Go Fish!

With a passion for both the beauty of North Idaho and the thrill of fishing in the Idaho Panhandle's spectacular waterways, Bonners Ferry resident Bud Larsen will soon release the culmination of his writing career, Fishing With Uncle Bud, scheduled for release near the end of November.

"This is fun book that will entertain and educate people at the same time," said Bud. "There is one and only one goal for this book: Uncle Bud wants people to fish."

Having spent many years writing about his adventures as he explored and fished nearly every lake, river and stream throughout the region, Bud has compiled many of the "Fishing with Uncle Bud" columns he wrote for Ruralnorthwest.com into one volume. The self-published, soft cover book will contain 200 pages describing the fishing holes of the five northern counties with special emphasis on Boundary County. Photographs of the region are liberally scattered throughout the book bringing the remarkable beauty of the area into sharper focus.

"I wanted something to educate people in our county and to get other people to Boundary County to fish," chuckled Bud. "This has been a very personal thing to me. It's been a labor of love. I believe very strongly that the children of our nation are our best natural resource. That was another motivation for this book: I mentioned hundreds of children and saluted their parents. I very much wanted to recognize those who helped me along the way. I am looking forward to paying back Lon Woodbury and the staff at Ruralnorthwest for putting up with me and for all of their support. The satisfaction of getting to this point of my life and writing a book remembering those years is just immeasurable. The county has given me so much that it's my turn to give back."

Full of Bud's trademark humor, the book also includes tips for those who may not be acquainted with the distinctive features of the Panhandle region as well as the characteristics of its many species of fish. Divided into four sections which focus on each season, there are specific guidelines and tips for fishing year round in the northernmost region of the state. Sharing his insights and humor about his various excursions, Bud's advice is invaluable for experienced and novice anglers alike.

Although health issues have prevented Bud from putting a line in the water for the last few years, they have not hampered his passion for the sport that he holds so dearly. A natural storyteller with an instinct for the dramatic pause, Bud's common sense approach to environmental issues strives to present all sides of the ecological debate.

Fishing With Uncle Bud will be available at local outlets such as Bonners Books and Far-North Outfitters.

"If this book gets one parent to take their child fishing, it will be worth it," Bud concluded.