Unless the circumstances are exceptional, the pivotal men and women of fly fishing history can’t offer you hands-on, in the stream instruction. Their mentoring must occur in the pages of a book or journal; their words and deeds informing and influencing through a necessary medium. Whether you have a “real life” mentor or not, these …
Whether they contain classic short stories, pages of fly diagrams, or detailed descriptions of where to find trout, fly fishing books have been a part of the culture for centuries. As long as anglers have been angling, they have returned from the water to put thoughts down on paper. For five years, I’ve enjoyed sharing …
“What is the best fly fishing book?” That question is just as absurd as someone asking what the best stream or best fly might be. In literature, as in fishing, there is a lot of room for subjectivity. So fishing literature? There are as many opinions as there are titles. Still, some books have had …
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 …
Your first months and years of fly fishing will probably produce some of your most treasured moments. You won’t have all of the knowledge, experience, or gear, but every cast will yield something new and wonderful. This week I look back at three things that made my first few years of fly fishing matter. I’ve …
If you were to write a classic fly fishing story you’d start with an existential statement. Maybe something about water or wind or the challenge of catching a fish. You’d develop it a bit. Then, you’d launch into the metaphor. Because this is real fly fishing writing, and everything is a metaphor for something else. …
Remember the fledgling days of the internet? Everything was AOL, chat rooms, and dial up. Slow, slow dial up. In the past few years, have you considered how techno-deficient life was in 1997? You weren’t going to be buying anything online, that is for sure. Watching movies? There were no VHS slots in computers… even …
Fly fishing books have been an important part of the sport for hundreds of years, taking different forms and meeting various needs. Even in an age when so much information is available at the tap of a smart phone, tangible media is incredibly valuable. Whether it be a novel assisting in winter escapism or a …
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 …
When was the last time you read a book that truly changed the way you looked at fly fishing? Perhaps an author explained a technique in an original, helpful manner. It could be that a fly tyer developed a pattern that you’ve employed to great success. Or, a narrative might have been so engrossing that …
