A New York Times bestseller, The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies recounts the history of a sport that dates back 2,000 years, focusing on milestone flies from the first feathered hook to contemporary patterns using cutting-edge materials.

The evolution of this captivating sport is enjoyably captured in this book, making it a handsome gift, whether for yourself or the fly-fisher in your life. This glorious book of lures will get you itching for a new toy, a new boat, a new rod--anything to experience the relaxation of this old hobby.*

From the Catskills, the birthplace of American fly-fishing, to the wide rivers of the American West, to overseas fishing hot spots like New Zealand and Iceland, Ian Whitelaw's fly-fishing history book features profiles of the key characters involved, tying tips, photographs and illustrations of the flies, and detailed explanations of the techniques used to fish them.

Among the countless fly patterns created over the centuries, these 50 have been carefully chosen to represent the development not only of the flies themselves but also of fly-fishing techniques--and of rods, lines, and reels.

These iconic flies also chart the spread of this addictive sport from its modern origins on the chalk streams of Southern England and the rivers of Scotland to the US, Europe, South America, Australia, and now to nearly every country in the world.

Featured here are:
* Stewart's Black Spider, Lady Caroline, Royal Coachman
* Bass Popper, Adams, Gray Wulff, Muddler Minnow, Tom Thumb
* Lefty's Deceiver, Dave's Hopper, Syl's Midge, Ice Cream Cone
* Deer Hair Emerger, Bionic Bug, Takayama Sakasa Kebari
* And dozens more!

*Foreword Reviews

Leonardo da Vinci was obsessed with water. The famed Italian Renaissance artist meticulously drew every aspect of rivers, from the nature of water drops to the ways currents create and destroy the earth's surface. His obsession led him to become a professional hydraulic engineer and an expert on the physics of water. He disproved Aristotle's 1,800-year-old theory of the water cycle and developed the one we use today. He discovered the nature of erosion and heretically disproved the biblical flood. He created beautiful maps and drawings of river currents and of his audacious plans to reroute the Arno River for war and peace.

It is obvious to David Ladensohn, who has been fly-fishing for forty years, that Leonardo would have made the perfect fishing guide. The artist's keen sense of humor and winning personality would have made him a wonderful companion. He knew more about how rivers work than any person before him and would have been outstanding at reading the water to figure out where the fish are. Beginning with Leonardo's remarkable biography--from underprivileged child to celebrity whose company was sought by competing rulers in Italy and France--and taking readers through the inspirations that led him to fall in love with waterways, Ladensohn makes the connection between the artist's life and his own deep knowledge of the art of fly-fishing. His adventures have led him to seek out the most unique, storied, and traveled fly-fishing locales in the world, including Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Bhutan, Italy, Slovenia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Costa Rica, Bahamas, Ireland, England, and Mongolia.

Ladensohn's research on Leonardo led him to native rivers in Italy to scholars at Oxford and the inside of Windsor Castle, where he studied the finest of Leonardo's original water drawings. The illustrations, which remain little known even today, are reproduced here in color, many for the first time. Fly-Fishing with Leonardo da Vinci is meant to inform and entertain anyone interested in the artist or fly-fishing and their unlikely intersection.

River Songs is rich with bracing, authentic, generous stories--writing that revels in language and spirit. Avoiding most of fly fishing's clichés--the romantic elegies, the Moby-Dick-like conquests, the play-by-play detailing a victory over a fish-- Steve Duda instead offers pieces that breathe lived experience, reveal vulnerabilities, and convey a broad perspective of what it means to have a long run with a tight crew. Duda is interested in what has been learned out there on the river: what is it about this ridiculous activity that connects us to this planet, makes us human, gives us hope?

River Songs focuses on the in-between moments and the unexpected revelations--awe, fear, frustration, doubt, joy--that are as much a part of fishing as tying knots and chucking flies. Readers ride along with Duda in battered pickup trucks, fish between jobs, look longingly at unfished famous rivers while touring with a country-punk band, and wonder how a fishing trip led to getting a tooth pulled while being surrounded by trash-talking friends. They will find beauty, discovery, heartbreak, good dogs, and the wonder of nature within the expanse of Northwest landscapes and beyond.

An excellent (The New York Times) modern tribute to an ageless pastime, and a practical guide to the art, philosophy, and rituals of fly fishing, by an expert, lifelong angler.

In The Optimist, David Coggins makes a case for the skills and sensibility of an enduring sport and shares the secrets, frustrations, and triumphs of the great tradition of fly fishing, which has captivated anglers worldwide.

Written in wry, wise, and keenly observed prose, each chapter focuses on a specific place, fish, and skill. Few individuals, for example, have the visual acuity required to catch the nearly invisible bonefish of the Bahamas flats. Or the patience to land the elusive Atlantic salmon, the fish of a thousand casts, in eastern Canada. Pursuing these challenges, Coggins, a confirmed obsessive, travels to one fishing paradise after another, including the great rivers of Patagonia, private chalk streams in England, remote ponds in Maine, and New York City's Jamaica Bay. In each setting, he chronicles his fortunes and misfortunes with honesty and humor while meditating on how fishing teaches focus, inner stillness, and a connection to the natural world.

Perfect for the novice, the enthusiastic amateur, and the devoted angler alike, The Optimist offers a practical path to enlightenment while providing a rueful, thoughtful, and very funny examination of an elegant obsession (Jay McInerney).

The author of the instant fishing classic The Optimist shares new wisdom, humor, and experience in seven extraordinary fly-fishing expeditions--an engaging personal journey about finding what you need to find and keeping it in your heart (Kirkus Reviews).

In The Optimist, David Coggins tackled the techniques of fly-fishing and meditated on its virtues, recounting his triumphs and failures. Now, in The Believer, he deftly mixes travel, local cultures, further fishing challenges (some knee-buckling in their disappointment), and details his own experience as life and love crowd his time to fish. Self-consciously--and self-deprecatingly--Coggins embarks on seven far-flung fishing voyages, away from screens and social media, not answering his phone, and reveling in humanity's undying yearning for a quest, for the rituals and rites of passage that mark transition.

For Coggins, these journeys--to Norway, Scotland, Spain, Cuba, and Argentina, as well as road trips to Wyoming, Tennessee, and the Catskills--not only showcase his skill as an angler but also signal the end of his fly-fishing youth. But that doesn't mean that Coggins will sell all his rods and hang up his hat; rather, his relationship with his fly-fishing obsession will evolve--especially if he can catch an elusive salmon or a ferociously strong tarpon or the mercurial permit.

The Believer is a humble, humorous call for the journey that is as enriching as the destination, where the search for greater self-awareness leads to patience, observation, and endurance. And, since this is fly-fishing, after all, there's always the possibility of abject failure and leaping, glorious reward. Wry, entertaining, thoughtful, and relatable, The Believer is a wonderful example of how well angling can weave us into the world (Gray's Sporting Journal) and will hook both anglers and non-anglers alike.

The defining part of this story, I think--the part that made the real difference--is the time I spent looking into the water, letting my mind drift, as I tried to think like a fish...What brings the big fish is an artful blend of drawing on experience and keeping an open, active mind. The secret ingredient is as simple as that.
--from Chapter 6

Jeremy Wade, the star of Animal Planet's River Monsters, with nearly forty years of angling exploration behind him, shares a meditation on the art of angling--part science, part art, and part elusive something else. Thoughtful and funny, brimming with wisdom and, above all, adventure, How to Think Like a Fish is filled with reflections that anyone who has ever fished will identify with, for ultimately they touch on the fundamental principles that apply to all angling--and to life:
Less time can be more.
Listen to your gut.
Be inventive.
You may only get one opportunity, so make that opportunity count.

Discover the answer to life's most pressing problems through the joy of fly-fishing from master philosopher John Gierach, the dean of fly-fishing (Kirkus Reviews), who is arguably the best fishing writer working (The Wall Street Journal).

Once again, John Gierach tells the world why the pastime of fly-fishing makes so much sense--except when it doesn't. In this shrewd, perceptive, and wryly funny (The Wall Street Journal) book, he recalls the joys of landing that trout he's been watching for the last hour--and then losing an even fatter one a little later. Joy and frustration mix in Gierach's latest appreciation of the fly-fishing life as he takes us from his home waters on the Front Range of the Rockies in Colorado to the fishing meccas all over North America. From fishing lodges in Alaska to memories of the local creek in the Midwest where he grew up, Gierach celebrates the indispensability of the natural world around us.

Kirk Deeter of Field & Stream and Charlie Meyers of the Denver Post, crack open their notebooks and share expert advice on flies, casting, reading the water, and much more.

The mission of The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing is to demystify and un-complicate the tricks and tips that make a great trout fisher. There are no complicated physics lessons here. Rather, conceived in the take dead aim spirit of Harvey Penick's classic instructional on golf, The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing offers a simple, digestible primer on the basic elements of fly fishing: the cast, presentation, reading water, and selecting flies. The Table of Contents includes:

• Part One: The Cast: 45 Tips to Help You Cast Straighter, Longer, and More Accurately
• Part Two: Presentation: 60 Tips to Help you Place and Drift Your Flies So that Trout Will Want to Eat Them
• Part Three: Reading Water: 37 Tips to Help You Find Trout in a Rive and Effectively Cast to them
• Part Four: 43 Tips to Help You Select, Rig, and Fish the Right Fly at the Right Time in the Right Way
• Part Five: Miscellaneous: 65 Tips on Fighting Fish, Wading, Choosing Ger, and Everything Else That Matters

In the end, this collection of 240 tips is one of the most insightful, plainly spoken, and entertaining works on this sport--one that will serve both novices and experts alike in helping them reflect and hone-in their approaches to fly fishing.

In Casting Forward, naturalist, educator, and writer Steve Ramirez takes the reader on a yearlong journey fly fishing all of the major rivers of the Texas Hill Country.

This is a story of the resilience of nature and the best of human nature. It is the story of a living, breathing place where the footprints of dinosaurs, conquistadors, and Comanches have mingled just beneath the clear spring-fed waters. This book is an impassioned plea for the survival of this landscape and its biodiversity, and for a new ethic in how we treat fish, nature, and each other.

When it comes to fishing, nobody knows more than the writers and editors at Field & Stream magazine--unless it's the local guides, prizewinners, and other experts they interviewed for this book. The Total Fishing Manual is chock full of 318 field-tested tools, techniques and tactics, collected and written by the Field & Stream editors and accompanied by amazing photos and handy illustrations.

GEAR UP How to pick the best lures, baits, flies, and tackle for every situation and every style of water you plan to fish. Learn how to customize your rod and reel, and to get the most out of your equipment.

HIT THE WATER From small streams to major rivers, ponds to big lakes, and bays to the open ocean, hundreds of field-tested strategies will help you catch more fish with or without a boat.

FIND THE FISH Professional fishing guides from across the country tell you how and where to find lunker bass, trophy walleyes, huge trout, and more - right in your home waters.

SET THE HOOK Whether you're bobber fishing for bluegills with the kids or heading out after the muskie of a lifetime, the techniques and tactics in this book will make your trip a success.

Whether you're a beginner, a weekend angler or a serious sport fisher this book has the information you need to hook'em.

Brilliant, witty, perceptive essays about fly-fishing, the natural world, and life in general by the acknowledged master of fishing writers.

While most of us fly-fish to escape from daily life, for John Gierach and his friends fly-fishing IS a way of life. They are trout bums. But John Gierach is also an exceptional writer. The essays in Trout Bum are reflective, bitingly humorous and enormously wise in the ways of fishing and men. In vivid, unforgettable detail they recount the emotional, spiritual and tangible adventures and pleasures of stalking trout in and around the Rockies--day in, day out, from season to season, with friends and alone. John Gierach's essays join the literary tradition of angling classics like The River Why, and A River Runs Through It.

Complete guide to aquatic entomology for fly fishers, covering all the important insects and their imitations for the entire United States. Hatch charts, fly pattern recommendations, and important fishing strategies from Paul Weamer. This is the ideal reference for those just starting out or for those that want to have a more comprehensive view of the important insects. Understanding aquatic insect hatches is like being able to cast an entire fly line. Do you need to cast that far to catch fish? Of course not. But will being able to cast a long distance inhibit your ability to catch fish? Never. Knowing where, and how, insects live and emerge gives anglers yet another piece of the puzzle. I've never heard a fly fisherman exclaim, I probably would have caught those rising fish if I just didn't know so much about trout stream insects. You still need to cast. You still need to present flies in such a manner that fish will accept them. But though no one has ever failed to catch a trout because they knew too much about aquatic insects, plenty of anglers have not caught as big a fish, or as many fish as they could have caught, because they failed to understand the importance of matching a hatch. This is particularly true when fishing for large, wild, selective trout--the ones we all really want to catch. In this book, I try to relieve some of the reticence about trout stream insects that makes many anglers feel inadequate and uneasy. Many excellent books provide very detailed information about specific hatches. But that's not this book's goal. This book is written for new anglers who want a basic understanding of aquatic insects or more seasoned fly fishers who want to take their skills to the next level; those who want to know not only if their flies will work but why they'll work as well. I remember when I was first learning to fly fish, and I read about complicated Latin names or confusing stages of aquatic insect development. I was lost. It was as if the whole fly fishing world was born knowing about these things, and I was left out. This book's aim is to provide basic aquatic insect knowledge that will not only help you to understand more about trout stream insects, but it will also help you catch more trout on your next fishing trip. It will help you to understand why you should tie one fly to your leader rather than another to imitate the hatches you encounter.

A Cast Away in Montana is the captivating story of a passionate angler's first trip to Montana. Through Tim Schulz's humorous, insightful, and reflective storytelling, readers not only discover the thrill of pursuing elusive fish in stunning landscapes but also embark on a profoundly personal exploration of life, loss, and self-discovery.

From the highly acclaimed author of Ninety-two in the Shade and Cloudbursts comes a collection of alternately playful and exquisite essays--including seven collected here for the first time--borne of a lifetime spent fishing.

Thomas McGuane writes about fishing better than anyone else in the history of mankind. --Jim Harrison, New York Times bestselling author of Legends of the Fall

The forty extraordinary pieces in The Longest Silence take the reader from the tarpon of Florida to the salmon of Iceland, from the bonefish of Mexico to the trout of Montana. They introduce characters as varied as a highly literate Canadian frontiersman and a devoutly Mormon river guide and address issues ranging from the esoteric art of tying flies to the enduring philosophy of a seventeenth-century angler to the trials of the aging fisherman.

Both reverent and hilarious by turns, and infused with a deep experience of wildlife and the outdoors, The Longest Silence sets the heart pounding for a glimpse of moving water and demonstrates what dedication to sport reveals about life.

The author of the instant fishing classic The Optimist shares new wisdom, humor, and experience in seven extraordinary fly-fishing expeditions--an engaging personal journey about finding what you need to find and keeping it in your heart (Kirkus Reviews).

In The Optimist, David Coggins tackled the techniques of fly-fishing and meditated on its virtues, recounting his triumphs and failures. Now, in The Believer, he deftly mixes travel, local cultures, further fishing challenges (some knee-buckling in their disappointment), and details his own experience as life and love crowd his time to fish. Self-consciously--and self-deprecatingly--Coggins embarks on seven far-flung fishing voyages, away from screens and social media, not answering his phone, and reveling in humanity's undying yearning for a quest, for the rituals and rites of passage that mark transition.

For Coggins, these journeys--to Norway, Scotland, Spain, Cuba, and Argentina, as well as road trips to Wyoming, Tennessee, and the Catskills--not only showcase his skill as an angler but also signal the end of his fly-fishing youth. But that doesn't mean that Coggins will sell all his rods and hang up his hat; rather, his relationship with his fly-fishing obsession will evolve--especially if he can catch an elusive salmon or a ferociously strong tarpon or the mercurial permit.

The Believer is a humble, humorous call for the journey that is as enriching as the destination, where the search for greater self-awareness leads to patience, observation, and endurance. And, since this is fly-fishing, after all, there's always the possibility of abject failure and leaping, glorious reward. Wry, entertaining, thoughtful, and relatable, The Believer is a wonderful example of how well angling can weave us into the world (Gray's Sporting Journal) and will hook both anglers and non-anglers alike.

Trout Bum is a fresh, contemporary look at fly fishing, and the way of life that grows out of a passion for it. The people, the places, and the accoutrements that surround the sport make a fishing trip more than a set of tactics and techniques. John Gierach, a serious fisherman with a wry sense of humor, show us just how much more with his fishing stories and a unique look at the fly-fishing lifestyle.
Trout Bum is really about why people fish as much as it is about how they fish, and it is ultimately about enduring values and about living in a harmony with our environment. Few books have had the impact on an entire generation that Trout Bum has had on the fly-fishing world. The wit, warmth, and the easy familiarity that John Gierach brings to us in Trout Bum is as fresh and engaging now was when it was first published twenty-five years ago. There's no telling how many anglers have quit their jobs and headed west after reading the first edition of this classic collection of fly-fishing essays.

Go Fishing with Michigan's Famous Identification Guide!

Fishing is a perfect outdoors activity for all ages and skill levels, and the Great Lake State is an angler's paradise. Reel in fish, and make identifying your catches a snap. Now in its second edition, the Fish of Michigan Field Guide by Dave Bosanko features detailed information about 79 species of Michigan fish. When you're not sure what you caught, grab the handy guide and narrow your choices by family. Then identify your prize with the intricately detailed fish illustrations. Further verify the type of fish using the Similar Species comparisons.

Book Features:

• Detailed information about 79 species
• Professional-quality illustrations--perfect for fish identification
• Fascinating facts on spawning behavior, feeding habits, and more
• Fishing tips and inside information for easily locating fishing hotspots
• Bonus resources such as state fishing records and answers to frequently asked questions

This new edition includes updated information about everything from range to state records, as well as the inclusion of six new species. A new section on fishing tips offers pointers to help you catch more fish, and more information on invasive species can help prevent their spread. The Fish of Michigan Field Guide is essential for every tackle box, beach bag, RV, and cabin. Plus, its convenient size makes it perfect for the dock or boat.

For fans of Cheryl Strayed's Wild and Helen Macdonald's H Is for Hawk, a lyrical memoir and engaging, endearing, deeply felt (David Coggins) ode to the art of fly fishing and how it can shape a life--by renowned female angler and conservationist Marina Gibson.

As her twenty-first birthday approached, Marina Gibson received a unique gift suggestion from her parents, who offered her a choice between fishing rods or jewelry. In an unconventional decision, she opted for fishing rods. Her intention was to rekindle a childhood passion and carry on a family tradition initiated by her mother, who had dedicated years to pursuing salmon in the rivers of the Scottish Highlands.

As fishing overtook Marina's life and evolved into a full-time career, she became enraptured by the silent mysteries of the river and the quiet magic of angling. The complexity of fly fishing and the rituals of casting provided her refuge from a failing marriage, giving her a reliable source of comfort that benefited both her mind and soul. It also revealed the barriers that exist for women trying to make it in a tradition-bound and male-dominated world.

Tracing the epic, migratory journey of the Atlantic salmon alongside the ups and downs of her personal story, Cast, Catch, Release brings to life the joys of fishing, the spirited quest of the angler, and how these two paths meet on lakes and riverbanks around the world. A love letter to this exhilarating yet serene sport, Gibson shows what it means to find peace and purpose amidst the majesty of the great outdoors.

Brilliant, witty, perceptive essays about fly-fishing, the natural world, and life in general by the acknowledged master of fishing writers.

Death, Taxes, and Leaky Waders collects forty of John Gierach's finest essays on fishing from six of his books. Like all his writing, these essays are seasoned by a keen sense of observation and a deep knowledge and love of fishing lore, leavened by a wonderfully wry sense of humor. Gierach often begins with an observation that soon leads to something below the surface, which he finds and successfully lands. As Gierach says, writing is a lot like fishing.

This is the first anthology of John Gierach's work, a collection that is sure to delight both die-hard fans and new readers alike. To enter Gierach's world is to experience the daily wonder, challenge, and occasional absurdity of the fishing life--from such rituals as the preparation of camp coffee (for best results, serve in a tin cup) to the random, revelatory surprises, such as the flashing beauty of a grayling leaping out of the water. Whether he's catching fish or musing on the ones that got away, Gierach is always entertaining and enlightening, writing with his own inimitable blend of grace and style, passion and wit.