The village of Shimae is thrown into turmoil when master carp-catcher Katsuro suddenly drowns in the murky waters of the Kusagawa river. Who now will carry the precious cargo of carp to the imperial palace and preserve the crucial patronage that everyone in the village depends upon? Step forward Miyuki, Katsuro's grief-struck widow and the only remaining person in the village who knows anything about carp. She alone can undertake the long, perilous journey to the imperial palace, balancing the heavy baskets of fish on a pole across her shoulders, and ensure her village's future. So Miyuki sets off. Along her way she will encounter a host of remarkable characters, from prostitutes and innkeepers, to warlords and priests with evil in mind. She will endure ambushes and disaster, for the villagers are not the only people fixated on the fate of the eight magnificent carp. But when she reaches the Office of Gardens and Ponds, Miyuki discovers that the trials of her journey are far from over. For in the Office of Gardens and Ponds, nothing is quite as it seems, and beneath its veneer of refinement and ritual, there is an impenetrable barrier of politics and snobbery that Miyuki must overcome if she is to return to Shimae.

Fly tying book featuring 16 successful patterns by Landon Mayer (an Umpqua Feather Merchants signature tier) as well as a few of his favorite flies by other tiers that haven't been covered in books before. Instructions for each fly are covered in detailed step by step photos. Includes fishing and rigging tips. Tails Up Trico (dry) USF Mayer's Mini Leech USF Titan Tube Midge (nymph) USF Tube Midge (nymph) USF Mayer's Mysis (nymph) USF Mini Leech Jig USF Damsel Mini Leech Jig USF Who's Your Daddy (streamer) USF Cruising Crane (dry) Purple Thing (emerger) Landon's Larvae (nymph) Mini Mr Hankey (dry) Matt's Lawn Dart (streamer) Best Dry Ever (dry) Pablo's Cripple (emerger) Tereyla's Lite Saber (nymph)