Originally published in 1933, this is a lengthy collection containing a lifetime's worth of notes, hints, tips and advice from an experienced fisherman. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Hesperides Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. Contents Include - Trout Fishing - Salmon Fishing - Sea Trout Fishing - Striking, Playing, Landing - Casting and Spinning - Pike Fishing - Sundries - The Salmon Family

Fishing is a bit more important than a mere hobby. Everyone who fishes knows that.

There are lots of "how to" books about fishing: books that will help you get more fish; books that will help you get bigger fish; books that will immerse you in details about matching the hatch; books that will teach you new and innovative ways to fool your chosen quarry.

This is not one of those books.

"Game Fishing Diaries" is a book to read when you need reminded of why it's important to go fishing; a book to transport you to your favourite place and a book to whet your appetite for that exotic trip you've yet to take. "Game Fishing Diaries" is a book to keep you warm in the close season.

Treat it like you would your own diary; keep it close to hand, make it a personal pleasure and read it often when you need reminding how good it is to feel a fish on the line.

This thoroughly revised and expanded new edition of Taylor Streit's classic Instinctive Fly Fishing addresses the "real reasons people catch trout," and offers suggestions and tips to help the aspiring angler take advantage of his or her own fly-fishing instincts. Since Instinctive was first published in 2003, the author has kept track of certain essential elements that were missing from the first edition. Even as he's been out on a guide trip with a client, he's kept notes about what "should have been in Instinctive." This thorough revision benefits from more than seven years of his instinctive rumination. Rewritten with an eye toward a new audience, Instinctive aims for those who fish in competitive situations and overfished waters, which appeals especially to those in the eastern half of the United States. Additional content includes fishing tailwaters with tiny flies, practical information on insect hatches (tricos, blue winged olives, and green drakes) and illustrations of knots and rigs. Also included are additional chapters on the environment, stream manners, and safety.

The single most important factor that determines a fly angler's approach to a stretch of water isn't the time of day, nor is it a hatch of insects or even the character of the water itself. It's the season. From spring and summer through fall and winter, changes in weather dictate changes in strategy. This can be intimidating. If fish were biting here a month ago, why are things so different now? Where to go where they might be better? The seasonal variation of fishing strategy is necessary knowledge for any fly angler, and "Fly Fishing the Seasons: Colorado" is the first-ever guidebook to address this subject. Focusing on the world-class waters of the Centennial State, and with full-color photos throughout, this book comprises four equal sections--summer, fall, winter, and spring--each with a general locator map and each covering five to ten primary locations. The best waters to fish in this particular month or span of months? What flies and techniques to use? Look no further than "Fly Fishing the Seasons: Colorado."

In this classic book, expert Lou Tabory provides professional advice on how to fly fish for striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, and other cold-water marine species. Tabory clearly instructs on how to "read" rips, bars, beaches, flats, jetties, reefs, tidal estuaries, and all other important fishing areas. He outlines what tackle fly fishermen need, which flies are most effective (and when and how they should be fished), and how to hook and play inshore game fish. There are also special sections on tides, night fishing, the use of a stripping basket, drags, and drag systems--all the information a beginning or expert marine fly fisherman needs to bring his or her skill set to the next level.

Fishing is one the most popular outdoor activities in Florida. This comprehensive regional guidebook provides anglers with the information they need to find the best places to fish in the Sunshine State. The book covers places to fish from the land or by boat along with plenty of insider information that will help any angler look like a pro wherever they decide to drop a line in the water. Filled with plenty of tips, maps, and month-by-month regional summaries of the species anglers can find in a specific region.
 

Once an angler masters a graphite rod, his interests often move on to the original fly rod, pliant bamboo. Until the mid-twentieth century, nearly all fly rods were bamboo. By the 1970s, fiberglass and graphite changed the world of fly-fishing. But more and more anglers are seeing bamboo rods in retail outlets, and want to give them a try. With this book, John Gierach, one of the nation's top fly-fishing writers, provides a philosophical guide to the angler who seeks this new "old" method. Gierach discusses how bamboo rods are built, how they differ from graphite rods, and how using one will change a fly fisher's approach to the sport. Fishing bamboo might be the pinnacle of fly-casting skill, and this book will help take you there.

The annual Robert Traver Fly-Fishing Award features a distinguished original work of short fiction or nonfiction that embodies an implicit love of fly-fishing, respect for the sport and the natural world in which it takes place, and high literary values. Now, for the first time, the winners of this prestigious award are collected in one volume, which promises to satisfy not only fly-fishing aficionados but general readers who appreciate the outdoors experience.

Renowned fishing guide Barney Farley worked the Texas coastal waters out of Port Aransas for more than half a century. In these stories and reflections, Farley imparts a lifetime of knowledge about fish -- silver trout, sand trout, speckled trout, redfish, ling, catfish, jack, kingfish, you name it -- and gives advice about how to fish, where to fish, and when to fish.

Perhaps no one could chronicle the changes in sport and commercial fishing along the Central Texas Coast more ably and more passionately than Farley. When he came to Texas in 1910, he reported that he could get in a rowboat and using only a push pole, make his way "to the fishing grounds and catch a hundred pounds or more of trout and redfish" in a few hours. A couple of years later, the shrimp trawlers arrived. As they plied the Gulf in increasing numbers, they depleted the shrimp populations in the bays, and Farley watched the fish move farther and farther offshore, following their ever more elusive food source.

From his perspective in the mid-1960s, Farley was not satisfied simply to lament the disappearance of once-abundant species. He also strongly voiced his views on the need for conservation. Many of the problems he identified are still with us, and some of the solutions he prescribed have since been adopted.

This book is both an appealing reminiscence and a cautionary tale. Anyone who cares about fishing and the health of the Gulf's waters will find an authoritative and completely engaging voice in Barney Farley.

Discover the pro secrets for catching more and bigger walleye. Walleyes may be the most popular game fish in America after bass, and for good reason. Consistently catching this temperamental game fish can be a major challenge, but when you succeed, the reward is a tasty meal of what's commonly considered the best-tasting freshwater fish.
In this expertly written book, pro angler Mark Martin shares never-before-published advice for catching the big ones, including insider tips and techniques by season. See how to trick out your boat and the importance of breaklines in spring. Discover how to adjust for water depth and use live bait in summer. Find out the importance of location, location, location--and learn how to work weed beds in the fall. And try Martin's gear choices and favorite bait, jigs, and spoons for fishing in winter. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or expert angler, you will benefit from this complex course on walleye fishing.

Brilliant, witty, perceptive essays about fly-fishing, the natural world, and life in general by the acknowledged master of fishing writers.
Proving that fishing is not just a part-time pursuit, "At the Grave of the Unknown Fisherman" takes us through a year with America's favorite fishing scribe, John Gierach, who dedicates himself to his passion despite his belief that "In the long run, fishing usually amounts to a lifetime of pratfalls punctuated by rare moments of perfection."
Beginning with an early spring expedition to barely thawed Wyoming waters and ending with a New Year's Eve trip to the Frying Pan River in Colorado, Gierach's travels find him fishing for trout, carp, and grayling; considering the pros and cons of learning fishing from videos ("video fishing seems a little like movie sex: fun to watch, but a long way from the real thing"); pondering the ethics of sharing secret spots; and debunking the myth of the unflappable outdoorsman ("masters of stillness on the outside, festering s***holes of uncertainty just under the surface").
With an appreciation of the highs, the lows, and all points between, Gierach writes about the fishing life with wisdom, grace, and the well-timed wisecrack. As he says, "The season never does officially end here, but it ends effectively, which means you can fish if you want to and if you can stand it, but you don't have to." As any Gierach fan knows, want to and have to are never very far apart.

This essential reference for fly tyers has sold 350,000 copies since original publication in 1979, including sales of the second edition, issued in 1994. This reprint of the second edition will assure the continued availability of this classic handbook for years to come.
The Universal Fly Tying Guide features full-color pages of fly tying instructions throughout, and over 150 selected fly patterns.
Dick Stewart is the former editor of American Angler magazine and is the author or co-author of eight other books about fly tying and fly fishing. He lives in Eaton, NH.

Fishing Maine contains detailed information about more than 80 fishing hot spots around the state. Each site description includes the species present; the best times to fish; tips on lures, flies, bait, tackle, and techniques; access information; maps and photographs; and more. A special illustrated section describes the habits, habitats, and best ways to fish for Maine's huge variety of gamefish.A registered Maine Guide and Maine resident, Tom Seymour writes three regional outdoor columns; special features for The Maine Sportsman, New England's largest-circulation outdoor publication; and articles for Maine Fish and Wildlife magazine. * B/w maps and photographs* The only guide to include all-tackle methods and techniques* Ideal for bait fishers and fly fishers

Some of the best sport fishing in and around Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho is found in Yellowstone National Park. Cutthroat trout, browns, rainbows, brookies, lake trout, and grayling are among the premier game fish found in the park's pristine lakes, powerful rivers, and meandering streams. "Fishing Yellowstone National Park" describes all the waters and their fishes, so anglers will know exactly when and where to fish, how to get there, and what kind of fly, lure, or other gear to use.

Montana angler, fishing guide, and author Richard Parks has fished these waters for more than fifty years. He shares his intimate knowledge of 106 top fishing spots, including in-depth site descriptions, the species present, and the best times to fish; tips on lures, flies, bait, and tackle; and information about trails, distances, terrain, availability of campgrounds, river access, and regulations. Detailed site maps and an illustrated section describing the habits and habitats of Yellowstone's game fish round out this angler's companion.

Discover the thrill and adventure of fly fishing in Fly Fishing Made Easy. Perfect for beginners eager to land their first fly-caught fish and for more experienced anglers looking to advance their skills, this handbook offers instruction and tried-and-true techniques for getting the most out of this exciting sport. Clearly written and generously illustrated, it presents a practical, informative approach, geared specifically toward novice and intermediate fly fishers but with numerous tips for advanced anglers.
Learn how to select the right equipment, master basic as well as intermediate casting techniques, read the water in order to find the fish, study various types of water bugs to determine what the fish are feeding on, and pick the right fly for the job.
Whether you are venturing into your local trout stream for the first time or planning a long fishing odyssey, this comprehensive guide will enhance your fishing adventures. This handbook discusses
Rods
Reels
Line Weight, Taper, and Action
Backing
Waders and Boots
Clothing and Accessories
Water Safety
Types of Casts
Streams and Rivers
Ponds and Lakes
Types of Flies
Attracting Patterns
Casting Plans
Mending
Trout Species
Other Warm-Water Fish
Float Tubes
Backcountry Fishing

Gearing up for all types of trout fishing on creeks, rivers, tailwaters, and lakes Casting, selecting a fly, and reading the water and finding trout

Dave Hughes's clear and simple instruction and explanation describes 18 trout rigs and 81 methods to fish them. In moving water: rigs and methods for dry flies and emergers, nymphs, wet flies, streamers, and dry flies and droppers. In stillwater: dry flies and sunk flies.Fly fishers learn the specifics of the rig--types of fly line, lengths and tapers of leader and tippet, the flies, and split shot, putty weight, strike indicators, droppers, point flies, and indicators--and the full array of methods to present the rig to the trout. Hughes's lucid text is teamed with hundreds of instructive illustrations, including those showing how the trout views the fly. The more rigs you learn to construct and the more methods you learn to apply, the more situations you'll solve, and the more trout you'll catch.

With wry humor and rare insight, The Habit of Rivers tells the story of Leeson's passion for rivers, trout, and fly fishing, and his experiences as a newcomer to the Pacific Northwest - "the land of unceasing seasons." Leeson looks beneath the surface of fly fishing to explore questions that engage most fishermen: What is the strange gravity of a trout stream? Why are we so irresistibly drawn to rivers? Why does fly fishing seem such an aptly suited response? Above all, The Habit of Rivers is a book about ways of seeing the wonderfully textured world that emanates from a river. In pursuing these paths, Leeson finds everything from salmon, steelhead, and trout, to drift boats, art, insects, gravity, death, philosophy, books, fly tying, and microbreweries - and links them together with an intelligence that is provocative, witty, and illuminating. The Habit of Rivers begins with a deep respect for trout and trout streams, and ends in wisdom earned by hard and faithful attention to the natural world.

Since the arrival of Ponce de Leon in the 1500s, the Florida Keys have evolved from a dense, nearly impenetrable jungle full of bears, pumas, snakes, alligators and crocodiles into America's Caribbean islands. And the fish in the region have made the Keys one of the nation's favorite playgrounds for anglers. The Keys are home to more saltwater fishing records than any other angling destination in the world and offer sportsmen an array of amazing fish, from tarpon and Spanish mackerel to mahi-mahi and bonefish. U.S. presidents, celebrities and the world's greatest fishermen and women have cruised the waters of South Florida. Join author Bob T. Epstein on a journey through the storied history of fishing in the Florida Keys.

• 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 loading

No 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.

Illustrated with step-by-step diagrams, this guide shows you all the knots you need to know for successful fishing. Proven rigs for all the popular salt and freshwater species are shown and breaking strengths, swivels, balanced tackle and fly lines are discussed.

Told through the eyes of a longtime Montana fishing guide and itinerant fishing bum, A Good Life Wasted offers a unique perspective on an implausible period in the recent history of human civilization. When Dave Ames started guiding, Rocky Mountain locals rode horses and dug camas roots; now they're trading stock options on cell phones. The collision of stone and computer ages was short-lived, but the deep-rooted themes of this book remain.
A Good Life Wasted - a chronicle and celebration of the fishing-guide life - is poignant and spiritual; it's Blackfoot Indians and copper miners' daughters; it's fiddles and guitars and the fabric of space; it's about what happens to wild people when the wilderness is gone.
From the first chapter - in which Dave Ames recalls bluffing his way into a job as a fishing guide to the rich and famous (after barely managing to suppress the overwhelming urge to go postal at the federal agency where he suffered his first, and only, "real" job in a cubicle farm) - we're hooked. We gladly follow Ames as he describes the rite of tasting clouds of mating midges to better match the hatch, tells the story of a fabled Blackfoot fishing guide, and shares his further adventures as a guy with no job, no office, and no stress. A Good Life Wasted spins a fascinating, compelling web - a web that entices the deskbound salary slave to make a break for it, and head west to big sky and fast, cold water, ASAP.