• Theories on trout behavior and imitating flies • Relive with Gordon the ascendency of the bamboo fly rod and eyed hook In this selection of Gordon's trout-fishing tales and lessons, a new generation of readers will be introduced to one of American angling's freshest and most original voices, rich with the adventure and awe that come from a lifetime of inspired engagement with nature. Despite the considerable differences between his time and ours, today's anglers will be fascinated by the similarities this great writer shares about the sport, which still hold true today. Read one of fly fishing's liveliest, freshest, and most appealing voices.
A classic collection of writing by the father of American fly fishing, now in a beautiful collector's edition. "The best thing about Gordon," writes editor John McDonald, in his introduction to this classic book, "is that he wrote well and with remarkable knowledge about contemporary fly fishing." Theodore Gordon was a reclusive writer who fished in the Catskills of upstate New York. He adapted British methods of fly-tying to match the kinds of insects that could be found in America. As John McDonald said in his book, Quill Gordon, "[Gordon] represents the major figure in the transition from wet to dry-fly fishing in the United States." Originally published in 1947, this book contains Gordon's finest essays, articles, and letters, carefully compiled by John McDonald. This special collectors' edition includes a faux leather package with gilded embossed lettering and a ribbon marker, as well as a new foreword by Nick Lyons, and a section of newly found materials introduced by Ed Van Put.
Ed Van Put begins this important book with the history of native brook trout and offers little-known details about their sizes, range, and demise from over-fishing, the growth of streamside industries, and the introduction of competitive species. Sweeping in its scope, Trout Fishing in the Catskills tells a thorough tale of the often tumultuous history of fishing in the Catskills. With a scope of over a century, Van Put tells of the Catskill’s frontier fishing beginnings and tracks the rise, fall, and eventual revival of the fisheries. Throughout, this is a history of people and methods as well as rivers, and there are profiles of Theodore Gordon, Art Flick, Harry and Elsie Darbee, Sparse Grey Hackle, and more. No serious trout fisherman, in any part of the country, will want to miss this pioneering portrait of a seminal region in American angling history. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for fishermen. Our books for anglers include titles that focus on fly fishing, bait fishing, fly-casting, spin casting, deep sea fishing, and surf fishing. Our books offer both practical advice on tackle, techniques, knots, and more, as well as lyrical prose on fishing for bass, trout, salmon, crappie, baitfish, catfish, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Theories on trout behavior and imitating flies Relive with Gordon the ascendency of the bamboo fly rod and eyed hook In this selection of Gordon's trout-fishing tales and lessons, a new generation of readers will be introduced to one of American angling's freshest and most original voices, rich with the adventure and awe that come from a lifetime of inspired engagement with nature. Despite the considerable differences between his time and ours, today's anglers will be fascinated by the similarities this great writer shares about the sport, which still hold true today. Read one of fly fishing's liveliest, freshest, and most appealing voices.
A look at the development of the sport over the past six centuries. Once limited to trout and salmon, today fly-fishing techniques are used to catch every fish species from minnows to marlin in rivers, lakes and oceans from the Amazon to the Arctic. From the many thousands of fly patterns developed over the centuries, The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies focuses on fifty iconic flies chosen to represent the evolution not only of fishing flies and fly tying but also the sport itself. Filled with illustrations and photographs of the flies (the fifty are just the starting point—more than 200 flies are mentioned or shown in the book), as well as profiles of key characters, The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies charts the growth and diversification of this fascinating sport from the fifteenth century to the present day and its spread from Britain, Europe and Japan to North and South America, Australia and New Zealand, and now to every country in the world. The evolution of fly-fishing tackle—rods, reels, lines and hooks—is also covered in a series of essays spread throughout the book. Praise for The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies “A delightful ramble along the stream of fishing history.” —Star Tribune “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.” —Foreword Reviews
"Wow. What a book and what an undertaking. This should be a must-read for the most exacting fly fisherman. I would guess that it will be one of the most important reference volumes ever written. It should be read and re-read many times."--Ed Shenk, author of Ed Shenk's Fly Rod Trouting • Strategies for fooling tough fish in all types of environs, from tailwaters to spring creeks to Gaspe salmon streams • Breathtaking photos from the top streams around the world • Hundreds of innovative fly patterns with recipes and notes
This complete social and environmental history of America's first famous trout stream, the Beaverkill, fully revises and updates an out-of-print classic. Dan Rather wrote, "This gem of a book is an enlightening and entertaining masterpiece of Americana." The story of "America's stream" from before the eighteenth century to the present Portraits of the legendary fly fishers, fly tiers, and writers who lived by the river Contains completely new sections on 25 favorite flies and on fishing tips from the locals
