Gaines's tales of world angling are wonderfully detailed, adventurous, informative, lit by his sparkling enthusiasm and sly social observations. We read them with the longing and arousal of anglers who wished they'd been there. -Thomas McGuane Charles Gaines's sporting life mantles the planet, and these essays illuminate his formidable knowledge of nature and history, fishing and life. Waters Near and Far is as incisive and graceful as the flight of a perfectly cast fly. -Guy de la Valdene There's a difference between casual fishing stories and angling literature. Waters Near and Far belongs to the latter category, a notable addition to the shelf reserved for works by modern masters such as Roderick Haig-Brown, Nick Lyons, and Ernest Schweibert. This is also travel writing of a very high order, calling to mind Bruce Chatwin and Paul Theroux on Patagonia or Patrick Leigh Fermor on the lure of distant seas. Charles Gaines may also be the only fly fisher I know who can pronounce `It got away' in Gaelic. Don't let this book get away. -Howell Raines This grand collection of stories supports the contention that at the world wide intersections of fly fishing, travel, food, art, culture and adventure, whatever you and I have already imagined Charles Gaines has most likely already done, and he's lived to tell us those tales with the unique style, grace and wit of a true southern gentleman. -Walter Hodges Fishing books are often merely about the fish and the angler. Charles Gaines provides more about the journey to visit exotic countries and rivers. He allows us to meet the interesting characters who have chosen to live in these places, on the margins, with passion-as we all wish we could. -Yvon Chouinard If you have ever wondered why otherwise reasonably intelligent, responsible men and women commit so much of their lives to fishing as often as possible in the planet's far flung, exotic places, you only have to read Charles Gaines' new book to understand why. He makes you want to catch the next plane or boat out of town, whether it is bound for Africa or Australia, Montana or Mongolia. Waters Far and Near, like his earlier The Next Valley Over, is a dreambook of all the places we long to fish, and another brilliant example of angling travelogue, a genre Gaines has perfected and made his own. Come for the enticing adventures and big fish; stay for the stunning insights, lyrical observations, and superbly crafted prose. Eat your heart out, Zane Grey! -Robert DeMott, Astream: American Writers on Fly Fishing Charles Gaines writes with rare style and grace. That he sometimes writes about fishing is a blessing for all of us who share his passion for the pursuit of wild fish in wild places. -Bill Taylor, President, Atlantic Salmon Federation There's a difference between casual fishing stories and angling literature. Waters Near and Far belongs to the latter category, a notable addition to the shelf reserved for works by modern masters such as Roderick Haig-Brown, Nick Lyons, and Ernest Schweibert. This is also travel writing of a very high order, calling to mind Bruce Chatwin and Paul Theroux on Patagonia or Patrick Leigh Fermor on the lure of distant seas. Charles Gaines may also be the only fly fisher I know who can pronounce `It got away' in Gaelic. Don't let this book get away. -Howell Raines Gaines. . . .brings a different eye, another sensibility to a genre that, practiced by most others, can get trite and tired. In these stories, Gaines. . . .uses language beautifully and effortlessly to stir the imagination and express why so many of us are hopelessly gut-hooked by this sport. The stories within this excellent collection, which is handsomely illustrated by the painter, John Swan, are about fish and fishing, yes, but they are also about places and people. As the title suggests, Gaines is an enviably well-traveled angler and, as such, he is particularly strong when it comes to writing about places far-flung.
Forbes