Paul Guernsey

In my forthcoming fly-fishing novel, Rolling Back the River, set to be released in just a few weeks, the hero,  Vincent Mapp—a writer and angler from Maine—is propelled into conflict and adventure after being assigned to fish for landlocked salmon in Argentina. My fictional protagonist's Maine connection is important not only because he had spent decades fly fishing for landlockeds in his home state, but also because—in real life—all the landlocked salmon in Argentina today are descended from fish that were taken from Maine's Sebago Lake at the dawn of the 20th Century.
 
Again, in real life, an American fish culturist from New Hampshire was one of the two people most responsible not only for the establishment of Maine landlocked salmon in Patagonia—but also for the entire effort through which Argentina became, and remains, one of the world's most revered and awe-inspiring destinations for trout and salmon fishing. Prior to his actions, there were no salmonids at all in Argentina's waters.
 
This true story of how Maine's landlocked salmon came to swim in South American waters is every bit as dramatic and fascinating a story as my fictional one. It's an epic, really, with roots that stretch back to colonial Australia and New Zealand in the 1840s.  Read More 

An except from Rolling Back the River appeared in the October 2025 issue of Gray's Sporting Journal under the title, "Somewhere Else." The piece is actually Chapter 5 from the novel, rounded into the shape of a short story. The title of the actual chapter is "Merlin," a choice that explains itself shortly before the chapter ends. The reason behind "Somewhere Else" as an excerpt title becomes apparent in the very last sentence. The difference between "Merlin" and "Somewhere Else," aside from the fact that the excerpt is shorter? Well, the novel chapter is not a complete story in its own right; instead, it incorporates several interwoven themes, none of which is fully resolved by the chapter's end, and all of which continue into the subsequent chapters. By contrast, "Somewhere Else" elaborates a single theme—with material related to all other themes having been either removed or cut back—and by the end of the excerpt, that theme has been developed to the point of a satisfactory—and I hope satisfying—conclusion. It might even make you laugh. And this is what comprises the difference between a novel chapter and a short story. Illustration for "Somewhere Else" is by Rod Crossman. 

Here's a link to the first few pages of Rolling Back the River. Please enjoy—and I invite you come back here and leave a comment or a question. I'm here every day . . . 

"Rolling Back the River" will be hitting bookstore shelves by mid-February, including signed copies from BobWhiteStudio.com. (Bob is my cover artist, and was John Gierach's go-to illustrator for decades.) So, the Big A is only one place it will be available. HOWEVER . . . for the time being, Amazon is currently the only outlet that provides a reading sample from the book. Click "read sample" under the cover image, and the first six pages of the first chapter will pop up, preceded by my dedication page, and two pages of endorsements from other angling writers and fly-fishing luminaries. At the very least, it's a cost-free way of finding out if my fly-fishing novel is your kind of book. Just google the book title, and—at least for now—the top listing that appears is Amazon's "Rolling Back the River" page. Of course, I'll also have copies available at all of my reading events.

Here we are, with exactly one month to go until the official February 17 publication date for Rolling Back the River. From here on out, I'll try to post something here in Conversation at least once a day. I certainly have quite a bit to say about my novel, about literature—particularly angling literature—and about fly fishing in general. 

Just for fun, I asked Google AI about the deeper literary "meaning" of Rolling Back the River. This is what it came up with. Might not be exactly what I myself might say—but pretty decent, actually. 

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of spending some time with Michael Jones, Maine fishing guide and the personality behing Maine's own Fly Line Podcast. We discussed Maine angling—past, present, and future—as well as my background as an outdoor writer and edtior for Fly Rod & Reel and other publications. And of courrse, we talked about my upcoming fly-fishing novel, Rolling Back the River. The inverview will appear online in mid-February, at just about the same time my book hits the bookstores. I will let you know as soon as both are available for your listening and reading pleasure. Meanwhile, you might want to hear some of the other great podcast inverviews Michael Jones has done: https://flylinepodcast.com

These three historical figures—NOT the actors; Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and Etta Place—play a role in "Rolling Back the River." They spent quite a few years on Argentina before being rousted from their Chabut, Argentina hideout,  heading north and west through northern Patagonia to Chile, and finally ending up in Bolivia.

Hello, everyone. Welcome to the pre-launch of my author's website. Here I'll be posting information about my fly-fishing novel, Rolling Back the River, due out from Stackpole Books in February. Please feel free to leave comments and ask questions. Cheers — Paul Guernsey

Please feel free to add questions or comments about Paul Guerney or about Rolling Back the River.