Classic Books

[Mike D.]

In my opinion, the best part of this group is the access to instant feedback.  If someone's heading to a new area or trying for a new species on the fly, everyone does a fantastic job of chiming in and offering advice.  Before message boards were the wealth of information that they are today, we chatted it up at the local fly shop, or we read magazines and books to acquire essential information.  When I first started fly-fishing when I was a kid, I read books because they kept me connected to the water when I wasn't standing in it with a fly rod in my hand.  "Matching the Hatch" by Ernie Schwiebert, "Trout Tactics" by Joe Humphreys, and "A Modern Dry-Fly Code" by Vince Marinaro were just a few of the books that taught me almost everything I needed to know about fishing for trout in central PA.  Fast forward a few years, and my job has landed me in DC - only a few hours from the Atlantic surf.  After fishing for trout all my life, saltwater was totally foreign to me.  Since I felt like a beginner again, I picked up a few books to help me figure out what to do while standing knee-deep in the brine.  "The Fisherman's Ocean" by David Ross has given me a solid scientific understanding of the ocean and its fish while "Inshore Fly Fishing" by Lou Tabory has filled in some gaps regarding technique.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that picks up a book when I venture into a new area of fly fishing.  So I wanted to ask the group for feedback regarding their favorite books.  Fly-tying, casting, fishing, destinations, etc.  I'm curious which books have left a mark on all you TPFR'ers.

 - Mike

[Daniel Davala]

Great thread Mike!  Books are still a big part of my life and I certainly have a few dog-eared, coffee stained favorites:

 

Casting - "The Essence of Fly Casting", by Mel Krieger (R.I.P.) and the "L.L. Bean Fly Casting Handbook", by Macauley Lord.  Two of the finest casting books ever written by two of the finest instructors - in my opinion.

 

Tying - "Advanced Fly Tying", by A.K. Best for incredibly useful tips and tricks, "Essential Trout Flies", by Dave Hughes for Trout patterns, "Pop Fleyes", by Bob Popovics for Saltwater flies and Baitfish info, and "The Orvis Fly Tying Guide", by Tom Rosenbauer for general how to - especially for beginner's.

 

Fishing - "Fly Rodding Estuaries", by Ed Mitchell is one of the best for fishing tidal water, regardless of saltiness, and especially from shore.  "Fly Fishing in Salt Water", by Lefty Kreh, although a bit dated, is still a classic work and you get to see how far the sport has come in the past few decades.

 

Fiction - "The River Why", by David James Duncan - a MUST READ for all humans, and of course, "The Old Man and the Sea", by Hemingway.  Both of these are far more about life than fishing, but perhaps then, so is fishing.

 

These are just a few off the top of my head.  Interested to hear others' favorites as well!

 

Dan Davala 

 - Mike

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[Matthew Longley]

Great post Mike!  One of the things I love most about fly fishing is that I feel a connection to something with a long and storied history, so fittingly I love old fly books.  Two in particular that have left a mark on me recently:

Fly Fishing for Trout, Salmon, Bass, and Panfish (Frank Steel, 1946)  --  My grandmother passed a few years ago, and when my family was sorting through her things they found an original printing of this book, in which she had left a note wishing the book would make its way to me.  It belonged to my great-great uncle, who gave it to my grandfather when teaching him how to fly fish.  I never got a chance to meet my grandfather, so obviously this book has significant personal meaning to me, but it is still an amazing tome to some of the early days of fly fishing.  Highly recommend it.

Fly Fishing in Maine (Al Raychard, 1980)  --  This is the bible for Maine fly fishing.  Really breaks down the basics and also tells a great story of one of the best fisheries in the world (ok, I'm from maine, maybe a little biased).

Also, if anyone on this forum hasn't read Ernest Hemmingway's "Big Two-Hearted River", you've found a required activity for tonight.  It's a two-part short story, really quick read, but if you are anything like me you'll never stop thinking about it.

[Jeff Cook]

I just this weekend got the Kindle version of Hemingway's entire short story collection ($15, a steal), and yep, "Big Two-Hearted River, Parts 1 & 2" are in there. Thanks, I'll give it a read!

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Jeff Cook
cooks...@mac.com

[Daniel Davala]

I second the "Big Two-Hearted River" recommendation, makes me want to go catch some Hoppers.  I highly recommend the liquid version too - quite nice!  Perhaps I'll partake of both this evening.

Dan Davala

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[Brian Ziff-Levine]

Just a heads up if anyone tries to take out The River Why from the Arlington Public Library main branch, some jerkface ripped out the ending.

 

But the parts I was able to read were borderline life-changing.

 

I'm going  to make a weird recommendation, but reading the AK Chronicles series on The Drake message boards (I think the author turned it into a limited edition paperback as well) was kind of helpful for getting a sense of how guides view "the rest of us" and making me a more humble client on the rare occasions when I have the good fortune to fish with a guide.

I also picked up Favorite Flies and Their Histories by Mary Orvis Marbury and while it's antiquated to be sure, the stories it tells around some favorite and not-so-favorite flies are really fun. Makes you realize that while flyfishing has changed a great deal, flyfishermen and women have been the same all along.

 

Also, 77 Great Fish of North America by Flick Ford made me fall in love with some species other than Salmonids just for the sheer beauty of the illustrations. Great book to have around and use for inspiration.

[Dalton Terrell]

Good call on The Alaska Chronicles and The River Why, you will have trouble putting either of these down once you start. I'll throw out two more:

The Speckled Brook Trout by Louis Reed, originally published in 1902 but easy to pick up on Amazon. This book combines some info on fishing, old/interesting perspective on science and funny tales.

The Offbeat Angler  by Chris Arelt and Sebastion O'Kelly. This is no David James Duncan but includes some good urban fishing stories with even a few local ones.

Dalton

[John Bilotta]

A few I would add:

Joan Wulff's New Fly Casting Techniques - Joan Wulff

Performance Fly Casting: An illustrated guide - Jon B Cave

Presentation - by Gary and Jason Borger.

Fly fishing for Bonefish - Chico Fernandez

<Two-Hearted.png>

[Mike D.]

As expected, awesome responses.

Dan - I'll have to check out those casting books.  Both of them look invaluable.  And the "Fly Rodding Estuaries" book seems clutch, especially when you take our surroundings into account. // Matthew - Great background story on the Frank Steel book.  That's what it's all about.  And you inspired me to read "Big Two-Hearted River" last night.  Good stuff.  Now if I only had some Bell's on hand... // Brian & Dalton - A big "thank you" for the AK Chronicles tip.  I clicked over to The Drake just to check it out, and now I'm halfway through the thread. // John - The Borger book "Presentation" must be good.  New copies are super-expensive and even the used ones (which are hard to come by) are pricey, too.  I think I'll try some public libraries.  You've piqued my interest.

Something else to consider: I know some people have asked about Steelheading up in the OH/PA/NY tribs lately.  John Nagy's "Steelhead Guide" is a solid primer.  Pick it up, read it, and get ready to chase some chrome this fall.

[DF1824]

Now these may not help your fishing skills but they are some of my favorite books about fish and fishing - I've left John Gierach out of this list because that's a no-brainer.

On Thursday, September 20, 2012 12:01:31 PM UTC-4, DF1824 wrote:

Salar the Salmon by Henry Williamson - Chronicles the journey of a young salmon back to his spawning grounds. A beautifully written book that blends a biology lesson with a work of fiction seamlessly.
http://www.amazon.com/Salar-Salmon-Henry-Williamson/dp/0863501524

Going Fishing by Negley Farson - A collection of stories by writer Negley Farson chronicling his fishing adventures all over the world in the 30s-50s. Some really great stories about the people he meets and the fishing he does. A particularly memorable is his battle with a striper in the surf on a beach in Long Island I think.
http://www.amazon.com/Going-Fishing-Negley-Farson/dp/1873674635/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348156717&sr=1-10&keywords=negley+farson

Blood Knots by Luke Jennings - A memoir of the author's life growing up fishing and his relationship with his father. Fascinating read I thought.
http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Knots-Fathers-Friendship-Fishing/dp/1616085878/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348156842&sr=1-1&keywords=blood+knots

On Wednesday, September 19, 2012 11:15:51 AM UTC-4, Mike D. wrote:

[Bruce Mathews]

Dan,

   Is it possible that we might develop a TPFR lending library.  I have a number of books I don't think I will read again (mostly trout/cold water)  and would be interested in lending them.  I actually saw several of the titles in a "junk" shop north of Richmond on Rt.1 shortly back and they were not priced very high so I don't think the books appreciate in value.  Most were collected before the web and it's plethora of good information.  If you can come up with a way to have a lending box in the back of your store maybe they could go and come on an honor system.  Mine are fairly old and probably out of print.  These may not compete with what you have on the wall in the store.  If not your place then maybe Urban Angler.  My ulterior motive is that if I empty some basement shelf space of anything fishing related then I can ask my wife to do away with some cook books (Southern Living).  Both subjects have valuable timeless info that hasn't seen a reading lamp in years.    Just a thought...............

 

Bruce Mathews
703.772.7167

 
 

[Daniel Davala]

Great idea Bruce, similar to how campgrounds do it.  I'll chat with Richie and the other Orvis shops and see what kind of network can be set up.  Alternatively, we could set up a book swap table at every BEER TIE and members could drop off titles and pick up others as they see fit.  Would have to be run on the "honour system" of course.  Let me think on it!

 

Dan

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[namfos]

I'm going to be the fly in the ointment.  ;-)  I tried reading The River Why  years ago and just could not get into it.   Perhaps I'll give it another shot when I finish my current non-fiction binge.

Other excellent fly fishing fiction are: 

Scott Waldie's Travers Corners series, 

Travers Corners: Classic Stories about Fly Fishing and a Small Montana Town, bit.ly/PuEZbb

Return to Travers Corners: Stories, http://bit.ly/PuFthr

Travers Corners: The Final Chapters: Stories, http://bit.ly/PuFF0f

And Joseph Heywood's The Snowfly, http://bit.ly/PuFMbZ

//

 

[paul spica]

One book that really got me hooked was "My Life was This Big" by Lefty Kreh. Its definitely about fishing but not as much in the instruction as the growth of the fly fishing industry and the spread of the sport.  It also details Lefty's life as well, very good read.  

On Wednesday, September 19, 2012 11:15:51 AM UTC-4, Mike D. wrote:

[Todd Kuethe]

This isn't about fly fishing, but The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine by Steve Rinella is a very, very fun read.  I couldn't put it down.  It's great for all sorts of fishermen, hunters, and foodies.

[Speycaster]

Not exactly a classic but I read the whole book. Pale Morning Done by Jeff Hull was an interesting and depressing read !

[Swiggy]

thanks Dan for flagging this thread, I don't know that there's a sport with such a right literary tradition, here are some of my favorites (pardon the overrepresentation of soft-hackles:-),

practical and dry,

Greased Line Fly Fishing for Salmon by Jock Scott (not the original Jock Scott of the legendary fly... suspect he's lost to history)

practical & entertaining,

What the Trout Said by Datus Proper (conversations with trout, some quite funny)

The Practical Angler by W. C. Stewart (I think the copyright has long expired and this is available online)

Catskill Flytier by Harry Darbee (tips, tricks, and tales from the good ole' days in the Catskills)

Streamers and Bucktails by Joseph Bates (the classic on streamer fishing)

Night Fishing for Trout by Jim Bashline (not my cup of tea, but some awfully big PA browns in this book)

A Guide to North Country Flies and How to Fish Them by Mike Harding (best how-to guide I know of with most of the old patterns and great photos)

The Soft-Hackled Fly Addict by Sylvester Nemes

Trout by Ray Bergman (perhaps too obvious, probably on the Orvis bookshelf)

Minor Tactics of the Chalk Stream by G. E. M. Skues (like Stewart, an apostle of the wet fly, these guys made some real enemies from the dry fly fishermen of the south)

Nymphs and the Trout by Frank Sawyer (from the creator of the Grayling destroying killer bug made with the now mythical Chadwick's 477 yarn)

Salmon Flies by Poul Jorgensen (there are so many on salmon flies, but this is a good one)

history

Land of Little Rivers by Austin Francis (beautiful coffee table book on the Catskills, outstanding photos)

Trout: An Illustrated History by James Prosek (pantings all manner of trout including some that are now extinct, I think this one may also be on the Orvis bookshelf)

Atlantic Salmon: An Illustrated Natural History by Malcolm Greenhalgh (coffee table book on the king of game fish)

pastoral

The Well Tempered Angler by Arnold Gingrich (great short stories on fishing and gear from the co-founder of Esquire magazine)

Fishless Days, Angling Nights by Sparse Grey Hackle (must read, especially The Lotus Eaters chapter, Sparse wrote for the Journal back in the day)

Trout Magic by Robert Traver (lyrical prose from a modern trout fishing great)

The Seasonable Angler by Nick Lyons

The Sweet of the Year by R. Palmer Baker, Jr.

Golden Days by Romilly Fedden (fly fishing in and around the Great War, striking contrast between the gentility of the subject and author and the savagery of the world at the time this was written, available free online)

The Earth is Enough by Harry Middleton (fly fishing the Ozarks, heartbreakingly beautiful and possibly my favorite author on fishing)

Spine of Time by Harry Middleton (fly fishing the Smokies, a life changing book -- at least for me it was)

Early Love and Brook Trout by James Prosek (same guy who painted the trout book above in the history section, a short and fun read with great watercolors)

Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan (a beatnik classic and pretty obscene in parts, but enough trout fishing to make the cut and lots of memorable lol moments)

Voelker's Pond by James McCullough (about Traver's/Voelker's [same person actually] favorite brookie pond in northern Michigan, postcard-like photos and ponderable quotes)

I like the idea of a TPFR library, but perhaps a lifetime reading list might be a good start. Also, some may enjoy this blog a professor friend of mine in NC write, he actually taught a college class on fly fishing and I think the syllabus is posted somewhere, http://theliteraryflyfisher.com/

On Wednesday, September 19, 2012 11:15:51 AM UTC-4, Mike D. wrote:

[Swiggy]

I meant "rich" literary tradition... please forgive any other typos, my first post...

[Richard Farino]

I’ve stayed out of this conversation due to the fact that my PHENOMENAL angling library was whittled down due to my moving to DC this past summer.  I made an agreement with my girlfriend that for every 3 books I got rid of, she’d get rid of a pair of shoes.  The up side is brought them to the store so I can always look through them unless the book is sold, the down side is I no longer have my great collection.  I wound up saving the research and reference books so I can use them for information when I need it, and a few books that are really worth money.

 

Back to the topic – old classic books, whether literary or instructional, can be worthwhile to occupy our time and minds during the winter doldrums when we can’t get away, as well as give us ideas and insights to what we may be doing wrong, or what we wish to be doing in the near future.  Here are some great books that I think are worthwhile reads:

 

Literature:

·         The River Why, David James Duncan – has been mentioned already, but if you take the time to read it is less of a fishing tale and more of a lesson on life

·         The Alaska Chronicles, Miles Nolte – I’ve known Miles for a long time.  Indeed the Drake version is less PC, and you can see photos of how everything progresses, but not everyone has the patience to go through the entire post and catch up week by week.  I did both.  I like the Drake post more than the book, because it’s the original, it’s less PC, and it was before the guiding operation files a lawsuit against him because of what he wrote.  I like raw and unedited.  The book is toned down a little.

·         Catskill Fly Tyer, Harry Darbee & Austin Mac Francis – The Catskills are the birthplace of fly fishing in the United States and fly tying tradition is no more fabled than here.  Learn about the original inventors of the Catskill style of flies.

·         Land Of Little Rivers, Austin Mac Francis – If you like pretty coffee table books like I do, and are also into the fabled waters of the Catskills, this book is the one to have.  Great photos of all the major rivers and tributaries with a history of the rivers, the men that fished them, and the people that made it all famous.

·         Northwest of Normal, John Larison – This is not a fishing book.  Well, it’s partly a fishing book, but more a story about a fisherman and his way through life and troubles.

·         ANY BOOK BY JOHN GEIRACH – There are too many books to mention, but all of them are decent, even though he insulted NYC in its entirety a long time ago and I’ve both never forgotten and never forgiven him for it.

·         ANY BOOK BY NICK LYONS – Nick was the head of the English dept at Hunter College of NYC and I have always liked his writing.  He owned the Lyons Press book publishing company, and I’ve always been super fond of him, mostly coming from a New Yorkers perspective.  He also was the first person I remember coining the phrase “green trout” for smallmouth bass.

 

Instructional/Educational:

·         Advanced Custom Rod Building, Dale Clemens – if you want to learn how to wrap a rod, this is the bible.

·         An Entirely Synthetic Fish, Anders Halverson – Great book on how rainbow trout stocking throughout the world has been both common and controversial.  Good read to learn about something we take for granted.

·         Fly Fishing In Salt Water, Lefty Kreh – You could say that Lefty wrote the book on fly fishing in the salt, and you’d be right.  A little dated, but it has a little bit of everything, and was the first saltwater myself and lots of others picked up to read about the briny side of fly fishing.

·         Bonefish, Dick Brown – This is the bonefish primer that you need to read if you know nothing about bones.

·         Prospecting For Trout, Tom Rosenbauer – This changed the way I thought about trout fishing.  Great book.  Sure, catching fish when they’re up top is fun, but there are times where you need to find them when you can’t see them, and that’s MOST of the time.

·         Steelhead Guide, John Nagy – Someone mentioned this and I’m glad.  This is the book that got me interested in steelheading.  The Lake Erie tribs are the fish you want to learn on..  super plentiful and easy to find.

·         Trout Flies of the East, West, Schollmeyer & Leeson – These books put together the most popular and used flies of the east and west coasts in a concise book with sizes and fly recipes to keep handy.  I have both of these at home.

·         100 Best Saltwater Flies, Deke Meyer – Like the book above, this is for the saltwater.

·         ANY BOOK BY A.K. BEST – Anything you can get anything written by A.K. Best, grab it.  There are 2 titles that I kept at home – Production Fly Tying and Dying and Coloring Natural Materials.  Learn how to buy and dye your own stuff.  Really important if you want to really get good at tying.

·         The Flyfishers Guide to the Upper Delaware, Paul Weamer – There is no river like the Delaware River.  I love the upper river more than any place on the planet.  It is my home river, where I’ve spent most of my time fishing (and learning) and I would like to retire with a house there sometime.  And it’s a place I miss most dearly, second only to the neighborhood I grew up in.  The book talks about each pool, bend, access, shows parking, and breaks down what I think is the absolute finest trout fishery on the east coast.

·         Hatches, Al Caucci & Bob Nastasi – If you want to learn about the entymology of mayflies, this is the book.  The new version, Hatches II is the most comprehensive book that lays out the insects in a concise manner explaining the most important aspects of their lives.

·         Instant Mayfly Identification Guide, Al Caucci & Bob Nastasi – A small pocket-sized book to ID insects.  It’s out of print, but is THE BEST book to bring with you to identify all the mayflies you find streamside.  I have found NOTHING better in over 10 years.  There’s a new version out, but I still prefer the old standby.

 

R

 

 

Richard Farino

Urban Angler VA | 108 N. Washington Street  2nd Floor | Alexandria, VA 22314

(703) 527-2524 | fax: (703) 527-3313 | ric...@urbanangler.com

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[namfos]

A very useful book for fly tiers is  The Fly Tier's Benchside Reference by Leeson and Schollmeyer

 

 

 http://
http://

[Deadbait]

I would have to recommend "Fishless Days, Angling Nights" by Sparse Grey Hackle. I'm a bit sentimental about his writing as many of the little cricks he mentions outside of NYC I've fished.

And more recently, "The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing" by Kirk Deeter and Charlie Myers. Honestly, you pick it up, read a tip and put it down. And then, somehow, it pops up again in your mind when you're on the river, no joke.

Love the thread, gonna hit Amazon for a few of these recommended titles.

[johnfarr]

I am a mega bibliophile who inherited a very large fly fishing library from my father; I probably have most of the books listed here, some 1st editions, some autographed, etc. I don't think I'll ever get around to reading them all.

Anyway, I think that Lefty's "Presenting the Fly" is easily the best book out there about basic technique. This also reflects my biases as I tend to think that approach and presentation are much more important than matching the hatch.

Anything by Robert Traver, especially "Trout Madness" is excellent; literally laugh out loud funny in some places. "Fishless Days" by Sparse Grey Hackle is another great classic. "Big Stony" by Howard T. Walden is worth reading, his chapter comparing life to a river is one of my all time favorite essays. All of Corey Ford's short stories are great as well. Also Ray Bergman is excellent, I still don't have a copy of "Trout" but "Just Fishing" is fantastic, and still relevant 80 years later, I loved all of the stories of his youth that he included.

[Scott Stankus]

I think most of the books I've read and enjoyed have already been listed here, other than those by Dave Ames. Maybe I just missed them. 

So far, I've read True Love and the Woolly Bugger and A Good Life Wasted - both were excellent. He seems to blend fact and fiction and come out with some great adventures that you wish you had been a part of!

--Scott

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