Rivers Always Reach the Sea: A Conversation & Book Signing with Monte Burke

From the New York Times bestselling author of Saban and Lords of the Fly comes an exquisite collection of angling stories that span the twenty-first century.

The thirty-one pieces in Rivers Always Reach the Sea—essays, as well as profiles of some of the biggest names in angling, including Lefty Kreh and Andy Mill—take the reader from the rainforests of Chile to the windswept tundra of Russia, from the remote mangrove-choked basins of Florida’s Everglades to the congested littoral zone of New York City, and to many places in between.

The quarry includes trout, Atlantic salmon, tarpon, bonefish, and striped bass, but the real quest is for something else entirely. Told in a voice described by the novelist Carl Hiaasen as “funny, wistful, and wonderful,” the stories in Rivers Always Reach the Sea keep the focus on the “why” of the sport of fly fishing, and not the “how.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Monte Burke is the author of the New York Times bestseller Saban: The Making of a Coach. He is also the author of Lords of the Fly, which was named one of the best books of the year by Field & Stream and Outdoor Life and was described by The Wall Street Journal as “wonderful…a lush, panoramic book”; 4th and Goal, which won an Axiom Award for biography; and Sowbelly, which was named one of the best books of the year by Sports Illustrated and Amazon, and was chosen for Barnes & Noble’s “Discover Great New Writers” program. He is also the co-editor of Leaper, which was named one of the best books of the year by The (London) Times.

His latest book is Rivers Always Reach the Sea (“Well-written, witty and insightful.” – Booklist), a collection of angling essays and profiles.

And coming in January 2026: Men of Troy: The Epic Afternoons, Wild Nights, and Enduring Legacy of Pete Carroll’s USC Trojans.

After a 14-year stint as a staff writer and editor at Forbes, he is now a contributing editor at the magazine. He is also a contributing editor at Garden & Gun and The Drake, and has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, Outside, and The Daily Beast.

Burke graduated from Middlebury College with a BA in religion. He grew up in New Hampshire, Vermont, North Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama, and now lives in Brooklyn with his family.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:

“Burke approaches his tales with reverence, but also with humor and humility. Rivers Always Reach the Sea deserves a revered spot on the bookshelf among the best contemporary collections of fly-fishing literature.”

– Trout Magazine

“A writer at the top of his game…Burke’s propulsive writing is an enduring gift to the reader.”

– The Virginia Sportsman

“A writer at the top of his game…Burke’s propulsive writing is an enduring gift to the reader.”

– The Virginia Sportsman

"A delight."

– The Atlantic

“Well-written, witty, insightful, and beautifully illustrated angling essays. Burke’s writing is filled with reveals. Each essay capably balances narrative and quotes from Burke’s subjects, appealingly mixing angling how-to’s and descriptions of the moods of still and flowing waters in all kinds of weather.”

– Booklist

“Monte Burke’s extraordinarily detailed portraits and nice, clean prose turn his stories into literature. I’m a big fan.”

– Thomas McGuane, author of The Longest Silence

"If there's a finer writer in flyfishing not named McGuane, I don't know who it would be. This collection of essays and profiles is sure to be a hit."

– The Drake

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