Dennis Dauble is a retired fishery scientist, educator, and outdoor writer who lives in Richland, Washington.
He has published five books about fish and fishing, and regularly writes on a wide range of natural history topics for regional newspapers and magazines. His recent award-winning book, “A Rustic Cabin,” chronicles 19 years of life in the Umatilla River canyon. Dauble released his 7th book, “Casting into the Twilight,” in 2026.
In his most personal book to date, Dennis Dauble shares the events and people that shaped his love for wild trout and the streams of Oregon’s Blue Mountains. Chasing Ghost Trout is rollicking ride through five decades of heartfelt memories that show how the spirit of family and a love of nature can carry us through life. Dauble tells stories about encounters with wood ticks, a first steelhead, cleavage from heaven, sibling rivalry, old trucks, giant bull trout, organized religion, and a legendary rock formation. Even through the pain and uncertainty of his battle with prostate cancer and the loss of dear family members, comfort is found in the constant companionship of his Grandpa Harry’s battered willow creel—aka fish box—and its elusive collection of “ghost trout.”
Praise for Dennis Dauble and CHASING GHOST TROUT
“Chasing Ghost Trout is a moving memoir of fishing and family, with all of the stunning beauty of rising trout and the aching sense of loss for places and people washed away by time.” —Henry Hughes, author of Back Seat With Fish
“Grandpa Harry’s old willow creel—with its faint odors of dried fern and fish scale, remnant of ghost trout—bind these stories of fishing and family along creeks and streams near the western flanks of Oregon’s Blue Mountains.”
—Georganne O’Connor, author of Northwest Arid Lands
“Chasing Ghost Trout has genuine interest to all of us who have walked and waded small streams while pursuing those wonderful trout and steelhead. The stories contain many gleaming nuggets of understanding and revelation.”
—Frank Amato, Amato Publications
On fishing, family, friendship, and growing old gracefully
How, exactly, does a fisherman grow old gracefully? Dennis Dauble offers his insights in this humorous and poignant collection of essays from his fishing life. Follow in his footsteps while he hikes wilderness trails in search of one more last trout, manages his expectations for steelhead, and is attacked by a madcap donkey. Learn what donuts, memory tests, underpants dreams, and zingers have to do with fishing. Share his thoughts while he casts into the twilight to retrieve memories of long-time fishing pals and beloved family members. Read more…
A Rustic Cabin: Finding a Sense of PlaceIn “Chasing Ghost Trout,” Dennis Dauble delves into the profound impact of Oregon’s Blue Mountains and its wild trout on his life, weaving through a tapestry of experiences across five decades. He explores various themes from the thrill of catching his first steelhead to personal battles with prostate cancer and the sorrow of losing loved ones. Throughout these narratives, the presence of his Grandpa Harry’s old willow creel, filled with mythical “ghost trout,” offers a sense of continuity and comfort amid life’s upheavals. Read More…
Bury Me With My Fly RodYet another collection of fishing stories, this time about fly fishing and related adventures. Join Dauble while he floats iconic western rivers for rainbow trout, swings a fly for the elusive steelhead, and learns something new about dogs, grandchildren, and fishing partners. Read more…
FISHES OF THE COLUMBIA BASINDennis wrote this award-winning reference guide because he thought everyone needed to have an affordable book about fish of the Columbia River. Read more…
THE BARBLESS HOOKThis humorous book is not so much about fishing, but about the fishing experience, including insight into the conscious and subconscious behavior of anglers. Read more…
ONE MORE LAST CASTThis beautiful-illustrated book is a sequel to The Barbless Hook in terms of content and style, but covers a wider range of topics and fishing locales from throughout the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico. Read more…
