The Most Influential Book........

[outsider]

…..You ever read regarding fly fishing, fly tying, or anything related to fly fishing. For me the answer is easy: Nymphs by Ernest Schwiebert. I bought that book when it was first published in 1973. And yes, I do realize some flaws existed in that book. But before that, books written about stream aquatic insects sucked. I started fishing nymphs around 1965, and most of the patterns and information paled in comparison to his book. I did purchase and read fly fishing books in the 1960's.

Quite frankly, most of my sub-surface imitations before that book came from streamside observations. But his book was so comprehensive and detailed. For example, I had no idea know what a caddis pupa looked like.

The worst book I ever purchased? Fishing the midge by Ed Koch. The guys and me in our fly fishing club waited in anticipation for this book to be released. What a let-down when it arrived. Having been tutored about midges since the mid sixties, I knew what a true midge adult looked like. If I recall correctly (I threw the book out a couple weeks after I bought it), there where a few surface midge patterns constructed of long tails, dubbing bodies, and some hackle wound in the front of the hook. And no sub-surface patterns.


Your book?

 

[rrt]

"Trout Madness" - Robert Traver. I liked -- and still like -- his attitude about fly-fishing. I particularly like the stories "The Intruder" and "Big Secret Trout" in the book. Those are still two of my ultra-favorite fly-fishing stories. I think Traver's writing is wonderful. I also think his views influenced how I look at fly-fishing -- at least I hope so.

(I can tell you this, too: If rleep2 would ever get a set of his fly-fishing stories into a book, we'd all buy it and love his stories and his views about fly-fishing. He is the real deal. (Hint, hint rlp.))

Favorite tech-style book: "A Modern Dry Fly Code" - Vincent Marinaro. I particularly like dry-fly fishing, and his studies of fly hatches and terrestrials are absolutely wonderful. In addition, this book is particularly well written. Marinaro influenced my attitude about dry-fly fishing immensely.

I could go on and on about influential ff books, but this asked for the most influential one, and I already gave two -- shows my lack of math skills, I guess.

 

[salvelinus]

My favorite book for non-technical reading - Fly Rod Trouting by Ed Shenk. I was lucky enough to get an autographed copy as a gift from my wife.

For technical, Marinaro's In The Ring of the Rise and A Modern Dry Fly Code are my picks.

I know, I have no math skills either.

 

[Outback_Yak]

"Trout Fishing in America" by Richard Brautigan.

 

[FCP]

When I was a young man there were very few books on fly fishing available. Ray Bergman's Trout was originally published in 1938 and was considered to be the Bible. I read it in the 50s. It was the first book I read on fly fishing and it did have a great influence on me. It was updated in the 60s and it included spin fishing which at that time was new. The original versions can go for over a $100. Amazon has a kindle book of the revised version for $4.61. I still have the hardback book in my library. It is interesting to read it now just to reflect on how things have changed.
FCP

 

[redietz]

FCP wrote:
When I was a young man there were very few books on fly fishing available. Ray Bergman's Trout was originally published in 1938 and was considered to be the Bible. I read it in the 50s. It was the first book I read on fly fishing and it did have a great influence on me. It was updated in the 60s and it included spin fishing which at that time was new. The original versions can go for over a $100. Amazon has a kindle book of the revised version for $4.61. I still have the hardback book in my library. It is interesting to read it now just to reflect on how things have changed.
FCP

Trout was my choice as well. I re-read it every few years. It's just as interesting to see how much hasn't changed. Almost everything he had to say is still valid, although there may be more choices today. What I really enjoy about his style is that he never says "You have to do such and such if you expect to catch fish," rather it's more "here's a situation that I ran into, here's what worked. Try it, it might work for you." And more that likely, he credits his fishing partner in the story with coming up with the solution.

It's still in print, BTW. In fact, it's never been out of print.

 

[raftman]

I'm not a technical angler. I just go to the water and try things out. I like exploring, I like the moments that unfold before, during, and after being on the water. I like the solitude. Hence, my pick for most influential would be The River Why by David James Duncan. It's fiction and one could argue it doesn't teach much about technique, but it got me out on the water in the first place and it still resonates with me 15 years after first reading it.

Second place? Small Stream Fishing by Gierach. That was my first "technical" book and I read it while working out in Rocky Mountain National Park. I learned a lot from that short collection.

Currently? Gathered Waters. It's an old collection of poetry all centered on different streams. I carry it with me everywhere.

Trout Madness is on my shelf and I'll pick it up next. I really need to read that.

 

[klingy]

I loved the stories of my local streams in This Wonderful World of Trout (Charlie Fox), Fly Rod Trouting (Ed Shenk), and In the Ring of The Rise (Vince Marinaro). Very motivating to hear great stories about nearby waterways.

The book that I go back and read over and over again is In Praise of Wild Trout (Nick Lyons, Edt.) Just something about how those stories are written that makes me want to pick up the three weight and go chase brookies!

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Caddisflies
by Gary LaFontaine

 

[Bamboozle]

While I love all the books in my library, the one that influenced me the most was "Fly-Fishing for Trout; A Guide for Adult Beginners" by Dick Talleur.

This was my bible in the beginning and the stuff in it has influenced my attitudes & opinions since I first read it a zillion years ago.

I somehow misplaced my original copy which was inscribed but I picked up another which I was lucky enough to have inscribed by Dick before he passed.

Honorable mention goes to my collection of Ed Zern's books (who explained to me the difference between signed & inscribed when I had him inscribe all of my books by him).

The stories in Ed's books still constantly come to mind and help me to not take fly fishing and myself so seriously.

 

[STONEMAN]

Dave Hughes’ Handbook of Hatches while not an exciting read is one I have gone back to over and over with highlighters and pencils.

 

[Acristickid]

Have read many of the books, my favorites have evolved over time.

Love the John Gierach books ; however this book has been the most influential as it takes me too far off remote waters for native trout. I reread about species and where I might like to travel to next.


Trout and Salmon of North America by Robert Behnke . Illustrated by Joseph R. Tomelleri.

My trips are based on catching native trout and salmon.

 

[bigslackwater]

Mine is also Fly Rod Trouting by Ed Shenk.

The short version of the story. I had a paper route on Main street in my little town when I was about 13 years old. For Christmas, the Vacuum Shop gave me a gift certificate to the book store that was next door. Without much thought I picked this book. I tried to read it but my young mind was on to other things. Tried fly fishing but went back to worms...fast forward 20 years later, I dust the book off the shelf and read it cover to cover. This is how I got in to fly fishing. Everything I learned in the beginning was from this book.

 

[CLSports]

The River Why.

One of only two books I ever read twice.

 

[Tiogadog]

Trout Flies by John Gierach

Terrestrials by Harrison Steeves and Ed Koch

Both the Landis and Meck guidebooks to PA helped me quite a bit in regard to where to fish.

 

[hendeylathe]

Fear of Fly-Fishing : Do Trout Exist? And Other Facts of Reel Life by Jack Ohman
You got to be able to laugh at yourself. You'll probably see yourself somewhere in this book.

 

[afishinado]

I'd say Caddisflies by Gary LaFountaine was groundbreaking and very influential to the FFing community at the time.

Previous to this book, not a lot was written or known about fishing and matching the caddisfly hatch. Most flies and FFing was geared more to mayflies and terrestrial species.

Gary studied the insects and wrote about many major species in great detail, as well as offered techniques and patterns for fishing caddisflies in this groundbreaking book. I still use it as a reference book for imitating and fishing caddisflies.

 

[DaveS]

Most influential was “The Trout and the Fly” by Brian Clark and John Goddard. Very good stuff in my opinion.

 

[JohnPowers]

In The Ring Of The Rise was a revelation. Fishing the D as I do, HATCHES has been valuable.

 

[Skeet6]

Lou Tabory's "Inshore Fly Fishing" was like a bible to me... also LaFontaine's Caddisflies.
Mike B