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If you are in any familiar with Ernest Schwiebert's Nymphs II, published posthumously in 2007 as the continuation of his classic Nymphs, you know that it was an enormous undertaking, not just on the part of the author, but by the editors and publishers as well. It's hard not to be impressed by Schwiebert's erudition, but some reviewers, like this one, take serious exception to the author's delivery. "Schwiebert’s hyper-inflated ego is reflected in his foppish writing style. He is an inveterate name-dropper. This form of self-puffery does not boost his status because, like most egocentric name-droppers, he fails to distinguish between individuals possessing minor outdoor celebrity (e.g., former Winchester public relations executive Jim Rikhoff) and true angling expertise (e.g., famed British river-keeper Frank Sawyer)." James Phillips on FWDailyNews.com.
If you'd prefer to reach your own conclusions, you can see a large excerpt from Nymphs II on Google Books.
Comments
Well you took one comment out of the article. In fairness you should include: "I am willing to overlook his pomposities, because Schwiebert can be inspiring. Already he has caused me to head to the tying-bench to craft a new nymph pattern that I will use this spring for trout on the Little Elkhart River. I hope to catch and release the rising trout that in the past have mostly ignored by offerings. I am especially enamored of a caddis nymph of the Rhyacophilia genus — a pupa imitation known as a green sedge."
Posted by: jdubya | January 13, 2008 6:40 PM
Where the reviewer erred was in forming his opinion of Ernie based on remarks about the man made by a friend and then using that opinion as a basis for his review. Irrespective of anything else said in the review, I would not give it any merit simply because he a good deal of is content is reporting what someone else said about the author.
Posted by: Eric Peper | January 17, 2008 10:51 AM