Fly Fishing Book Review: The Optimist by David Coggins

When my brother first gifted me The Optimist, I was shocked to see that this evaluative fly fishing book was written by the ultra-marathon running, former Navy Seal, and best-selling author David Goggins. Upon slightly closer examination, I was able to determine my mistake. 

The author of The Optimist, David Coggins, is the best-selling writer of Men and Style, writer of Men and Manners, and a frequent contributor to The Financial Times, Esquire, along with several other publications. As it is made clear in this book, (and even clearer on his Instagram, @davidrcoggins), Coggins prefers to spend his remaining time fly fishing around the globe. Although he claims the streams of upstate New York as his “home water”, he will frequent the remote Andros flats in the Bahamas, the mythical chalk streams of the UK, the beautifully picturesque Rock Creek near Missoula, and the list goes on. 

In The Optimist, Coggins takes us on many of these fishing journeys, accompanied by an important lesson learned from each one. In an account reminiscent of my own journey, Coggins details the trip from his humble beginnings fly fishing for bass in Wisconsin, to the legendary trout rivers of Montana. Reading this passage was surreal; This fall my fiancé and I relocated from our home waters in Montana to our new residence in Wisconsin. To relive that drive in reverse through Coggin’s writing was a perfectly relatable experience. Where he considered trout fishing in Montana as the proving grounds of his development, I felt like moving to Wisconsin and fishing for Great Lakes salmon was mine. This chapter sub-titled “Assurance” is told with elegance and honesty, Coggins’s forte as he navigates the great failures and successes that accompany the sport. He is willing to admit his shortcomings, while still divulging moments of glory that fly fishers can enjoy in an accessible manner.

Coggins not only displays an exceptional ability to relate to the modern angler but is also able to paint the environment he fishes in a masterful way. The reader can almost taste the brilliant culinary spread curated by Argentinian guides, smell the aging hardwood of the fishing cabins in the Maine North Woods, and absorb the chill of the winter air while salmon fishing in New Brunswick. Reminiscent of the artful elaboration composed in A River Runs Through It, there is a romance behind each location that captures the minds of novice and experienced anglers alike. The settings are clear and immersive, and the fish are teeming with life. I suspect the fly fishing travel industry owes a “Thank you” to The Optimist, as I am confident that I was not the only reader daydreaming about booking a trip to fish in one of these exotic locations.

I would recommend The Optimist to anyone seeking a sense of adventure and an understanding of what makes fly fishing so desirable. The angling experience is captured magnificently throughout each passage, told with witty character and offering contemplative insights as to why we choose this sport. Coggins’s passion is tangible in each page of this book, and he does an excellent job pleading his “case for the fly fishing life”, while still leaving questions for the reader to evaluate for themselves. This combination creates a thought-provoking experience that entertains the whole way through. The Optimist is a book I will not soon forget; it will be on my mind as I fish my local waters in search of meaning behind the passion I love so well.