Some of my Favorite Books On Fly Fishing

by 

April 2009

The days are getting longer. Fishing is at hand. I thought I would share some of my favorite titles; the ones that I feel were worth the money.  If others could share their favorites, maybe I could save some money with more focused new purchases.. Several of these are  classics, and well known .

So here is my list of Favorite Books: In my mind you can’t lose with any of them.

1-Fly Fisher’s Guide to Northern California, by Seth Norman
I find this book a great cookbook of places to try, and I live off the “hatch charts”.  In my mind this is a good first purchase.

2-California Blue Ribbon Trout Steams,  Bill Sunderland
Great pictures and maps.  It is a fun, quick read.  He also has a book on Stillwater fishing.  It almost made the list.

3-Caddisflies, By Gary LaFontaine
This book changed the way I fish, and really helped me with the caddis hatch!  I have read this book several times.  There is more detail than I can ever absorb.  It also left me with a strong interest in emergers. 

4-Sierra Trout Guide,  Ralph Cutter
This book is another classic.  Read it before you go to the Sierras, and it will make your trip a lot more fun.

5-Wet Flies, Dave Hughes 
I am finding this a great motivator to ties soft hackles and wet flies.  A 2009 purchase, I have already read it 2x.  Straightforward fishing and tying instructions.
                                                                              
6-Tying and Fishing the Fuzzy Nymphs, Polly Roseborough
This is a very interesting book, out of print.  It was referred to by Dave Hughes and I found it via Allibris books.   (Maybe it was Amazon?).   This is another book on wets.  I am tying some of these patterns for my spring expeditions.

7-Good Flies,  John Gierach
An easy read, pragmatic, and great comments on useful patterns.

8- Fly Fishing Still waters for Trophy Trout,   Denny Rickards
The writing is not as smooth as some, but this is full of practical  advice.  I especially like his “Stillwater nymph” in black and black  and olive.  It uses burnt orange hackle.  I have caught fish in many   (Califonia and Wisconsin) streams and lakes with this pattern.

 9- Trout Fishing the John Muir Trail, Steve Beck
      This is a fine guide to hiking and fishing in the high country.

I come back to all these books periodically. I am not sharing the “skip it list” as this will be seen on the internet.