NICK LYONS
RIVERS ON MY MIND: The Life and Work of Nick Lyons
Nick Lyons opened the door to his ninth-floor Manhattan apartment, looked at me, and said “I’m so sorry to hear about your father.” It was early March 2026, and my wife, Chloë, and I had attended my father’s funeral on Long Island just days before.
“Thanks, Nick,” I replied, giving him a hug. “My dad was 94 and lived a good life.”
Lyons shook his head thoughtfully and said. “I’ll be 94 this June.”
It was one of those joltingly honest moments that confront time and mortality. “You’re in great shape, Nick,” Chloë said, then stepped up and hugged him.
“I feel good.” He smiled, his bushy gray beard and full head of curly hair catching the afternoon light of his book- and art-filled living room. “Come on in and sit down.”
We’ve met with Lyons a few times during our annual trips to New York City, and he always delights us with colorful stories from his life as one of flyfishing’s best-known writers, editors and publishers—a man many regard as the godfather of modern flyfishing literature.
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