Never Sniff A Gift Fish

Have you ever heard of a great outdoorsman? You know, the one whose fly-casting technique can be compared to an old lady fighting off a bee with a broom handle. Or maybe the one whose attempts to pitch the family tent terrorized entire campgrounds. Well, for those of you who haven't heard of him, this book, will give you a little insight into the life of the great outdoorsman. Never Sniff A Gift Fish, is a great source for those useful camping phrases. Here are some of them.

Corn Flakes: A common camp food. Often eaten dry with salt and pepper since no one thought to bring milk.

Camping manuals: Books filled with ingenious camping tips which are forgotten the instant the camper sets foot in the field. "I read about a way to cook a chicken with a camera lens and a wire clothes hanger, but I can't remember how," he says. "Better just fry it."

Downwind: Whichever side of the campfire you happen to be on.
And who could forget "When hell freezes over": An expression used by wives and mothers to indicate the next time you'll get them to go on another camping trip.

This book is a hilarious combination of philosophy and fishing, all rolled into one. I loved the book, and I would definitely recommend this book to any outdoorsman, great or not, that has a sense of humor and a sense of what the author is going through.


You don't have to be an outdoorsman...   October 17, 1999
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

...to enjoy these genuinely humorous stories. Patrick McManus's way of saying things quite seroiusly and having them end up being funny is really a riot. These stories are almost as good when you read them the 10th time as they are when you first read them. My favorites: "Poof!No Eyebrows!", and "the Mountain Car". These two are absolutely hilarious, but all the stories in this book are great. This book makes for great summer reading.


Simply a masterpiece of humor through creative writing!   January 4, 1999
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Patrick F. McManus has an unsurpased gift for humor. He will relate stories about his experiences in such a way that one or two details are left out or made to seem unimportant. Later in the story, when these details are uncovered, the situation he has described to that point suddenly takes on a whole new and hilarious twist. Truely, this is simple (often nastolgic) humor at its best.

Shelton S. Herbert


The funniest book in print   August 9, 1999
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I picked up this book by accident and after reading my first story "Poof No Eyebrows" I was rolling on the floor laughing. I have now included all Mr. MaManus's books to my collection. I'm a woman and it give me a totally new look at boys and men. It also gave me an idea of what to expect out of my teenage son. This book is a keeper.