| Fishing
The Midge
Some of the smallest aquatic insects figure prominently into
the diets of the biggest, most elusive trout; the midge is such an
insect. Fishing these tiny flies--whether as nymphs or dries--requires
fine tippets and skilled casts. Fishing the Midge was welcomed
by a small, dedicated following of midge
fly-fishers when it debuted in 1972; since then it has become a
classic, and a whole new school of fly-fishing has grown up around it.
The revised edition includes updated information for tying and fishing
midge (and related) patterns
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Trout Flies
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.
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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.
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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.View/Buy
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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. $
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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.
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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.
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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.
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