Just over ten years ago I was asked to contribute to a project that sought to raise funds for the purchase of a plot of land in south central Pennsylvania. Michael Klimkos was putting together a book for the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy. The group was looking to capitalize on the history of the land, specifically …
One of America’s original vacation destinations is also the birthplace of American fly fishing. New York’s Catskill Region is thick with rivers, fish, and angling history. In Steve Francis’ Catskill Rivers, the reader is introduced to what makes this area so special and historically significant. He first explores the region in general, and then touches …
It is undeniable that fishing streamers is the most direct route to big fish. And 2015’s Strip-Set is the authoritative title on all things modern streamer fishing. In this important, informative, and interesting work, George Daniel equips you to throw streamers from size 12 to 2/0. He covers everything from reading the water, feeding behavior, …
Charlie K. Fox’s This Wonderful World of Trout has reached an audience much wider than the tiny spring creeks the author haunted. With an endearing mix of how-to, anecdote, and history, the book has been embraced as a classic of the angler’s library. Fox was numbered among the prominent Pennsylvania fly fishers of the mid-20th …
For nearly all of 2025 I’ve published a fly fishing book review video on my YouTube page every Wednesday. I’ve enjoyed putting them together, sharing some great titles, and interacting with those who watch. But this week things didn’t come together. And that is okay. Not only is it okay because there is no reason …
The name Orvis is synonymous with American fly fishing. If you are at all interested in the history of the sport, you’ll certainly enjoy learning about the fly tying daughter of the company’s founder: Mary Orvis Marbury. Mary was more than an angler, of course. But her contributions to her father’s fledgling brand and the …
There are few fish that inspire as much awe and admiration as salmon. Whether it be their qualities as a sport fish or food source, salmon have been at the pinnacle of many cultures and communities. Mark Kurlansky’s 2020 book is a biography of sorts. It traces the various species, their natural state, their past …
Although it is not the oldest work on fishing in the English language, Izaak Walton’s The Compleat Angler is undoubtedly the most prominent. From both a literary and cultural perspective it is well known and widely celebrated. For these merits and those intrinsic to the nearly 400 year-old book, you should read a passage or two. …
In this “one minute review” I share three reasons why Travers Corners needs to be on your fly fishing book stack. Scott Waldie’s first book in the series is a great read on its own. The people of this remote Montana town are endearing, the exploits of the protagonist interesting, and the fly fishing exciting. …
Just because they’re “no see ‘ums” to you, it doesn’t mean the fish can’t see and eat ‘um. Midges are a staple of trout diets. Imitations of these tiny insects and their cohorts deserve a place in your fly box. And, assuming you have the eyesight or gadgets to tie them on without too much …
