Everyone has a fly fishing off-season. For many, it is the winter. Others double down during the coldest months. Their work or family schedule might make fishing prohibitive in the spring or fall. An off-season might not be ideal on the surface, but between important obligations and an opportunity to step back it is probably …
Do you have an Amazon gift card burning a hole in your pocket? You don’t need me telling you what to buy. But if you wanted a suggestion, I’d encourage you to pick up a fly fishing book. If you can make a little bit of time, there is always time to read a good …
Sorry for spot burning, folks. I know it is the biggest angling crime of the internet age. It is painful to divulge this secret because it means more crowds and more competition. All of that has a cost associated with it. But this is about the greater good. And that greater good is literacy. Fly …
I live in Massachusetts. That means that for most of the fall, winter, and spring I don’t have to do pesky things like yard work or go outside. I’m usually covered in feet of snow. This affords me little opportunity for simple or mundane outdoor pursuits. On the positive side, this allows me to read …
“What are you reading these days?” I ask that question at work, of family, and to folks that I interact with in the fly fishing community. It might come across as nosy or weird, but I am truly interested in what people are interested in. What we read, and the rationale behind it, is fascinating. …
There are plenty of off-season activities for fly fishers to engage in. Tying flies, cleaning gear, and attending various conservation banquets can all go a long way in helping spring come quickly. All those things are important and keep you busy, but there is another way to spend time that can really benefit you once …
On the subject of reading, someone once penned the words, “I can go anywhere / Friends to know / And ways to grow.” For the fly fisher, that is most certainly the case. Whether it be a destination guidebook, an intimate novel, or a technical treatise, books can unlock all sorts of opportunities. Indeed, those …
The statistics on how little our culture reads are discouraging. I’m not on a campaign to change the course of literary appreciation through the fly fishing community, but appreciating the sport naturally extends to what has been written. Three months ago I put together a list of four books on fly fishing that I recommend. …
In the past few weeks, I’ve had at least three interactions regarding fly fishing books. Fly fishing books have been an important part of the sport for hundreds of years, taking different forms and meeting various needs. Even when so much information is available at the tap of a smart phone, tangible media is incredibly …
If accumulating fly fishing books is a disease, amassing guidebooks is its most acute symptom. From the ubiquitous Wilderness Adventure Press Flyfisher’s Guide Series to the locally printed spiral-bound booklets available at fly shops, any angler who is drawn to printed works on the sport knows about guidebooks. Even in an age where so much …
