Beginner's book for fly fishing

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Eperous
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Beginner's book for fly fishing

#1

Post by Eperous »

A good buddy just asked me,

"Can you recommend any book or books that would be good to read for a person who wants to get into fly fishing? I have a friend who'll be moving down here and he wants me to teach him."

It been so long since I read a "how to" book, most of what I read is probably dated... any suggestions on books of this nature? By the way, in this case "here" is South Carolina and I have to believe they would not be interested in tying and bamboo, as a raw beginner.

Thanks.

Ed

chugbug
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#2

Post by chugbug »

Join a local fly fishing club, best option by far. Orvis puts out some great beginner videos. There are dozens of how to beginner books, and not much has changed in what they say from the dozens of old how to beginner books that are now in the public domain.

3creeks
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#3

Post by 3creeks »

I was entirely on my own back in the 90's when I got interested in fly fishing. I had the Orvis guide and a lot of VHS tapes with Doug Swisher and Gary LaFontaine. Those tapes hold so many great memories that I burned them to DVD so I could go back and reminisce.

Now you can just watch Youtube and learn anything. And I do mean anything. If I can learn how to tie a real bow tie and change the headlamp on a 2006 Nissan Titan 4x4, and program my obscure sprinkler timer system, your friend can learn how to fly fish on Youtube.

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Eric Peper
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#4

Post by Eric Peper »

For my money the best beginner' s book is still Bergman's Trout. Covers everything in a very easy to read and understand style. Oh, and he doesn't apologize for discussing "bait." But then ... if you understand bait, you'll be a much more effective fly fisher.

EP
A mountain is a fact -- a trout is a moment of beauty known only to men who seek them
Al McClane in his Introduction to The Practical Fly Fisherman . . . often erroneously attributed to Arnold Gingrich

PT48
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#5

Post by PT48 »

Fly Fishing for Trout in Streams which is part of The Freshwater Angler series by Cowles Publishing. Easily the best that I have come across.

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Eperous
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#6

Post by Eperous »

Thanks...

Nice afternoon on the upper Neversink today, while I trolled this question...

Ed

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Eperous
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#7

Post by Eperous »

Eric Peper wrote:
06/06/22 16:08
... But then ... if you understand bait, you'll be a much more effective fly fisher.
So agreed, so agreed... in my early days back in the late 60s, early 70s, while flogging NJ waters stocked with trout, I had a hard time switching from bait to flies only, which I eventually did... early on I used a fiberglass flyrod, as I loved "the feel" of a take in my hands, while drifting garden worms and/or salmon eggs, "that strike" taught me where trout lay, were found, and eventually taught me to be a better nymph fisher...

Both Ray Bergman in Trout, and the great Lee Wulff in his The Compleat Lee Wulff had a chapter on "The Lost Art of Fishing with a Worm"... if that was good enough for Bergman and Wulff, none of us should give a peep... it is/was a great learning tool...

Ed

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Brian K. Shaffer
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#8

Post by Brian K. Shaffer »

Tom Rosenbauer's - Orvis Fly Fishing Guide
" There's no such thing as a fly fisherman wholly satisfied with his casting performance. " ~ Jim Green (1971)
" Just once I wish a trout would wink at me. " ~ Brian Shaffer

Use the SEARCH for justification and reasoning.

Badger Matt
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#9

Post by Badger Matt »

Ed - I’m in SC and would be happy to send a book or
two if you can PM a good mailing address for the interested party.

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Eperous
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#10

Post by Eperous »

Badger Matt wrote:
07/07/22 19:05
Ed - I’m in SC and would be happy to send a book or
two if you can PM a good mailing address for the interested party.
Thanks Matt... it wasn't so much for my SC buddy, but someone in SC he met... and my buddy hasn't asked me about this anymore, since I referred him to this post...

Thanks again,

Ed

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carl otto
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#11

Post by carl otto »

I find
The Curtis Creek Manifesto
by Sheridan a very passable beginners book. Written with a sense of humor and amply illustrated I think for a beginner it would be a good start. Like many books in this (and other) sports, each one imparts just a bit more than the other and each author finds a different way to approach the same subject. Getting a book and finding a willing mentor goes a long way to advance ones education on a new subject.

Carl

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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#12

Post by NshTrtBum »

I have to second Brian's vote "Tom Rosenbauer's - Orvis Fly Fishing Guide." I thought I had one laying around here, but I've misplaced it?

I use to like using the L.L. Bean Fly-Fising handbook when I was working with my son's scout troop. Dave Whitlock can fill a book. Chapter 9 Fly Fishing Safety is one you don't see in many books.

I can add one to that chapter when in the GSMNP don't climb out of a stream and stick your hand near a rattler :rollin
NTB

ted patlen
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#13

Post by ted patlen »

Eperous wrote:
06/06/22 20:19
Eric Peper wrote:
06/06/22 16:08
... But then ... if you understand bait, you'll be a much more effective fly fisher.
So agreed, so agreed... in my early days back in the late 60s, early 70s, while flogging NJ waters stocked with trout, I had a hard time switching from bait to flies only, which I eventually did... early on I used a fiberglass flyrod, as I loved "the feel" of a take in my hands, while drifting garden worms and/or salmon eggs, "that strike" taught me where trout lay, were found, and eventually taught me to be a better nymph fisher...

Both Ray Bergman in Trout, and the great Lee Wulff in his The Compleat Lee Wulff had a chapter on "The Lost Art of Fishing with a Worm"... if that was good enough for Bergman and Wulff, none of us should give a peep... it is/was a great learning tool...

Ed
What Ed said.

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reidrods
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#14

Post by reidrods »

All great suggestions, and really, must reads.
And I have to plug a little paperback handbook that I still reference after 50 years of fly fishing. I've mentioned it before on this forum. It's Craig Woods "The Fly Fisherman's Streamside Handbook" 1981.
Check it out.

Willis

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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#15

Post by GMflyf1sh »

Get a used copy of helens shaw’s book on fly tying - lots of great pictures

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wctc1
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Re: Beginner's book for fly fishing

#16

Post by wctc1 »

My apologies for getting the title wrong:

My opinion: "The Curtis Creek Manifesto: A Fully illustrated Guide to the Strategy, Finesse, Tactics, and Paraphernalia of Fly Fishing " by Frank Amato Publications is absolutely the very best, grandest, most wonderful, excellent 1970s style character drawings intro to the sport of all the basic books. At only 48 pages it says quite enough. Can be found cheap and well-used, as it should be in the usual places.

It doesn't load up a beginner with a lot of $ stuff as beginning anything should be.

Virtually everyone has water that does not need waders and holds good fish like blue gulls, bass, and even in a pinch, with a single teeny spit shot and garden hackle, catfish of one variety or another. The object is to show a kid, or aspiring adult that: "Yes, you can catch a fish on a fly rod outside of Alaska or Canada or Patagonia.

I go back to the days when you could buy real metal little tiny lures to fly cast. I had the great privilege of Frank telling me the story of this book from early in his publishing career, streamside on the beautiful Collawash River in the north shadow of Mt. Jefferson, Oregon ... but I'll probably back cast into a tree on that to, so not now.

Well, off to somewhere, not sure where, but somewhere. But, take it from me after a fall on rocks in the Cascades two weekends ago, be careful. The drive to the ER can get long.

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