Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 3
Part 1: The Basics 5
Chapter 1: What Every Fly Rodder Needs to Know 7
What is a Fish? 7
How do I know it's a fish? 8
What does a fish want out of life? 9
Fishing versus Angling 10
How Do I Learn? Who Do I Ask? 13
Parents 13
Friends 13
Fly shops 13
Guides 14
Schools 15
Online: My inbox runneth over 15
Four Things I Wish Somebody Had Told Me about When I Started 17
Bad vibrations 17
Trying to do more than you really can 17
Shadows of evil 17
Your Budweiser hat 17
The Dog Ate My Homework (Or Why You Need a License) 18
Chapter 2: Choosing a Rod 19
Anatomy of a Fly Rod 20
No, butt seriously 22
You have to cast your way 23
The Four Jobs of a Rod 24
When bigger is better (and when it isn't) 24
Line weight and rod weight: The bottom line 25
The long and short of it 25
Realistically speaking 26
Where the action is 26
A Rod for All Seasons 27
Trout 27
Bass, pike, and light saltwater 28
Heavy saltwater: Tarpon, sharks, and other monsters 28
Matching the rod to the fish 29
Have rod, will travel 29
Rod Care 30
Be finicky about ferrules 30
Use a rod case 30
Not getting stuck 32
Getting unstuck 32
The last word 33
Chapter 3: Reels 35
MFP (Maximum Fishing Pleasure) and the Balanced Outfit 36
Fly Reels 36
What does a fly reel do? 36
The ABCs of arbors 38
Kind of a drag 38
Using your tools to stop the fish (Hint: Your hand is a piece of tackle, too) 39
Why is a Reel Like a New Business? 40
Be seated 40
The full-figured reel 41
Maintaining Your Reels 42
Like the dentist says, rinse often 42
Don't forget to oil 43
Chapter 4: Between the Rod and the Fish: Hooks, Lines, Leaders 45
Checking Out Fly Lines 45
Is weight good or bad? 46
Does color count? 47
Taper tips 47
Sink or swim 47
Threading your fly line 48
Looking at Leaders 50
Matching your leader to your fly 51
What tippet should I tie? 51
How strong does the leader need to be? 53
Everything You Need to Know about Hooks 53
When bigger is smaller 55
Get to the point! 55
Unhooking yourself 56
Get rid of your barbs 57
That Sinking Feeling 59
What Comes After the Tippet? 59
Tie one on 59
Hopper dropper: A true life saver 59
Part 2: The Fish and the Flies 61
Chapter 5: Trout and the Bugs They Love (Plus Some Non-Bugs Too) 63
The Short, Happy Life of the Mayfly: Swim, Eat, Fly, Mate, Die 64
In the beginning 64
Dry-fly time: The big show 64
Spinners: The happy ending and then kaput! 66
Get wet! 67
Get net! 68
Some Nymph Basics 68
Crawlers 68
Clingers 69
Burrowers 69
Swimmers 70
Reading the Rings 70
Headhunting 71
Emergers: Trout candy 72
Spinners: After the fun is done 72
Don't ignore the small stuff 72
Caddis Flies: Not Sexy, but They Work 73
Stone Flies: The Biggest Bugs 76
Salmon flies: The greatest hatch 76
Grasshoppers: Trout Candy 78
Beetles, ants, and other terrestrials 80
Big fish eat little fish 80
Chapter 6: Mayflies (And Why Trout Love Them) 81
How Big (Or Small) is a Mayfly? 81
The Quill Gordon: As Unpredictable as the Weather 83
The Hendrickson: When the Fishing Gets Serious 84
March Brown: Big Enough to Care About 86
Green Drake: The B52 of Mayflies 86
Pale Morning Dun: All Summer Long 88
Trico: Major Snack Food 90
Callibaetis: Banker's Hours 91
Giant Michigan Caddis: The Champ 92
Blue Winged Olive: Always There 93
Isonychia: Fast and Furious 94
Chapter 7: Fly Tying 97
How Many Flies Do I Need? 97
Why dry? 98
Wets came first 99
Nymphs: Unseen but invaluable 100
Streamers: More than a mouthful 100
An Even Dozen 102
The Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear 102
The Prince Nymph 102
The Comparadun 104
The Elk Hair Caddis 105
The Parachute Adams 105
The Ausable Wulff 106
The Griffith's Gnat 107
Rusty Spinner 107
Zebra Midge 107
The Chernobyl Ant: All in the nuclear family 108
The Clouser Minnow 109
The Woolly Bugger 110
The Muddler Minnow 111
So Which Fly Should I Use? 111
Roll Your Own? 112
Tools of the trade 112
Tying your first fly, a wooly bugger 115
Tying a dry fly 121
Tying a Comparadun 122
Tying a Nymph 125
Finding Help Online 128
Chapter 8: Freshwater Fish 129
Trout 129
The champ: Brown trout 130
High jumpers: Rainbow trout 131
Sentimental favorite: Brookies 134
The cutthroat 135
Lakers: Big Macks 136
Pacific Salmon 137
Atlantic Salmon 139
Basses 140
Largemouth 140
Smallmouth: The gamest fish 141
Pike (And the Winner of the Mean and Ugly Contest is ) 144
Northern pike 144
Muskellunge 145
Pickerel 147
Fun with Panfish 148
Catfish 150
Shad: The Poor Man's Salmon 151
Carp 153
Golden Dorado 154
Chapter 9: The Beautiful Black Bass 155
Smallmouth and Largemouth 155
Do I need a special rod for bassing? 156
Don't be shy 156
Mainstays of the Bass Diet 157
Mayflies: Not just for trout anymore 157
Damselflies: Big and crunchy 157
Dragonflies: Bassing's B-1 bomber 158
Crickets and grasshoppers: Always good, by Jiminy 159
Hellgrammites: Helluva meal 160
Leeches: Finally, something good about these slimers! 160
Crayfish: If you don't eat them yourself 161
Frogs: The bass cookies 161
Sculpins: Little big head 162
Shiners: A classic bait 162
Mice: A bonus 163
Great Bass Destinations 163
The Everglades: Often overlooked, but nearly perfect 163
The St Johns: Fishing with eagles 163
The Ozarks: U-pik-it 165
Lake Superior, Lake Michigan: Some very Great Lakes 165
The St Lawrence River: A lotta water 166
The Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers: A good connection 166
The Susquehanna River: Birthplace of the Clouser Minnow 166
The New River: Not so new 167
Alabama's statewide bassin' 167
The Snake River and the Columbia River: The great Northwest 167
Quetico Provincial Park: The boundary waters 168
Down east: Ayuppp, pretty fayah fishin' 168
Any farm pond 168
Golf courses: No clubs required 168
Great Bass Flies 169
Popping bugs: My favorite 169
The Clouser Minnow 170
Wooly Bugger 170
Big-headed deer-hair flies 170
The Deceiver: I'm a believer 170
The Gamechanger: It ain't the meat; it's the motion 171
Chapter 10: Saltwater Fish 173
Some Saltwater Fishing Tips 174
Fishing in 360 degrees 174
Deciding what rod to use 174
The trout strike: A big mistake 175
Striped Bass: A Silver Treasure 175
Bluefish: Tough Guys 176
False Albacore: The Fall Classic 177
Weakfish and Speckled Trout: Brothers in Angling 178
Redfish: A Cook's Tale 181
Fluke: Flat and Fun 182
Marlin: Fly Fishing's Mt Everest 183
Bluefin Tuna: Big, Fast, and Gorgeous 184
Inshore Grand Slam 185
Bonefish: Gray lightning 185
Permit: As if 187
Snook: No schnook 188
Tarpon: The silver king 189
Giant trevally: Gangsta of the flats 190
Chapter 11: Saltwater Baits and Flies 193
Seafood: Major Saltwater Bait 193
Sand eels: Not reely eels 194
Silversides: Ocean-going French fries 195
Anchovy: Not just for pizza 195
Bunker: All in the baitfish family 196
Cinder worms: On the moon tides 197
Paolo worm: Small bait, monster fish 199
Mud crab: A white sand standout 199
Shrimp: A great go-to bait 201
Mullet: Good in the gullet 201
Great Saltwater Fly Types 202
Crazy Charlie: A very sane choice 202
The Surf Candy: The name says it all 203
Snake fly: Eels and then some 203
A crab fly: It fairly screams eat me 204
Lefty's Deceiver: A true friend 205
The Clouser: Still the champ 205
The Crease fly 205
Part 3: Fly Fishing Essentials 207
Chapter 12: Casting and Presentation: The Heart of the Game 209
The Keys to Success 210
Timing: Not just for comedians 210
Keeping your loop tight 210
Holding the rod correctly 210
Mastering the Forward Cast 212
Okay - I tried what you said; what did I do wrong? 214
What am I looking for? 215
Don't be in a hurry 215
Now what? Preparing to catch an actual fish! 217
The reach cast 217
Mastering Other Useful Casts 219
The roll cast 219
The backcast 221
The steeple cast 222
Dealing with a headwind 222
Aiming for distance 223
The double haul 223
The Spey cast: Where have you been my whole life? 226
Drag: It's a major drag 227
Adding to Your Casting Arsenal 228
The backhand: A great tool 228
The pile cast: Lotsa loops 229
Bouncing under a limb 230
Mending: A must-learn technique 231
Keeping a dry fly dry (or at least floating) 231
False casting: The awful truth 232
Quarter casting: A great old-timer 232
Using a stripping basket and the two-hand retrieve 233
Fish Near, Then Far 234
Fishing the clock 234
Understanding the boat clock 234
Chapter 13: Time and Place 237
Getting in the Zone 237
Going with the flow 238
Lakes and reservoirs 241
Salt water 247
The Time is Now 251
Good times 252
When the barometer's moving, rent a movie or clean your closet 253
Real guys fish at night 253
No Matter When or Where You Fish, Remember This 254
Keep a cool head 254
Go slow 254
Be quiet, please 254
Stay out of sight 254
Be chill 255
Wading 255
Thy rod and thy staff 255
Thy friend, too 255
Don't do what fish do 256
Back(ass)wards, please 256
If you fall 256
Chapter 14: Catching and (Often) Releasing 257
When Should I Strike? 257
Lifters and Strippers 258
Trout: Be firm but gentle 258
Salmon: A different tune 258
Bass, pike, muskies: Gangsta style 258
Salt water: Stay down! 259
Fish On! (Now What Do I Do?!) 259
The Fight 260
Your rod is your best weapon 260
Help from the reel 260
The line helps too 260
The reel thing 261
Heads up! 261
Use the current 261
Running for cover 262
What a jump! Hey! What happened? 262
Rod up, reel down (pumping a fish) 262
Playing the fish 263
Light tackle takes longer 264
Landing or Boating the Fish 264
Should I use a net? 264
To kill or not to kill 266
Before you catch and release 267
Treating a fish properly 267
Revive and release 267
Catch, quickly shoot a photo, and release 268
Chapter 15: The Fly Fishing Wardrobe 271
Take It Off! 271
The Well-Dressed Fly Rodder 272
Dress like Robin Hood (green tights optional) 273
Keep the lid on 273
Don't forget your face 273
Waders: A Necessity 274
Gloves: The Hot and Cold of It 275
Vest or Pack? 276
Packs that pack the right stuff 277
Another option: Lanyard 279
Sunglasses: Function, Not Fashion 281
Chapter 16: Knots: A Few Will Do 283
A Brief Vocabulary of Knots 284
The Fisherman's Knot 284
The Surgeon's Knot 286
The Perfection Loop 288
More Good-to-Know Knots 290
The Orvis Knot 290
Lefty's Loop 290
Line to reel 291
Joining fat line to skinny line or wire 292
Chapter 17: Cooking Your Catch 297
Perfect Poaching, I Promise 298
Poached Fish 299
Pan Roasting for Crisp Skin 300
Crispy Skin Fillet 301
Frying Fish to Crunchy Perfection 303
Battered Fish 304
Baking Fish in a Salt Crust for Great Presentation 305
Salt-Baked Big Fish and Vegetables with Fresh Salsa 306
Tossing Whole Fish on the Grill 308
Grilled Whole Fish 309
Part 4: The Part of Tens 311
Chapter 18: Great Trout Streams 313
The Upper Delaware: New York and Pennsylvania 314
Henry's Fork: Idaho 316
The Missouri: Montana 317
The Yellowstone: Wyoming and Montana 318
The South Platte River: Colorado 320
The Deschutes: Oregon 321
Fall River: California 321
The Au Sable: Michigan 322
The White River: Arkansas 323
The South Holston: Tennessee 324
Chapter 19: Ten Trout and Salmon Bucket-List Destinations 325
Argentina 326
Chile 326
New Zealand 327
Iceland 327
Alaska 327
The Kola Peninsula 327
British Columbia 328
The Pyrenees, Spain 328
England: Fly Fishing's Home Court 328
Slovenia and Balkans 328
Chapter 20: Ten Saltwater Bucket-List Destinations 329
The Florida Keys: More Than Margaritaville 330
Lands of the Maya: The Yucatan and Belize 331
The Bahamas 331
Cuba, Si 331
Kiritimati: That's Christmas Island to You 332
The Seychelles: Far Away, and That's Good 332
Montauk: A Frenzy of Fish (and Fishermen) 332
The Outer Bank 332
New Orleans: Reds in Bluesville 333
Cabo San Lucas: Bigger Game 333
Chapter 21: Eleven Good Reads 335
He Wrote He Fished It Was Good 335
The Modern Master 336
In the Beginning 336
Time and Place 336
Fly Fishing's Ground Zero 337
Trout Are the Best Reason for Many Things 337
Guide Wars 337
A Latitude Attitude 338
The Way It Was 338
Madness? I Don't Think So 338
An Eleventh Book, If That's Okay with You 339
Chapter 22: Ten Great Online Resources 341
Catch Magazine 342
Flylords 342
Troutbitten 342
Southern Culture on the Fly 343
Midcurrent 343
Capt Jack Productions 343
Trout Unlimited 343
Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing 344
The Slide Inn 344
Rio Products on YouTube 344
Index 345
