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Book and DVD Reviews
No sport or game has had as long, and as extensive, a literature history as has fly fishing and its companion craft fly tying. This large body of written and visual material creates one of the greatest joys to members of the brotherhood of the angle. This body of work is one of the truly unique attributes of fly fishing and one that every fly fisherman should indulge in.
Collected here are reviews of books and DVDs I have read or viewed concerning fly fishing, fly tying, and stories about both. No hype, no paid endorsements, only my opinion of each book. These reviews not only describe the contents but also how well the contents have been executed by both author and publisher.
The Rise
by Paul Schullery
Stackpole Books
Mechanicsburg, PA, 2006
194 pages, hardbound
illustrated, Color and B&W
suggested price $26.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
This is a very interesting discussion of how trout take flies that are on or near the surface. It includes not only an excellent discussion of the historical writings and photographs published on the topic, but also the personal observations and photographs of trout feeding on the surface by the author. This allows the reader to see where modern observations agree and diverge from the past writings on the subject. As a discussion of this topic of campfire discussion the world over it is well presented and well written. What also comes through is the author's love of trout both as a part of our world and as a worthy adversary. Paul Schullery's books are always well written, well researched, and thought provoking. This book by Paul is not different. For those that believe fly fishing is a contemplative, and not an extreme, sport this book is yet another gem of fly fishing literature.
© 2006 Bruce E Harang
The Soft-Hackled Fly and Tiny Soft Hackles 2d edition
by Sylvester Nemes
Stackpole Books
Mechanicsburg, PA, 2006
221 pages, hardbound
illustrated, Color and B&W
suggested price $34.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
In 1975 the first edition of this book was the first book published in North America that was directly solely to the North Country Soft Hackles in the style of Edmonds, Lee and Pritt. Single handedly it provided the impetus that brought soft hackles into the fly boxes and hearts of North American fly fishers and revitalized the use of soft hackles worldwide. Now, after being out of print and difficult to find for years, this wonderful book is back. And just as importantly, it has been augmented with eleven new chapters directed to tiny sized soft hackles and how to tie and fish them. Here then, is the definitive work on soft hackles from the ancient Iron Blue Dun to the modern tiny Partridge and Yellow larva. Along the way the author provides a well written overview of the history of these flies including the early tiny soft hackles of writers such as C. C. Mottram. If you love to read about the history of our chosen sport this book is an excellent read. If you want to learn how to tie these extremely productive flies this is the best place to look. The reprinting and updating of this seminal work is a great addition to any fly fisher's and fly tier's library.
© 2006 Bruce E Harang
Morris on Tying Flies
by Skip Morris
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
Portland, OR, 2006
122 pages, softbound
illustrated, Color
suggested price $24.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
This is another fly tying manual by Skip Morris. Presented is an eclectic collection of productive, mostly western, fly patterns both old and new with step by step tying instructions and photographs. The tying instructions are well done and beautifully illustrated. Included are dry flies, nymphs, emergers, soft hackles, wet flies, streamers, and bucktails. Besides these trout patterns there are also patterns for bass and pan fish, Atlantic salmon, steelhead, pacific salmon, and migratory trout. But that is not all. The author also includes background information on the patterns and the pattern creators for many of the patterns. In addition, the ancillary illustrations distributed throughout the book make it more visually interesting than just a fly tying instruction book. The editing, layout, and printing are superb. The writing is easy to read and understand. Clearly another excellent book by a well established fly tying author.
© 2006 Bruce E Harang
Bugs For Beginners
by Jay Buchner
Fly Fish TV
Portland, OR 2004
DVD, 60 minutes, Color
suggested price $24.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
If you are interested in the "bugs" trout and other coldwater species live on but have no interest in learning Latin as a second language this DVD may well be the answer. The author is a long time fishing guide who's interest in aquatic entomology resulted in this layman's answer to "what is that bug". The DVD covers Mayflies, Caddis flies, Stone flies and also covers other trout food including Damsel flies, Dragon flies, Scuds, and Leeches. The scripting could use some improvement as the dialog does repeat a bit. The photography, sound, and editing are excellent. The close-up filming of the insects is extremely well done allowing the viewer a real insight into the bugs and their behavior. A very nice introduction to trout "bugs".
© 2006 Bruce E Harang
Streamer Flies for Trophy Trout
by Kelly Galloup
Fly Fish TV
Portland, OR 2004
DVD, 120 minutes, Color
suggested price $29.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
Kelly Galloup is on of the finest very large Brown trout fishermen in North America. One of the reasons for this is the innovative flies he has developed or modified from existing patterns to increase interest by these large fish. In this DVD Kelly shares his patterns as well as the information that provided the impetus for these patterns as well as how to select the correct materials to realize the full potential of these patterns to attract the attention of very large trout. The filming is very good with only a few scenes where you can not see what is being described because of poor camera positioning. The script could use a revision as there is a little too much repetition. The sound, and editing are excellent as is the lighting. This is definitely a fly tying teaching tool every fisherman of large trout will add to his library.
© 2006 Bruce E Harang
Secrets of Steelheading
by Jim Teeny
Fly Fish TV
Portland, OR 2004
DVD, 60 minutes, Color
suggested price $24.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
This is an excellent lesson in fishing for steelhead with a one handed rod and nymphs. Jim Teeny takes you along with him to nymph fish for steelhead in a typical steelhead river. Jim shows you how to rig nymphs, how to cast to present the nymphs most effectively, and how to choose both water and flies. As well as showing how he fishes nymphs for steelhead he also explains his reasoning so that you have a basis for making your own decisions when you are out fishing based on the conditions you encounter. If you fish for steelhead with nymphs or want to lean this is one of the finest teaching tools you can have. The filming, editing, and scripting are top notch making this an easy watch as well as allowing you to concentrate on what is being taught. This Jim Teeny DVD is definitely an excellent addition to any steelheader's library.
© 2006 Bruce E Harang
Tying Stillwater Patterns for Trophy Trout
by Denny Rickards
Fly Fish TV
Portland, OR 2005
DVD, 50 minutes, Color
suggested price $29.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
For the Stillwater trout fisherman there is no better fly teaching tool available than this DVD by one of the finest Stillwater fly tiers and fishermen. Denny Rickards has an interesting strategy in his fly tying. He uses a minimal number of patterns is a number of colors and sizes instead of carrying dozens of different patterns. These few patterns are designed to provide a maximum of "life impressionism" instead of trying to provide patterns with exact imitation of a specific bug. There is an excellent discussion of the basis of the pattern and the material selection used to tie them. The author also presents an excellent discussion of how to fish the flies with some very enlightening photography to show how the fly actually moves through the water with different types of retrieves. Denny Rickards presents one of the most polished presentations during fly tying demonstrations and it clearly shows in this beautifully executed script. The photography, editing, and sound are top notch. A DVD every lake fisherman will want to add to his library.
© 2006 Bruce E Harang
Classic Salmon Fly Materials
by Michael D. Radencich
Stackpole Books
Mechanicsburg, PA, 2007
250 pages, hardbound
illustrated, Color
suggested price $59.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
This book presents information on the materials used for tying classic full dress salmon flies in a novel way. The construction of the fly is broken down into its constituent parts, namely, body materials including gut, tails, silk, tinsel, seal, herl, hackles, and veilings. These comprise the first three chapters of the book. Chapter four covers winging materials, and chapter five covers the various wing decorations including, shoulders, sides, cheeks, toppings, and horns. Instead of simply listing the various suitable materials and their characteristics the author explains each material as he applies it to the hook during fly construction. This information covers not only the material and its characteristics but also how to prepare it for the particular use, directions as to suitable tying methods, as well as detailed insight into any special features of the material and how to use these characteristics to achieve the desired result. The extensive use of photographic illustration makes for extremely easy assimilation of the information. The use of computer generated illustrations to assist in explaining construction characteristics of various materials is truly insightful. Chapter six repeats the previously presented information in the context of tying one complete fully dressed classic salmon fly so the reader can apply the information to actual tying and end up with an example of his own making. Chapter seven presents a glorious photographic gallery of bird plumage. Plumage many tyers may have never had the opportunity to see before. Chapter eight completes the body of the book with a gallery of photographic reproductions of some of the finest salmon fly plates ever engraved from the classic literature of salmon fly tying. Many of these plates are very rare and seldom available for study by most tyers today. The book finishes with an excellent index and a note explaining the photographic equipment used to produce the images for this book. These images are some of the finest ever printed in any book and certainly set a standard for such work in fly tying books. The photographs are so good that they are a course in how to photograph flies all by themselves. The text is well written in an easy to read and comfortable style that makes learning a real joy. The editing, layout, and production of this book are absolutely outstanding. This book is worth far, far more than the cost. Anyone tying salmon flies or steelhead flies must acquire this volume.
© 2007 Bruce E Harang
Steelhead Flies
by John Shewey
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
Portland, OR, 2006
216 pages, hardbound, spiral hardbound
illustrated, Color
suggested price $49.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
The author has put together a very detailed steelhead fly tying course for successfully tying steelhead patterns well. The book opens with a chapter describing and illustrating the common materials used to tie all forms of steelhead flies including, hooks, tools, threads, tinsels, furs, feathers, synthetics, and body materials. Besides detailing many of these materials this chapter also includes hints and tips for using and preparing these materials to allow the tyer to utilize them most effectively and easily. Chapter two covers the basic tying techniques that steelhead fly tyers utilize to create these colorful creations. The descriptions on folding hackle, reverse hackling, various dubbing methods, and mounting various types of wings are extremely well written and illustrated. The final five chapters teach specific styles of steelhead flies through detailed step-by-step tying sequences of specific patterns. These chapters also include specialized tying procedure information and illustration where appropriate. Chapter three is directed to hair wings, chapter four to feather wings, chapter five to Spey and Dee patterns, chapter six to shrimps and prawns, and chapter seven to dry flies. These are followed by two appendices, one about elements of fly choice and the other to suggested reading and references. The book finishes with an excellent index. The author's writing style is clear, concise, and easy to read and understand. The illustrations are well planned to correspond to, and add to, the text. However, the majority of the illustrations of are average quality at best. Unfortunately there are too many images where the subject fly fades into the background, where exposure and printing have caused the loss of all texture and fine detail. Other than the illustration quality the editing and production of the book is top notch. This is such an important work for steelhead fly tying and steelhead fly pattern history that every fly tyer needs to have a copy.
© 2007 Bruce E Harang
Bogdan
by Graydon R. Hilyard
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
Portland, OR, 2006
208 pages, hardbound
illustrated, Color and B&W
suggested price $59.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
This is a book about a reel. This is a biography of a man that makes reels. But where one story starts, and the other story ends can not be clearly determined. Like the man and his reel, the stories are so intertwined, so much a part of each other, that they are not separate but instead two sides of the same coin. This is the story of a man and his passion to make a fishing reel for fishing Atlantic salmon. Not to make a name, not to make a fortune, but to make the best fishing reel for fishing the king of fish. And for sixty years he, and now his son also, have done just that. Along the way Bogdan has become a legend, both the man and the reel. This well written and profusely illustrated book documents both in perfect harmony.
Anyone who knows the Bogdan reel, or even better is lucky enough to own one, must have this fine book. Anyone interested in the history of our great sport, must have this book. And anyone that loves to read an all American success story also must have this book.
© 2007 Bruce E Harang
Dapping
The Exciting Way of Fishing Flies that Fly, Quiver and Jump
by Robert H. Boyle
Stackpole Books
Mechanicsburg, PA, 2007
138 pages, hardbound
illustrated, Color
suggested price $24.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
There are hundreds of volumes that have been written on how to tie realistic and imitative flies for fly fishing. But there have been very few books written on how to fish a fly realistically like a living insect or other living food item of trout and other fishes we angle for. In the U.S. the list is indeed short. There was Leonard Wright, Jr. with "Fishing the Dry Fly as a Living Insect" in 1972. That pretty much covers it. Until now that is. Robert Boyle has provided an interesting, informative, and fun little book for American anglers describing the fly fishing method called "dapping". While this is a very old method of fishing in the British Iles and Europe, though out of style, it is practically unknown and unheard of in North America.
The book starts with a short description of the dapping method and the gear needed to optimize your dapping experience. This is followed by a concise history of dapping and is followed by a chapter on the author's early dapping experiences. The final chapter in the technique section is one explaining the possibilities of the method and some of the extremes in gear. A 47 ft dapping rod; Spey casters eat your hearts out! The final seven chapters cover patterns and tying instructions for various forms of fish food so they are optimized for the dapping method of presentation. Included are chapters on Stoneflies, Dragonflies, Crane Flies, Grass Shrimp, minnows, Hewitt's Skaters, as well as Irish and Scottish Dapping Flies. The book concludes with a confession by one of the great realistic fly tyers after having tried dapping and a well constructed index.
For those fly fishermen that enjoy the novel and the challenge of new means of angling for fish, this little book will make your heart sing. And if any one of you ponies up the $6000 for the 47 ft. dapping rod, I would love to give it a go! Imagine the water you could fish a Salmon Fly on in the mighty Deschutes.
© 2007 Bruce E Harang
Trout & Salmon Flies of Ireland
by Peter O'Reilly
distributed by: Stackpole Books
Mechanicsburg, PA, 2004
163 pages, hardbound
illustrated, Color
suggested price $34.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
This book is not new, but it has gone through 4 printings so far, and thus must have something to offer. Well, it certainly does. What it offers is a first class collection of trout and salmon fly patterns from Ireland. Some are classics, some are of more recent origins, but all are proven patterns that work in Ireland for trout and therefore are worthy of consideration on any trout water anywhere. Just as importantly, the patterns and recipes give fly tyers an insight into interesting and effective methods of both tying flies, and representing insects. This strictly pattern book is well written, well illustrated, and very well produced. Just as importantly, this book does an excellent job of recording the history of the Irish fly tying style and the origins of many patterns so that they and their stories will not be lost. For the steelhead and Atlantic salmon fishermen and fly tyers the section on shrimp flies is a must have addition to your libraries. Lots of great ideas and thought provoking concepts for the North American fly tyer are within the covers of this fine book.
©2007 Bruce E Harang
Bob Jacklin's Yellowstone Ties vol. 1
by Bob Jacklin
Cascade Mediaworks, LLC
Portland, OR, 2005
VHS & DVD, 66 minutes, Color
suggested price $19.95 - VHS & $24.95 - DVD
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
One of Montana's fly tying and fly fishing legends teaches you how to tie 6 of his favorite patterns for the Yellowstone area. The program includes step by step instruction for tying the Grey Wulff, the Royal Wulff, a March Brown nymph, a Green Drake dun, the Platte River Special streamer, and the Great Western Stonefly dry to match the Salmon Fly hatch. With excellent discussion and stories by the author and superb cinematography the viewer will being tying these patterns well in no time. The author also gives well thought out reasons for his adaptations of the various patterns to match the conditions found on his home waters of the Yellowstone area. In addition, the commentary on how Lee Wulff tied the patterns bearing his name is a piece of valuable history from a first hand witness. The well presented information along with the excellent sound and cinematography make this program a pleasure to view and one easy to learn from. An excellent value.
© 2007 Bruce E Harang
Snook on a Fly
by Norm Zeigler
Stackpole Books
Mechanicsburg, PA, 2007
109 pages, hardbound
illustrated, Color
suggested price $21.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
For those anglers desiring to fish the Florida beaches for snook without the need of fancy gear, guides, and extensive arrangements here is a wonderful book to help you realize your dream. Norm Zeigler has written a very readable and informative book giving you the practical knowledge to be able to find and enjoy good fishing while the rest of the family is busy sunbathing. The book contains introductory chapters on reasons for fishing snook, and a concise and interesting life story of this fine game fish. On a more practical note there are chapters on when to fish for snook and where to look for them during different times of the year, as well as what snook eat. The book also includes practical information on fly fishing gear and tactics including the best snook flies by a man that fishes for snook more days each year than most folks get to fish. For the adventurous there is a chapter on fishing snook after dark and finding the trophy sized snook. The book concludes with a chapter on good places to look for snook during different times of the year as well as a well thought out and written section on the snook fishing ethic. A well done glossary, resources list, and index complete the book.
What makes this book such an outstanding read is that it is well written by an author that is extremely enthusiastic about the subject and who is able to convey his enthusiasm to the reader. Like a good mystery, the reader can not wait to turn the page and read more about this fun and exciting fishery. When you do finally but the book down you reach for the phone and your travel agents number. You will definitely enjoy this book. It is without a doubt one of the finest "how to" fishing books to be published in a long time.
© 2007 Bruce E Harang
Fly-Fishing for Smallmouth
by Bob Clouser
Stackpole Books
Mechanicsburg, PA, 2007
226 pages, hardbound
illustrated, Color and B&W
suggested price $39.95
reviewed by Bruce E. Harang
Bob Clouser and river smallmouth bass go together like peaches and cream. They are inseparable. Thus, a course book by Bob on fishing for smallmouth bass in rivers and streams is something to take note of. The author's book is a complete fly fishing guide to fishing for one of the finest game fish that swims. The book opens with chapters on the smallmouth bass story, seasons for fishing smallmouth, finding smallmouth in moving water, and what smallmouth eat. Next there is a chapter which allows the reader to look into the fly boxes of one of the premier smallmouth fly fishers. This is followed by chapters on casting tips and presentation strategies useful for smallmouth bass fly fishing. The book then provides a chapter with 10 tips to catching a trophy smallmouth bass, and a chapter on equipment suited to smallmouth bass fishing. The final chapter is a collection of comments on smallmouth bass fishing in various parts of the United States by some of the finest smallmouth bass fly fishing guides in the country. A very useable index completes the book. The color photography is top notch and is well designed to compliment the text. The line drawings illustrating techniques are also very well done. The writing is good though a bit wordy in a few spots. Overall, the book is very well written, designed, and edited. There are not a lot of books that have been printed on fly fishing for smallmouth bass. This one is a wonderful addition to the list. It is not only informative, it makes the reader want to get out the 8 weight rod and give it a go in a river or stream near home.
© 2007 Bruce E Harang