THE FEATHER THIEF

MUG:  Dry Fly Mug

BOOK: The Feather Thief by Kirk W. Johnson

DRINK:  Honey Latte

The Feather Thief was recommend to me last year when I put out a request for folks favorite books of 2023. I absolutely love all the recommendations that come in because I’m not sure I would have found it without them. The book is non-fiction and records the lead up to one of the largest museum heists ever of dead birds. That’s right, dead birds. The author starts you out with the history of bird specimen collection in the 1800s and leads you deftly in to how those birds are now protected by international law but also lusted for by a niche community of fly fishing tiers. Yup, folks that tie lures for sly fishing. This community is wild! They tie incredibly intricate flies based on archaic recipes that actually have no particular use in catching salmon. And the flies can sell for upwards of $2000! A good number of folks in this niche fly tying community don’t even fly fish. It’s a wild story that I’d recommend if you have any links to fly fishing. Of course I’d pair this book with a Dry Fly Mug (which is carved with boring old trout flies) and a honey latte to sweeten the blow at the end.