It was very saddening to hear the news that John Gierach, the world famous and beloved fly fishing writer, has passed away at the age of 78.

He was a huge inspiration to us here on Ireland on the Fly for his books, personality, style and approach to fly fishing as well as life.  There was much we could all learn from him.

And so, in honour of the late, great John Gierach, we remember him with a repost of an interview we did with John in April 2023 when his last book, All the Time in the World, was released.

John explained why he saw himself as a writer first and angler second, discussed the hard work and process behind his writing success, which began with Trout Bum in 1986, and he also delved into why he headed west to Colorado to begin a life lived based solely around fly fishing.

All the Time in the World was a poignant title, with John explaining how he came to choose it when remembering a fly fishing friend who had passed away.  Little did we think that just 18 months later, John Gierach too would pass on to the eternal river.

“Later in life,” he wrote. “The death of a friend is no longer unbelievable because you’ve learned about mortality the hard way, but that doesn’t make the news land any easier.”

John Gierach, 1946-2024, ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.