LaFontaine's landmark book Caddisflies set the standard for taking a scientific approach to the sport of catching trout on a fly. In Trout Flies: Proven Patterns, he combines observation with a deep understanding of entomology to examine the art of fly tying. This large, attractive volume boasts color plates, step-by-step diagrams, and the author's lively discussion of patterns that work--and why they succeed. Twenty years of research and development are reflected in these pages, with many proven variations on dries, emergers, nymphs, wets, and streamers. Excerpts from the author's own fishing logs, describing experiments with his patterns, lend a personal touch to his fine instruction. Trout Flies Book, by Gary Lafontaine, BK-032 Price: $37.76 Sale Price: $33.00 You Save: $4.76 Quantity: Caddis Flies Hailed as a classic almost as soon as it came out in the early 1980s, this combination of entomology and fly-fishing instruction puts a small insect--the caddis fly--under the microscope to help anglers get big results on the water. Misunderstood for years, LaFontaine explains why caddis should be an important part of any fly-fisher's arsenal of flies, and his arguments are very persuasive. With in-depth and anecdote-punctuated discussions of the insect's biology and life cycle, tactics for deciding at what stage in the life cycle caddis are being fed upon (nymph, emerger, or dun), and various methods of presenting imitations, the author provides a thorough and scientific approach to catching fish. Caddisflies is analytical fly-fishing instruction at its best. Caddis Flies Book, by Gary Lafontaine, BK-096 Price: $49.89 Sale Price: $44.89 You Save: $5.00 Quantity: The Dry Fly The author of Caddisflies and Trout Flies: Proven Patterns presents his vast knowledge about catching trout on dry flies in The Dry Fly: New Angles, an advanced resource for the serious fly-fisher. Combining years of fishing and tying experience with keen observation and lucid prose, LaFontaine organizes his information into several theories about trout behavioral patterns and fishing strategy. He starts with three basic schools of dry fly-fishing: empiricism, generalism, and naturalism. The empiricist relies on remembering which flies worked on certain rivers, regardless of the hatch; the generalist relies on presentation of a few favorite flies, also regardless of the hatch; and the naturalist tries above all to match the hatch with exact imitations. LaFontaine shows why each of these schools is flawed. Basing his ideas on close laboratory study and underwater diving. The Dry Fly Book by Gary Lafontaine, BK-013 Price: $39.65 Sale Price: $32.65 You Save: $7.00 Quantity: 40 Best Trout Flies In this book, Bob Alley shares the 40 most productive flies used for trout. Covering nymphs, streamers/bucktails, wets and dries, Alley gives general information, the pattern, plus the best fishing techniques for each fly discussed. He also gives rod weight recommendations and an easy-to-reference chart of the 40 best trout patterns. Take the guess work out your next trout fishing trip, this book has all the answers. Color fly plates, 68 pages. These 40 flies will catch trout anywhere you fish. Standard patterns readily found wherever good flies are sold, they account for probably close to 80% of the trout caught in North American waters. By combining them with the author's special ways of fishing, you too can learn to trick the trout and bask in the warm feelings of stream-side success. 40 Best Trout Flies Book by Robert Alley, BK-042 Price: $19.15 Sale Price: $13.15 You Save: $6.00 Quantity: A.K. FLY BOX Well-known to readers of John Gierach as that author's occasional sidekick on western trout streams, A.K. Best wades into the deep waters of the angling library himself with an authoritative and instructional look at fly-tying. Best details the tying methods for his own popular creations as well as old standards, with plenty of photos of both naturals and their imitations. Also included is an introduction by Gierach. A.K. FLY BOX Book, by A.K. Best, BK-101 Price: $44.81 Sale Price: $40.81 You Save: $4.00 Quantity: Trout Fishing Techniques Much in this guide is dealt with in any number of other titles in the desperately crowded trout-fishing field, but drawing upon 50 years of trout-fishing experience, Goddard produces a solid, well-written example of the type. So weed out a couple of other trout books, add this one, and steer anyone who asks how to start fly fishing for trout to it, if only to avoid leafing through lots of other tomes. Goddard covers many of the basics and also delves into obscure techniques--for example, the parachute roll cast, which will be used by only the most experienced and talented fly fishers. Hopefully, the final chapter, on the basics of fly tying, black-and-white in the review copy, will be in color, if only to afford better appreciation of what tying is all about, for glaringly lacking is any explanation of the mechanics of fly tying--so go back to the groaning trout-fishing shelves and glean it from one of those other books. Trout Fishing Techniques Book Price: $37.74 Sale Price: $35.74 You Save: $2.00 Quantity: Tactics For Trout One of the best fly-fishing books I've read. Goes beyond the usual casting mechanics and knots directly to solving the puzzles we face when on the water: how do I catch fish today? Covers tactics in general, plus specific techniques for fishing dries, nymphs, wets, and streamers. Well-written; author has clear, simple, very readable style. His only semi-flaw: he has a slight bias toward the bigger waters of the west. He has written at least 3 other books -- on hatches, reading the water, and tackle -- and they are next on my reading list. You'll want to re-read this book the night before every fishing trip -- and you probably should. I know I will. Tactics For Trout Book, By Dave Hughes, BK-056 Price: $19.65 Sale Price: $18.65 You Save: $1.00 Quantity: