"[Backcasts] offers a historical and contemporary perspective on how anglers' have figured in the preservation, management, and restoration of trout and other salmonids."

Nina C. Ayoub | Chronicle of Higher Education

“[One of] the ones that got away: good books. . . . OK, so this book is actually brand spanking new, but I just had to put it on the list because it’s at once so unique and so important. Published this year by the University of Chicago Press (the very press that brought you A River Runs through It), Backcasts provides a cross-cultural, trans-historic look at the conservation practices, people, and obstacles that inform modern cold water conservancy. . . . This anthology is required reading for anyone who wants to understand the history and participate in the future of the attitudes and policies that shape our watersheds. Get it while it’s hot.”

Dave Karczynski | MidCurrent

“The University of Chicago Press is publishing Backcasts exactly forty years after they published Norman Maclean’s famous A River Runs through It and Other Stories. That publication was seminal, not only because of Maclean’s fine writing, but also because Chicago had never published a non-academic book before (though Maclean, a professor at Chicago, was an academic himself). Backcasts certainly qualifies as an academic book, but it should appeal to a much broader audience. The writing is accessible and the topics are wide-ranging.”

Kenneth H. Lokensgard | Literary Fly Fisher

“The Wild Steelhead Coalition and our thousands of members are proof positive of the inextricable link between fly fishing and conservation. There exists a litany of reasons that can explain why this link exists, but the short and simple explanation is that without fish and clean water our cherished sport would not exist. Our friend—Alaska-based fish conservationist Snyder—has taken a decidedly deeper dive into this subject with the publication of his new book Backcasts. Backcasts is a collection of writings from notable authors that celebrates the centuries-old confluence of fly fishing and conservation as well as explores the role anglers have played preserving, managing, and restoring the world’s coldwater fisheries.”

Paul Moinester | Wild Steelhead Coalition News

“How we experience nature shapes how we value nature. Backcasts argues that the values held by fly fishers have evolved from utilitarian self-interest toward biocentric, ecosystem-based conservation, with today’s guiding principles including stream management based on sound science, not political pressure, an emphasis on wild trout, even if they may not be native, and a commitment to protect and restore coldwater habitats. Bringing together a disparate literature from history, philosophy, religion, gender studies, and ecology to focus on the past, present, and future role of fly fishers in coldwater conservation, Backcasts will appeal to scholars and practitioners in all of these disciplines, as well as to coldwater fisheries specialists, conservation biologists, policy specialists, and trout and salmon  enthusiasts. This volume, because of the depth and breadth of its research, will have a very long shelf life.”

Donald J. Orth, Thomas H. Jones Professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

“Backcasts offers essays and original research on the subject of fly fishing and its role in conservation from an American and global perspective, which is usually lacking in such works, as well as articles detailing contributions of Native Americans and women. Both the fly fishing community as a whole, especially conservationist organizations, and students in fisheries biology will find value in the essays that deal with the historical background to fishing and conservation and those that deal with contemporary problems, with a special emphasis on the impact of invasive species. Backcasts flows. It will be a fine contribution to scholarship. The editors and authors should be proud of their hard work.”

Todd E. A. Larson, Xavier University