River of Dreams

A wonderful and poignant collection of stories written by one of the most recognized names in steelhead fishing and angling travel. The author has weaved the fishing experiences that have impacted him most into a compilation that is rich in descriptive prose.


"Wading into Lani Waller's book River of Dreams is to share in this understanding through his lifelong romance with the sport. It is a progression of that journey and the ways in which it spills over into other parts of his life.


There is the coming of age of a boy who delights at first being included in the northern California fishing trips of his father and friends, even though he must spend some time alone while they engage in strictly adult pursuits. It is about an adolescent's romantic fantasies with the opposite sex, a young man's reckless pursuit of adventure in the 1960's, and the eventual maturity that provides him with true love and appreciation of his parents.


Waller's prose is sometimes almost spiritual, as when he describes being the lone survivor of a small plane crash into his beloved British Columbian steelhead river. That tragedy took the lives of three companions and changed the course of his life forever. Now, when he's fishing Trotter's Pool, he is reunited with them "...by a beautiful river and dreams unknown to others."


In another of the book's 15 essays and stories, the reader will travel to the mountain wilderness of New Zealand and a "high-class, drop-your-waders-and-fork-over-the-bread, helicopter fly-out trophy trout river." In recounting this day-long, guided trek with a close friend, Waller reveals his trademark abundance of humor and humility - all while trying to achieve the elusive perfect cast.


Not all of the book takes place on rivers. In the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, the author tells of strenuously battling a 400- pounds-plus blue marlin and explains how it comes to an emotional and heart-breaking conclusion for him."


From an Amazon review by Charles Dana


Lani Waller has been fishing Northern California since the 1950s. Over his career, Lani has contributed to various publications, and it would be safe to say, his work has appeared in nearly every notable fly fishing publication. The star of various fly fishing films, Lani’s easy going demeanor first surfaced on television in the mid-80s in the 3M series on fly fishing for steelhead. Lani currently operates Lani Waller’s Worldwide Anglers and spends his autumns at The Silver Hilton Lodge on the famous Babine River. Lani was featured in Trey Comb’s classic, Steelhead Fly Fishing, and recently published his first book, River of Dreams.