Fly Fishing Books

[Fishscape]

Can anyone recommend good fly fishing literature? Not how-to books, but the kind of book that you will return to again and again. The kind of book you take on trips to read during down-time or during the winter before bed. If you had to pick one book about fishing, this would be the book.

 

I have read a lot of John Gierach and I like his work, but I'm sure I could find better. I heard once that this guy lived a long stretch of time on a river somewere (Montana?) and kept a journal. Anyone know of this book?

 

Whenever I fish somewhere, I like to spend a solid week or more on a stretch of river, during all times of the day and in all weather to really get to know the river. Not just where the fish are, but what the daily rythm is. I like to get a feel for a place. Philosophical is good.

 

What do you recommend?

 

 

[Smitty]

Lot of people like Thomas Mcguane: "The Longest Silence".

[headscan]

http://flyfishcalgary.com/board/index.php?showtopic=11049

[daxlarsen]

Not sure if you'll like this, Fishing the Forestry Trunk Road, by Barry Mitchell

It is kind of an instructional book about WHERE to fish and whatnot, but I'de say it's more than half little stories and stuff about those spots, it's a pretty interesting read and pretty funny during some of the stories, it's definitly a must read for any fly fisherman I think cause you can relate to 90% of the complaints he has lol

[Jimbo]

I second the Thomas McGuane. Not all fishing, but another of his is An Outside Chance.

 

Also, not all fly fishing, but all good, Coming West by Kevin Van Tighem.

 

And, anything by Sid Marty.

 

The Earth is Enough by Harry Middleton is wonderful.

[Golfman09]

I would agree with anything by Syd Marty just into the second book written by him and really enjoy the way he writes. Also, there is a book by Dick Proenekke about his time in the Alaskan wilderness, written as a journal. Its quite interesting to see how he lived building a cabin completely by hand and describing his surroundings and daily life. Puts some of what we spend our time doing in perspective.

[zed]

water marks by jim mclennon. i'm half way through finishing it for a second time.

[Rp3flyfisher]

Death, Taxes, and Leaky Waders : A John Gierach

Trout Bum, A John Gierach

 

Rick

[unclebuck]

Anything you can find by Roderick Haig-Brown is wonderful, Robert Traver has some great writing too. These are older books so they may be hard to find new. Also Issak Walton and Charles Cotton's book from the 1600's is surprisingly easy to find and worth the read.

 

Other than that I second McGuane and Norman Mclean.

[bloom]

I like all of Gierach's stuff. Also big fan of Haig-Brown. Mostly because I love the history of the sport and have spent some time fishing his rivers.

[trailhead]

The books by Paul Quarrington are similiar to McGuane in that fly fishing is only part of the story. In one of his books he writes about fly fishing on the Bow the day that 9-11 happened, kind of eerie.