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Fly fishing and fly tying books are a passion. Here you will find book reviews of books I have read covering fly fishing for trout, smallmouth bass, muskellunge, steelhead, and many other freshwater and saltwater species. You will also find fly tying books covering the same areas. There are also books on aquatic entomology, history of fly fishing and fly tying, hydrology, and great prose having fly fishing as its main theme. There is far more to fly fishing than casting a line, and there should be far more to a fly fishing guide service web site than just costs and services offered.


The Art of Spey Casting
by Jeffrey Pill
Miracle Productions
Helena, MT, 2005
1-800-874-4171
DVD, 3 hrs. 30 mins.
suggested price $34.95 USD

reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            This is a top notch filming of the 2004 Speyorama held at the San Francisco, CA, Golden Gate Casting Club. Speyorama has become an annual weekend of Spey casting demonstrations, learning, and friendship involving the best-known Spey casters from around the world. Twenty Spey casting experts from seven countries as diverse as the USA, Japan, Scotland, and Norway gathered to teach and cast two handed rods and Spey lines from the world’s best makers. Here you will learn to Spey cast traditional long lines, Skagit heads, and Scandinavian shooting heads. In addition, you will see the best perform traditional Spey casts such as the single and double Spey casts, Skagit casting including the Perry Poke, Underhanded casting using Scandinavian heads, and the modern Pacific Northwest compact casting style using shooting heads such as the Rio Windcutter series of lines. If you want to know what these different styles of casting that you have read about are, here is the place to find out. If you want to see how to perform a Scandinavian underhand cast or find out what the heck a Perry Poke is, this is the place to do so. Don’t believe anyone can cast a two-handed rod 300 feet? Watch Steve Rajeff as he shows you how it is done. This is the finest collection of all around Spey casting information available today.
            This wealth of information is presented in an extremely well produced DVD. Each caster has a chapter marker so you can switch to any one of the seventeen demonstrations by the twenty casters without having to scan back and forth. In addition, the filming was very professionally done so that everyone is properly lighted, angles let you see close-ups of faces, hand movements, and the line from several angles so you have a truly clear visualization of what is being done and what the results are.
            Just as importantly, each caster was interviewed by the host Lani Waller so that the viewer has a personal sketch of the person and the casting style they use. The interviews alone are worth the price of the DVD.
            The presentation also includes a history of the Golden Gate Casting Club and many members that have been leaders in the casting, fly fishing, and fly tying areas for over 100 years.
            If you Spey cast, fish with a Two-Handed rod, or are thinking about doing so, this is a must have DVD. It will provide you with background, history, and the current state of Spey casting around the world. This DVD is a truly amazing work.

© 2005 Bruce E Harang


Tying Classic Wet Flies
by Don Bastian
Triple “L” Productions
Lambertville, MI, 2004
DVD, 1 hr. 52 mins.
suggested price $19.95 USD

reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            Wet flies are as much a part of the history of fly-fishing as is bamboo rods and silk lines. And like the later two, wet flies are finally realizing a renewed popularity. One of the problems in tying these wonderful and productive flies is getting good instruction. The author has gone a long way in providing this much-needed information. Don Bastian grew up tying and fishing these old patterns. He has continued to tie them and has become so proficient at it that he was selected to tie about 200 wet flies for the book “Forgotten Flies”.
            The DVD opens with a short introduction to wet flies and the author by materials guru Chris Helm. This is followed by eight chapters, each covering the tying of a single pattern. The patterns tied are the Grey Hackle Peacock, Cahill, Yellow Sally, Rich Widow, Cupsuptic, Trout Fin, Parmachene Belle, and Professor. These chapters are followed by a chapter that reviews the previous eight chapters and a chapter on finishing the heads using the method of the author. These eight patterns cover five of the seven possible types of bodies used on the classic wet flies. The missing two body types, chenille, and quill would be a great reason for the author to do a second DVD on these great flies.
            Don shares not only the information on how to tie this style of fly, including materials preparation and tying procedures, he also shares hard earned tricks of the trade such as his method of attaching thread to the hook, and mounting tinsel to the hook. Here is an instructor that holds nothing back in assisting the viewer in tying this style of fly successfully.
            The best part of this production may well be the enthusiasm that the author brings to the table. You can feel his passion for these flies, and after listening to him you want to rush to the tying bench and start tying yourself. You cannot help being excited about tying after watching even a single pattern being tied by the author.
            Technically the production is well above average. The macro shots of the tying sequences are superb; well lighted, and in sharp focus. All of the camera work is outstanding. The sound is good overall. The use of a chapter menu is as it should be. One of the strengths of the DVD format over the old VHS tapes is the ability to jump from one section to another without the need to fast forward or reverse. This production capitalizes on this strength providing the viewer with an easy to use instructional volume.
            This is a must have DVD for all fly tyers. It has great information on wet flies and lots of tips and tricks that will make every fly tyer a much better fly tyer. At $19.95 for an hour and 52 minutes of top-notch instruction, this is also a great value.

© 2005 Bruce E Harang


Joan Wulff’s Dynamics of Fly Casting
by Jeffrey Pill
Miracle Productions
Helena, MT, 2003
1-800-874-4171
DVD, 1 hrs. 30 mins.
suggested price $24.95 USD

reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            Joan Wulff is without a doubt one of the finest fly casters in the history of the fly-fishing and tournament casting. This lady has also spent a lifetime developing ways to teach others how to become excellent fly casters. This DVD is the result of all of her abilities both as a caster and as an instructor. Everyone from absolute beginner to advanced fly caster will find techniques, ideas, methods, and instruction to make you a fly caster or a much better fly caster. In this sport there is absolutely no way to be as successful as you wish to be, without first being a proficient fly caster. There is no magic fly, fly line, rod, reel, or destination that can overcome a fly fisher’s inability to cast and present the fly well. This well produced fly-casting course will provide you with all of the tools you need to reach this necessary and desirable fly-casting proficiency.
            The DVD is composed of twenty-three chapters beginning with three short chapters summarizing fly-casting’s beginnings and Joan Wulff’s fly-casting background. These are followed by chapters on Hand & Arm movement, Hand Tension, Seeing the Cast, Casting at All Angles, Wind, Line Design & Marking, Roll Cast, Basic Cast, False Casting, Using Drift Time, Shooting Line, Reach Cast, Oval Cast, Double Hauls, Distance Casting, Advanced Techniques, Outdoor Practice, Indoor Practice, Double Casting, and Closing. When the viewer masters each of these lessons he will have learned the tools that will make him a much better fly caster and fly fisher. You will note that there are two chapters on “practice”. Unfortunately, even Joan Wulff can’t provide you with these skills without you actually practicing, practicing, and practicing. However, she does provide you with some great ideas on how to practice, what to practice, and where to practice so that it can be as enjoyable as possible.
            The material is presented in an easy to watch, easy to learn manner which is the result of a wonderful on stage performance by Joan Wulff and the professional production of Miracle Productions. The sound and lighting as well as camera angles are superb. No distractions for the viewer because wind is howling in the microphone. No trying to squint to see the fly line or find the speaker hidden by the background or speaking with their backs to you the viewer. Miracle Productions has produced another movie-like DVD of the highest quality. That said, I did enjoy the fact that in a few scenes they hired one of the Ring Wraths to play the scene with its black void face.
            Overall, this is a must have DVD for anyone who casts a fly line for the joy of casting or the pleasure of fishing.

 © 2005 Bruce E Harang


Successful Fly Fishing Strategies
by Jeffrey Pill
Miracle Productions
Helena, MT, 2004
1-800-874-4171
DVD, 1 hrs. 40 mins.
suggested price $29.95 USD

reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            This production is one of those hidden gems that if utilized will allow you to become a much more successful trout fisherman no matter where you fish. Gary LaFontaine, and Dick Sharon, share fishing tactics and ideas that will allow you to become proficient at presenting a fly to trout. This DVD is the collection of fly-fishing strategies television shows without commercial interruption. But they have been produced such that they flow together to create one well done instructional DVD. The use of on-screen graphics to overlay tactics on actual fishing locations as well as animated illustrations make this a great learning tool.
            The DVD is composed of fourteen chapters starting with two chapters of opening and introduction which lay the groundwork for what is to follow. These are followed by chapters on Deep Water Nymphing, Nymphing a Deep Run (and how to catch everything but trout), Walking in the Woods (or how not to break a fly rod with no fish on), Dry Fly on a Stream, Small Mountain Lake, Caddis Water, Big Freestone River, Pocket Water in a Small Creek, Streamers and Undercut Banks, and Convergence of a Creek and a River. There is also a short chapter on the sponsor Scott Rod Company and an Ending Credits chapter. As you can see many of the typical trout water types found everywhere around the world are covered. And more importantly, how to present a fly and why the presentation works and is a better choice than other presentation options is provided for the viewer. In one hour and forty minutes the authors provide you with decades of learning allowing you to shorten your learning curve drastically and start catching trout a heck of a lot sooner. All of the information is presented in an easygoing bantering fashion between the authors that lets you learn without feeling as if you are in English class. Once you can cast proficiently, you still have to be able to find and entice a trout to take your fly. This DVD will allow you to do just that.
            The material is presented in an easy to watch, easy to learn manner which is the result of well done on stage performances by Dick and Gary and the professional production of Miracle Productions. Minor actor mistakes are cleverly disguised by the tremendous supporting performance of the Dog. The sound and lighting as well as camera angles are superb. No distractions for the viewer because wind is howling in the microphone. No trying to squint to see the fly line or find the speaker hidden by the background or speaking with their backs to you the viewer. Miracle Productions has produced another movie-like DVD of the highest quality.
            Overall, this is a must have DVD for anyone who casts a fly line to catch a trout … or whitefish.

 © 2005 Bruce E Harang


Lewis & Clark’s Northwest Journey
by George R. Miller
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
Portland, OR, 2004
78 pages, softbound
illustrated, color
suggested price $14.95

reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            If there is one universal feature of fishermen it is their preoccupation with the weather. Fishermen believe in weather that is good for fishing, weather that is an excuse for not catching, and weather for not fishing. There have been volumes written on the weather as it impacts fishing as well as poems and songs about fishing weather. If you fish, you think about the weather. This little book presents an interesting historical view of the weather of the Pacific Northwest. It isn’t directly about fishing, but it is directly about weather, and every fisherman loves to discuss the weather. The book compares the weather observations of a number of the members of the Lewis & Clark party during their time between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean with that of modern day weather observations in the same area. It also explains why these weather patterns exist in layman’s terms. Overall, it turns out the weather has not changed much in the past 200 years. It is still “weather disagreeable”. But it does provide for some of the finest fishing in the world.
            This is a nicely produced and edited little book about a subject dear to every fisherman and well worth the asking price.

© 2005 Bruce E Harang


Smoking Salmon & Steelhead
by Scott & Tiffany Haugen
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
Portland, OR, 2005
95 pages, spiral softbound
illustrated, color
suggested price $19.95

reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            The authors present a complete course on how to smoke salmon and steelhead. The book starts with a concise introduction providing the reader with the necessary background to successfully start smoking salmon and steelhead; including the best fish to smoke, preparing and proportioning brines, optimizing flavor, and the importance of knowing your smoker. The second chapter details twenty-seven wet brines including notes on variations and cooking tips. The third chapter details fourteen dry brines which again include notes on variations and cooking tips. These chapters are followed by chapters on Types of Smoking Woods, Preparation Prior to Smoking, and Canning Smoked Salmon & Steelhead. The next chapter is a collection of twelve of the authors’ favorite recipes ranging from Angel Hair Pasta with Salmon & Spinach to Sushi Rolls, and Cheesy Quiche. There follows a Troubleshooting chapter to help you over the common problems of smoking this type of oily fish. The book concludes with a well-designed index of all the brines and recipes. In addition, the book is beautifully illustrated with color photographs of wonderfully appetizing food.
            The book is well designed and edited. It is easy to read, easy to navigate and a pleasure to look at. If you would like to start smoking salmon and steelhead, or would like to broaden your smoking horizons, this book is the answer.

© 2005 Bruce E Harang


Spring Creeks
by Mike Lawson
Stackpole Books
Mechanicsburg, PA, 2003
289 pages, hardbound
illustrated, Color and B&W
suggested price $59.95

reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            Mike Lawson grew up on the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River and has fished it for over 60 years. Needless to say, he has a unique background and insight into fishing spring creeks. Best of all is that he is willing to share a lifetime of experience and observations with all who are willing to spend the time to read this amazing book. The book comprises eleven chapters and two appendices as well as a superb bibliography, and index. The first three chapters are devoted to explaining what Spring Creeks are, what trout you will find there, and generally how to match the hatch respectively. Chapters four through seven go into detail on matching Mayflies, Caddisflies, Midges and Craneflies, Terrestrials in that order. These chapters prove some wonderful observations and insights to matching these hatches on spring creeks and techniques for successfully presenting these types of imitative flies. Chapter eight on Unmatching the Hatch is one of the most interesting. The author explains how attractors of various types can be deadly on Spring Creek trout at certain times and how to decide when these types of flies and the times to use them occur. The next two chapters detail methods of presentation and strategies for fishing spring creeks successfully. Once again the author’s personal observations and notes are truly exquisite. The final chapter is one directed to our responsibilities to be good stewards of the fish and the waters they live in. He also discusses the important subject of public access and good manners on stream. While many will pass this chapter over or only glance at it, it is one that every fisherman should read very carefully. We can all benefit in our fishing by exhibiting and receiving a bit more in the way of good fishing etiquette. The appendix on fly-fishing equipment suitable for spring creek fishing is of a general nature instead of a list of particular makes and models. This means that the changes in technology will not outdate the information in a few years. Well thought out and presented information. The appendix of flies for fishing spring creeks is a master’s list of patterns with photographs and recipes to put every angler in the game. Each pattern also has notes by the author on when, where, and how to fish the pattern.
            The text is wonderfully illustrated with beautiful color photographs of trout and spring creeks. The color photographs of each fly pattern are of good quality and makes reproducing the fly at your bench much easier. The line drawings and line drawings of Dave Hall are truly outstanding. They measurably improve the book and make it an even greater delight to read. Editing, layout, and production are superb, making the book both a visual delight and easy to read and understand. The only improvement in my mind would be deletion of the pseudo-science and the discussions of how trout think. But even this does not overly detract from the importance of this work.

© 2005 Bruce E Harang


Fit to Fish
by Hisey Stephen L. and Berend, Keith R.
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
Portland, OR, 2005
158 pages, softbound
illustrated, color
suggested price $19.95

reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            This is a very interesting book about how to protect against injury while fly fishing and how to recover from injuries if they occur written by a MD and a Physical Therapist who have studied fly fishing related injuries. The book is broken down into eight chapters and a final word as well as an excellent glossary and an index. The first three chapters discuss Fishing and Pain, Pain and Its Origins, and the Basic Concepts of Self-Treatment. While these discussions are important, and are a must read, they are a bit of a slow read. But stay the course because the next five chapters are not only much easier to read they are extremely interesting and helpful to the fly fisherman. Chapter four discusses the shoulder that allows a layperson to understand why, where, and how the various injuries to your shoulder happen. Chapter five discusses the elbow and the differences between tennis elbow and golf elbow. Chapter six looks at the wrist and how it is affected by the repetition of casting all day. Chapter seven discusses low back pain in relation to fly-fishing, casting, and stalking fish. Chapter eight teaches the reader about injuries and pain to knees and ankles. All of the chapters have great color illustrations and photos to help explain the joints and connecting tissue involved as well as illustrate exercises to help prevent injury as well as to recover from injury.
            Anyone who is limited to a few weeks of fly-fishing each year or is planning a once in a lifetime fishing trip needs to read this book and follow the advice for preventative exercises. In addition, the knowledge of how to treat an injury when it occurs will lessen the severity and duration which might just be the difference between fly-fishing on your trip and sitting in the boat watching your buddies fly-fishing on your trip. Furthermore, by knowing how to treat an injury right after it happens can mean less damage and quicker recovery.
            For anyone who fly fishes this is one of the best pieces of fishing gear you can purchase. And at $20.00 it is also one of the least expensive quality fly-fishing products you will encounter.

© 2005 Bruce E Harang


Rod Crafting
by Jeffrey L. Hatton
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
Portland, OR, 2005
305 pages, softbound
illustrated, color
suggested price $45.00

reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            This book may be of some interest to antique rod collectors. It is a self edited, designed, and laid-out book of the author’s personal rod collection as well as those of a few friends. As such it is a prime example of why owning a word processor and a Kodak Instamatic camera does not make a publisher. For folks that must have color pictures to visualize well this book may be of some help even though a large percentage of the pictures are of extremely poor quality. Some of the text contains interesting tidbits. If you are antique cane rod crazy you may feel you have to have a copy of this book. For most readers it is better forgotten.

© 2005 Bruce E Harang


Creative Fly Tying
by Mike Mercer
Wild River Press
Mill Creek, WA, 2005
157 pages, spiral hardbound
illustrated, color
suggested price $39.95

reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            Mike Mercer has an exceptionally well-developed talent to design successful trout flies by blending natural and synthetic materials in novel manner. This book contains twelve of the most famous of these fly designs. The author is probably best known for his “poxyback” method of tying nymphs, but his talents go far beyond this single style. Patterns like the Alaska Lemming and Sac Fry for instance reveal a unique ability to realize new potentials for many common fly-tying products. The book also has the standard Foreword, Introduction, Index and an Afterward and a chapter on Reading the Water. There is also included a number of blank pages for personal tying notes. Refreshingly, here is a fly tyer that is willing to discuss the importance of presentation before the importance of fly pattern. For fly tyers that want to learn how to make epoxy coated wing cases, use glass beads for extended bodies, and sculpt fish and mammal bodies out of yarn and plastic this is the book you have been waiting for. Following the format of other fly tying books in this Masters on the Fly series each pattern starts with the author explaining the pattern and how it came about. There is a photograph of an actual finished fly, a photograph of the materials needed to tie the fly including a call-out box with the pattern recipe, and finally a step by step photographic sequence with text showing exactly how to tie each pattern. As you have guessed this is an extremely visual book. In fact, even the covers are designed to be very visual. The book is bound in hard glossy covers with a heavy-duty spiral binding that allows the book to be opened flat on the tying table. The binding is constructed to last though many years of use while also allowing the book to be shelved and viewed like a regularly bound book. The photographs, by Ted Fauceglia, are of very good quality, especially the tying sequence photos. The book design, layout, and editing are excellent. The large close-up photographs of the finished flies are particularly welcome. This is a book fly-tyers will definitely want to add to their libraries.

 © 2005 Bruce E Harang


A New Generation of Trout Flies
by Scott Sanchez
Wild River Press
Mill Creek, WA, 2005
157 pages, spiral hardbound
illustrated, color
suggested price $39.95

reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            This is a book of the author’s trout fly patterns comprised mostly, if not completely, of synthetic materials. Each pattern is accompanied by information about its history of the development and evolution, thought provoking information that documents the history of each pattern in a way that will allow future generations to understand why the patterns were tied in a particular manner. The book contains the standard Foreword, Introduction and Index as well as an Afterword. But what makes it so exciting are the eight chapters of patterns preceded by a chapter on Materials and Hooks. This first chapter allows the author tells you what he finds best for tying his flies and important considerations concerning the selection of materials. The eight pattern chapters have a similar format for each pattern. The chapter starts with the author explaining the pattern and how it came about. There is a photograph of an actual finished fly, a photograph of the materials needed to tie the fly including a call-out box with the pattern recipe, and finally a step by step photographic sequence with text showing exactly how to tie each pattern. As you have guessed this is an extremely visual book. In fact, even the covers are designed to be very visual. The book is bound in hard glossy covers with a heavy-duty spiral binding that allows the book to be opened flat on the tying table. The binding is constructed to last though many years of use while also allowing the book to be shelved and viewed like a regularly bound book. The photographs, by Ted Fauceglia, are of very good quality, especially the tying sequence photos. The book design, layout, and editing are excellent. This new series of fly tying books published under the label “Masters on the Fly”  is going to raise the bar on what fly tying instructional books should be. A pattern book that fly-tyers will want to add to their library both for the patterns and for the insight in how to develop fly patterns.

 © 2005 Bruce E Harang


Philadelphia on the Fly
by Ron P. Swegman
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
Portland, OR, 2005
83 pages, softbound
illustrated, color
suggested price $19.95

                                reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            This little book is a rare gem in fly-fishing literature. The subtitle Tales of an Urban Angler gives a hint about the contents but it doesn’t let on about the quality of the writing or the joy waiting for the reader. The author tells of his return to fly fishing in the environs of the city of Philadelphia and the beauty, fun, and excitement of fly-fishing that cannot be dimmed by city confines. The writing is to the written word what Beethoven’s Concerto #9 is to music, a magnificent blend of tranquility, excitement, and drama. You will not learn anything particularly important about the mechanics of fly-fishing but you will learn exceedingly important lessons about why each of us actually goes a-fishing. The exquisite prose is perfectly complimented by the color illustrations and color photographs. The layout is well done making the book an easy, fun, and exciting read. If you fly-fish you need to read and re-read this little book, simply wonderful.

© 2005 Bruce E Harang


Fishbugs
by Thomas Ames Jr.
Countryman Press
Woodstock, VT, 2005
144 pages, hardbound
illustrated, color
suggested price $45.00

                                            reviewed by Bruce E. Harang

            This is simply an incredible book. The author has turned the photography of insects into portraiture. The author’s results in this book are as monumental as the insight Yousuf Karsh brought to human portraiture. This is not a fly fisherman’s bug book, a pattern book, or even a match the hatch book, though it does have images of insects important to fly fishermen and illustrative fly pattern images. Instead it is volume of character studies of insects important to fly fishermen. That said, the images convey so much detail that fly tyers will undoubtedly find a wealth of ideas for new and improved patterns.
            The book is comprised of a short set of chapters covering the Introduction to the book and its portraits and is followed by character studies of fifty-three insects. The insects are grouped by their appearance in Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter. The insects included are mostly those found east of the Mississippi river. However, you don’t have to fish the waters where they are commonly found to be awestruck but their beauty. In a volume of absolutely stunning images there are some that stand out on even a higher plane. The portrait of the adult female Dobson Fly is a vivid example. Talk about your worst Mother-in-Law nightmare. The sequence of the stonefly emergence is exceedingly well done. The images of the Zebra Caddis and the Light Cahill are stunning. Without a doubt these are the finest images taken with insight previously unseen in this arena. The accompanying fishing images and text are also superb. The book’s text is clean, direct, and well written by an author with something to say. The book layout, design, and publication are a credit to both the author’s work and the Countryman Press.
            You will be awed by nature’s attention to detail in even the most humble of creatures. For anyone with awareness beyond pavement and malls this book is an absolute must.

© 2005 Bruce E Harang


 

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Copyright © 1997 - 2006 Bruce E. Harang
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
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Last modified: January 04, 2006

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