Fly fishing didn’t start with grace. It started with Golden Grahams in orange juice, a grandfather who tied a fly out of a kid’s hair, and waders that filled with cold water faster than confidence ever could.

In Before I Knew What I Was Doing, Mark Walinske follows his crooked path into fly fishing across Northern Michigan—from the Boardman to the Platte (not that one), and the blue-collar waters of Lake St. Clair. Along the way are cigar smoke, questionable judgment, and Ernest Hemingway showing up everywhere.

This isn’t a how-to book. It’s a funny, reflective story about learning the hard way, getting comfortable too soon, and realizing that the real point isn’t catching fish—it’s knowing when to hold the door open for the next beginner.

For fly fishers and anyone who’s ever figured something out midstream, this is a reminder that the best lessons arrive long before you’re sure you know what you’re doing.

28 pages short (long).