read the book, you will believe like I do, that everyone should read it. (Well, mature audiences, of course. The book doesn't pull any punches.)
Keep 'em where they live...
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