GLS
Classic Southern Gentleman
John Voelker, aka Robert Traver, author of Anatomy of a Murder, which was also made into a movie with Jimmy Stewart, George C. Scott, Lee Remick and Ben Gazara wrote Testament of a Fisherman which first appeared in Trout Madness, another book written by him in 1964. I sent a copy of it to my daughter recently and she commented on two particular lines as being her favorites in the piece, one of which was the discussion of solitude. It got me thinking, except for the part about a mermaid, the words "trout" and "fishing" could be crossed out with "wild turkey" and "hunting" inserted respectively with a few other words changed, the piece could be about one on one turkey hunting. I have to agree with her about the poignancy of "only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness." I think this line expresses better than I can say why I prefer to hunt by myself. Times have changed about the telephone, however.
THE TESTAMENT OF A FISHERMAN_ ROBERT TRAVER 1964
THE TESTAMENT OF A FISHERMAN
ROBERT TRAVER 1964, (JUDGE JOHN VOELKER 1903-93)
I fish because I love to;
Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly;
Because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape;
Because, in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion;
Because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude and humility and endless patience;
Because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don’t want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters;
Because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness;
Because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there;
Because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid;
And, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant – and not nearly so much fun.
THE TESTAMENT OF A FISHERMAN_ ROBERT TRAVER 1964
THE TESTAMENT OF A FISHERMAN
ROBERT TRAVER 1964, (JUDGE JOHN VOELKER 1903-93)
I fish because I love to;
Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly;
Because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape;
Because, in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion;
Because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude and humility and endless patience;
Because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don’t want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters;
Because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness;
Because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there;
Because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid;
And, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant – and not nearly so much fun.
