Fly-rod casting demands a combination of timing and co-ordination. It is not difficult to become an accurate and accomplished caster if the start is made in the right direction. The right direction, in this instance, is the understanding of the fundamentals and mechanics of fly-rod casting and their practical use. Experience is not always the best teacher, especially if that experience has been of a haphazard nature and acquired without giving much thought to the experience of others. A person may have a fly rod and catch fish with it for several years and still be a poor caster. Unconsciously he may have formed bad casting habits which have become so deeply rooted as to make their correction almost a matter of learning to cast over again. If you observe well, you will notice that many fly fishers have a seemingly limp, aimless style of casting and slap their casts on the water with no precision or delicacy whatever. Then occasionally you will notice one rod moving in perfect rhythm, its casts crisp and clean. The chances are its owner understands the simple mechanics of casting and uses them to advantage. The ability to place the fly in a difficult-to-reach place is often measured by the weight of the creel at the end of the day, but casting technique is something more than mere accomplishment; it is as necessary as knowing how to hold a bat at the plate or how to correct a rifle sight for windage. This book covers the use of the fly rod and fly-rod tackle, stressing the casting phase throughout. Its primary purpose is to equip the newcomer with such information as to make the selection of tackle logical and simple, and to make the mechanics of casting with the fly rod easy to understand.

In The Essential Fly Tier, renowned author, illustrator, tying instructor, and fly-fishing authority J. Edson Leonard cuts clean through the fog of irrelevance that so often surrounds the art of fly tying and comes straight to the point: creating flies that will actually catch fish.
Starting with the basics, the author thoroughly covers fishhooks and the relative merits of the various points, bends, barbs, and styles for different types of fishing and all species of gamefish. He also covers equipment for the tier's bench, including vises, tools, and materials, with an in-depth discussion of fly-tying nomenclature and the fundamentals of the tying art.
Leonard then delves into the rich area of specific flies for specific fish. He offers dozens of patterns and tying instructions for drys, wets, nymphs, and streamers for catching trout, steelhead, salmon, bass, panfish, shad, pike, and all saltwater gamefish.
Beginners and advanced tiers alike will enjoy the unique features of Leonard's approach. Besides covering the standard flies, he also develops a theory of pattern selection that enables the reader to construct new and original ties from a synthesis of the time-tested basics.
Broad in scope, rich in detail, and beautifully illustrated by the author, The Essential Fly Tier is a classic book no fly fisher can afford to miss.

Ed Leonard is not only a great fisherman, but a truly accomplished fisherman. He has found a personal satisfaction in tying and casting that has motivated him to continue fishing for over half a century. In this memoir he writes affectionately about all the wonderful people who helped to make him the fisherman he is today, and all the rare and exciting moments that happened along the way.
The scene opens in Pennsylvania, where a young farm boy is striving to make his Daddy proud, and trying to catch one or two of the monster sunnies in a near by mill pond. As the story unfolds, the sunnies eventually give way to bass when the farm boy ventures past the pond and discovers a smallmouth stream. Colorful characters such as Nev, the janitor and master fly fisher, mentor this youngster and encourage his curiosity for fishing, amusement, and satisfaction. In addition to chapters that focus on a knowledge and appreciation of fly rods, suggestions for trout flies, and a strategy for pursuing Maryland's salty largemouths, Leonard's reminiscences will teach the reader to appreciate and revel in all the delights and rewards that can be acquired by fly fishing.