For avid anglers and hunters, telling the stories of their exploits on the water and in the woods is an important part of the experience.
Sharing time in the canoe or in a tree stand with a loved one not only brings us all closer to nature, but helps build interpersonal relationships among family members and friends.
Those adventures, whether they result in thrilling successes or frustrating failures, often become deep and permanent pieces of our most treasured memories.
Maine author Ryan Brod explores those dynamics in his new book, “Tributaries: Essays from Woods and Waters,” published by Islandport Press of Yarmouth.
Brod’s gorgeous, detailed descriptions of forays outdoors accentuate the beauty and simplicity of nature as he, accompanied by family and friends, searches for the special thrills that only fishing and hunting can provide.
“It’s kind of exploring the way men show care for one another through the sharing of these experiences,” said Brod, who will appear in Bangor at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, alongside former Bangor Daily News Outdoors columnist and editor John Holyoke to talk about “Tributaries.” The event will be held at BookSpace, 48 Columbia St.
Brod, who grew up in the Kennebec County town of Smithfield, said he was compelled to honor his graduate school writing degree by compiling some of his most meaningful stories. He also wanted the book to honor his love and appreciation for his father, Steve Brod.
“I want to get this out so he can see it and could really comprehend and appreciate it, because so much of it is about our relationship,” Brod said.
Brod is a Registered Maine Guide, a fly-tyer and an educator at University of New England in Biddeford. His writing has appeared in “River Teeth,” “The Maine Review” and “Gray’s Sporting Journal,” among other publications.
At the heart of Brod’s writing is an honest portrayal of his relationship with his dad. The sense of love and respect between them is evident in Brod’s touching descriptions of their most intimate outdoor interactions over the years in “Tributaries.”
Steve Brod introduced Ryan Brod to his passion, fly fishing, and took the time to teach and guide him in the ways of the outdoors.
“It’s really about how my relationship with my dad has kind of spread over into other close connections that I have in my life, and how the ways that we approach fishing and hunting together has sort of permeated all my other outdoor-based friendships,” Brod said.
Steve Brod helped build Ryan’s confidence as a youngster by allowing him to fish from the bow of the canoe while he paddled and provided guidance from the stern. Brod appreciates the unselfishness of that dynamic, one he now often employs himself when fishing with his favorite companions.
That shared sense of purpose in having opportunities to be put on fish is a gift that should be passed along, Brod said.
“He was never competitive with me. He never pushed me to do something I didn’t want to do,” Brod said of fishing and hunting with his dad.
Brod’s beautiful fly-fishing tales reveal his desire to target large, powerful fish species such as Florida tarpon, Aroostook County muskellunge and largemouth bass in central Maine using a fly rod.
He reveals the delicate balance between aggressively pursuing the big ones while simultaneously needing to be stealthy, patient, poised — and a little bit lucky — in order to hook up.
The same can be true of hunting a Maine moose, or waiting on the arrival of an eight-point white-tailed buck while on a stand. And while those times may be limited, and often fleeting, the thrill and excitement they produce can be transformative.
“In those moments when you hear a deer coming in, or you know you see a fish rise far off, and you’re trying to catch up with it in the canoe, you’re not going to be very successful if you’re not entirely in the moment,” Brod said.
Brod’s theme in “Tributaries” of savoring every element of his fishing and hunting endeavors is brought into clearer focus through his years of worrying about his dad’s health.
When Ryan was younger, Steve experienced significant heart issues. That meant little was taken for granted when it came to spending time together.
“I always had this expectation that he wasn’t going to be around very long, that he was going to exit stage left at any moment,” Brod said. “That definitely heightened the intensity of our time together.”
Brod writes honestly about his obsession for tarpon fishing in Florida, something he admits is a strange juxtaposition to angling in Maine. Yet those stories reveal the essence of how that passion was born of his outdoor pursuits in his home state.
He describes angling as hunting with a fly rod and said there’s something magical, even addictive, about having a fish swallow a dry fly.
“I’m definitely drawn to those activities where it’s about instinct and reaction,” Brod said. “And that makes me feel more alive than the intellectual maze that we live in a lot of times.”