The most all-encompassing compendium of truly valuable information on steelhead ever written. —Jack Hemingway There are exceptional chapters on the fish itself; the tackle and techniques used to pursue it under diverse circumstances in such great steelhead rivers as the Deschutes, the Dean, the North Umpqua, the Bulkley, the Rogue and the Babine, and memorable profiles of the modern masters and the fly patterns they developed.
Ron Alcott is unquestionably one of the best classic fly tiers in the world, and in this book he shares everything he knows. Written for both expert and beginning tiers, this book is full of easy-to-follow tips and techniques for building these beautiful works of art. Alcott shares: their history; materials and substitutes for those components that are now illegal; silk, feather, and fur colors; metallic tinsels; types of wings; proportions; building classic featherwings; metric conversion chart; and more. In 81 step-by-step photos, Alcott builds five representative classic flies, and provides dressings for 32 more. Sixteen color plates illustrate many of the most renowned classic flies, as well as feathers, silk color, and antique tools, This book is a must for all tiers interested in classic-fly building.
An unassuming scientist takes an unbelievable adventure in the Middle East in this “extraordinary” novel—the inspiration for the major motion picture starring Ewan McGregor (The Guardian). Dr. Alfred Jones lives a quiet, predictable life. He works as a civil servant for the National Centre for Fisheries Excellence in London; his wife, Mary, is a determined, no-nonsense financier; he has simple routines and unassuming ambitions. Then he meets Muhammad bin Zaidi bani Tihama, a Yemeni sheikh with money to spend and a fantastic—and ludicrous—dream of bringing the sport of salmon fishing to his home country. Suddenly, Dr. Jones is swept up in an outrageous plot to attempt the impossible, persuaded by both the sheikh himself and power-hungry members of the British government who want nothing more than to spend the sheikh’s considerable wealth. But somewhere amid the bureaucratic spin and Yemeni tall tales, Dr. Jones finds himself thinking bigger, bolder, and more impossibly than he ever has before. Told through letters, emails, interview transcripts, newspaper articles, and personal journal entries, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is “a triumph” that both takes aim at institutional absurdity and gives loving support to the ideas of hopes, dreams, and accomplishing the impossible (The Guardian).
Ray Bergman needs no introduction to devotees of fresh water fishing. When it was originally released in 1938, Trout presented the largest collection of illustrated fishing flies ever published. This classic work on trout fishing was written by Ray Bergman, fishing editor of Outdoor Life for over two decades. Trout is widely considered the quintessential bible for cold water fishermen between 1940 and 1960. Even now, it remains utterly relevant. Without pretense or affectation, Bergman offers permanently valuable advice on all aspects of trout fishing. To write Trout, Bergman travelled some 50,000 miles for the single purpose of learning more about fish and fishing. In addition to covering the East thoroughly, he fished in California, Oregon, Wyoming, Yellowstone Park, Colorado, in other western states and Canada. In this timeless book, Bergman covers the method and tackle needed for brown trout, rainbow trout, steelheads, brook trout, and cutthroats. There is also information on landlocked and Atlantic salmon, as well as a Montana grayling. Bergman's love of trout fishing across America comes through in every chapter. His well drawn anecdotes of fishing a wilder, less spoiled country from Penobscot Lake to the Umpqua convey what has become a national love for trout.
“The dry fly, the wet fly, and the nymph all enjoyed cherished places in an angler’s bag of tricks; but all except the most opinionated will agree that streamer flies and bucktails; when properly selected and employed, hook more and bigger fish more often and in more places than any other type of fly rod lure.” —Joseph D. Bates, Jr. Streamer Fly Tying and Fishing (1966) Streamers, and hair wing versions called bucktails, are versatile patterns that can be fished anywhere whether targeting landlocked salmon on a pristine Rangeley region Maine lake, largemouth bass swimming among the lily pads in a tepid southern farm pond, cutthroat trout inhabiting swift, western rivers or hypercritical browns in the Catskills. In this valuable reference for tiers and anglers alike, author Mike Valla collects here for the reader his favorite classics that are not only important from a historical perspective, but also work well to this day. 100 favorite patterns including Allie’s Favorite Bleeding Shiner Brooks’s Honey Blonde Bumblepuppy Chief Needahbeh Colonel Bates Edson Tiger-Dark Fox’s Yellow Optic Bucktail General MacArthur Goober Jane Craig Missoulian Spook Nine-Three Parma Belle Shushan Postmaster Spruce Supervisor Thunder Creek Silver Shiner Warden’s Worry
The definitive resource for tiers and anglers interested in the rich tradition of steelhead flies. Learn the histories of these classic flies, as well as how to tie them. • Covers steelhead flies from their origins in the 1890s up through the mid-1970s • Includes flies that remain popular today, as well as forgotten classics that were once popular or that exhibit stylistic merit • Contains 350 beautiful full color photos
In her early thirties, Louise Dickinson Rich took to the woods of Maine with her husband. They found their livelihood and raised a family in the remote backcountry settlement of Middle Dam, in the Rangeley area. Louise made time after morning chores to write about their lives.
