Our ongoing stream access battle might be important stuff, but it isn’t exactly what you’d call fun.

Still, the Undergrounders stood up big time for stream access (TU National, take note), so now it’s time step back and enjoy a little comic relief (and no, we’re not watching my fly fishing casting videos).

Instead, I’m firing up Another Underground Giveaway Contest — and this one’s pure fun on a stick:

kerplunkcover

The winner receives a fresh, unread copy of Kerplunk — Patrick F. McManus’ brand new book.

I first started reading McManus during my awkward high school years (they’ve never really passed), and to a kid without much of an outdoors background, his hilarious stories about the outdoors made it all seem so accessible (and damned fun).

I’ll probably never forget his classic “Deer on a Bicycle” story

This new book is a collection of his Outdoor Life humor essays, but since I haven’t read it yet (my review and giveaway copies just arrived today), I’ll rely on the publisher’s copy to describe it in greater detail:

In these tall tales, McManus and his buddies learn how not to net a fish, why you should never get your hair cut by someone who’s mad at you, what to do when a deer wanders into camp but your sleeping bag has frozen shut, and how to avoid bird-dog flatulence.

How Do You Win?

Simple. You post a comment about the fishing/outdoor writer you first remember reading, and how the writing affected you.

Your first post counts for the contest, and rather than judge the entries, I’m going to pick a number at random and award the book to that comment.

In other words, you can win just for typing your name (we hope we haven’t set the bar too high for most fly fishers).

My Entry?

In elementary school, I checked out whatever the library had relating to fly fishing, fishing and hunting — mostly fairly macho outdoor stories involving some pretty hoary cliches, including the patented “45 minute battle” with a big fish, and the classic “there wasn’t a hatch, so I created my own with repeated casts.”

I don’t remember the authors, but those collected stories were enough to get me on my bike — often at ungodly hours — and riding to a private lake with a couple of friends, where we’d alternately fish and hide from the lake patrol.

I can’t name the writers — and some of their posturing seems laughable in the light of day — but they still made me want to fish, even if the tiny bluegill I caught never fought for 45 minutes.

Undergrounders, it’s your turn. For a chance to win a book about bird dog flatulence and other outdoor treats… comment away.

[tags]patrick mcmanus, kerplunk, book giveaway, fly fishing[/tags]

Posted in Underground Entertainment.