"Funny, wistful, and wonderful." --Carl Hiaasen"You will love this book." --Michael Keaton"The writing is breathtaking...a masterpiece." --Wright Thompson"The most compelling non-fiction book I've read in years."--Randy Wayne WhiteFrom the bestselling author of Saban, 4th and Goal, and Sowbelly comes the thrilling, untold story of the quest for the world record tarpon on a fly rod, a tale that reveals as much about Man as it does about the fish.In the late 1970s and early 1980s, something unique happened in the quiet little town on the west coast of Florida known as Homosassa. The best fly anglers in the world all gathered together to chase the same Holy Grail--the world record for the most glamorous and coveted fly rod species, the tarpon.The anglers spent all day on the water competing and would gather each night to socialize and party--some harder than others. And the world record fell nearly every year. But records weren't the only things that were broken: hooks, lines, rods, reels, hearts and marriages didn't survive, either. The egos involved made the atmosphere electric. The difficulty of the quest made it legitimate. And the vices that swept in with the tide made it all veer out of control. It was a collision of circumstances that was unprecedented in the world of fishing and one that will never be seen again.In Lords of the Fly, Monte Burke, an obsessed tarpon fly angler himself, delves into this seminal moment and the growing popularity of the amazing tarpon, a fifty-million-year-old species that can live to eighty years old and can grow to three hundred pounds. This massive, leaping, bullet train of a fish, when hooked in shallow water, produces "immediate unreality," as the late poet and tarpon obsessive, Richard Brautigan, once described it.Lords of the Fly ties together the lives of the biggest names in angling--Ted Williams, Stu Apte, Lefty Kreh, Flip Pallot, Thomas McGuane, Billy Pate, Tom Evans, and Steve Huff--as well as present-day stars like Andy Mill, David Mangum and Nathaniel Linville.Alongside the story of the world-record pursuit, Burke also chronicles the heartbreaking destruction of the fishery brought on by greed, environmental degradation and the shenanigans of a notorious Miami gangster--and how all of it has shaped contemporary tarpon fishing.Filled with larger-than-life characters and vivid prose, Lords of the Fly is not only a must read for anglers of all stripes, but also for those interested in the desperate yearning of the human condition.

INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards -- 2014 FinalistExperience the world's greatest coastal fly-fishing destinations with this stunning volume, an ideal gift for any angler's library. As close to a first-hand experience as a reader can get without getting wet, Salt: Coastal and Flats Fishing is a visually stunning journey to America's most epic saltwater fishing hot spots. Featuring photography from the Atlantic Northeast, Pacific Northwest, Bahamas, Gulf Coast, and Florida Keys-and highlighting fish such as striped bass, tuna, bonefish, permit, and tarpon-this is a life's compilation of saltwater fly-fishing photography by one of the most acclaimed outdoors photographers. Each section has an accompanying essay by Tom Rosenbauer that takes the reader along on a memorable trip to the world's greatest fishing destinations. For the serious fly fisherman, it is an album of shared experiences. For those new to the sport, it is an artfully crafted guidebook to the exotic world that exists on the waters of American coastlines and islands.

Steelhead flies represent the highest echelon of artistic fly-dressing. They enjoy a rich tradition as both a functionally designed lure for tempting the much-revered steelhead, but also as a creative expression of the aesthetic appeal of fly angling. John Shewey, author of the acclaimed Spey Flies & Dee Flies, has produced another well-written and researched book, rich in technique, method and innovation. Through concise text and hundreds of sharp, color photographs--including step-by-step and artistic individual fly plates--Shewey covers: materials for steelhead flies; basic tying techniques; hairwing and featherwing flies; Spey and Dee styles; Practitioners, shrimp and prawn patterns; dry flies and much more. This book is a must-have for all steelhead fly-fishermen. Easy lay open spiral hidden in this hard covered book.

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.

43 American fly-tying masters, from Marbury to Marinaro, Gordon to Grant\nColor photos of the flies plus recipes for nearly 300 flies\nImportant historical record includes profiles of tiers around the country including Art Flick, Ray Bergman, Lee Wulff, Don Gapen, Len Halladay, André Puyans, Cal Bird, Lew Oatman, Dave Whitlock, and 34 more influential tiers

Smallmouth bass swim in more streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs than any other gamefish, and exceptional, world-class fishing opportunities for them are found across the country, from the John Day River in Oregon to the Great Lakes, to Maine’s Penobscot. While numerous books have been written on smallmouth, this is the first book to cover the cutting-edge techniques and fly patterns being used by some of the country’s top fly fishing guides. Though most of these flies and techniques have been developed and refined in the rivers and lakes of the Midwest (a hotbed of smallmouth fly fishing) anglers can adapt them for their waters.Cutting edge fly patterns for smallmouth, including full color plates and recipes, as well as new techniques for fishing these patterns A “tips” section from various guides, both old school and new, including Luke Kavajecz, Kyle Zempel, Austin Adduci, Kip Vieth, and Bart Landwehr Covers smallmouth bass essentials including biology, behavior, and where to find trophy bass Interviews with Mike Schultz, Lefty Kreh, Chuck Kraft, and Larry Dahlberg

Game Changer flies have completely revolutionized how fly anglers approach pressured and wary fish around the world. Tied on a series of interconnecting spines, these flies can be drawn through the water with a serpentine swimming action or made to glide and jacknife in the water with hard strips―movements that predatory fish find irresistable. In this book, from one of the most creative and visionary minds in fly tying and fly fishing, author Blane Chocklett shares his tips and techniques for getting maximum movement out of these flies, both at the vise and on the water. In addition to covering popular patterns such as the Finesse Changer and Feather Game Changer, Chocklett traces the evolution of his search for the ultimate pattern, and takes readers along his journey of discovery, by beginning with his Gummy Minnow and ending the book with perhaps the most effective fly ever designed for apex predators, the Hybrid Changer.• Step-by-step tying instructions for 20 flies • Chapter covering hooks, shanks, brushes, and other critical materials• Fishing techniques, including tips on retrieves and casting large flies • Close-ups of Chocklett's favorite patterns • Detailed information on building brushes

Expert Lefty Kreh lays the groundwork for learning to cast, including teaching and practicing tips Basic overhead and sidearm cast, roll cast, reach cast, stack cast, tuck cast, curve cast, snap T, change of direction cast, low-side-up cast, speed cast Tips for keeping your casts under control and making them accurate, mastering the double haul, and casting weight Casting an extra 20 or 30 feet

New and specific presentation techniques beyond traditional dead drifting Long-line nymphing, no-line nymphing, downstream strategies, micronymphing, nymphing lakes, and designing your own imitations Instruction on hauling with weighted rigs, hammering, jabbing, tilting the rod plane, roll casting, elliptical casts, curve casts, downstream loadingNo other form of fly fishing has broader application on so many types of water for both active and inactive trout. So argues Osthoff, who challenges the long-held notion that nymphing involves little more than dead drifting with the current. Osthoff advocates an active strategy of moving the nymph, applying effective casting and creative presentation techniques that will attract the most elusive trout. With comprehensive advice on rigging and prospecting, practice tips for a wide variety of casts, and strategies for precise control to bring your nymph to life, this is your guide to becoming a truly versatile angler.