Fly Fishing Education | Fly Fishing Reading List for Winter
Fly fishing and reading go hand in hand for serious anglers and there is a lot of good reading
to enjoy this winter. No matter how productive winter fly fishing may be, the short days and
freezing temperatures between the months of December and February trap most anglers inside
day after day. Many guides and serious anglers spend this time slaving away at the vise, creating
new patterns and restocking empty fly boxes, but for those of us not gifted in the fine art of fly
tying, there is another way to make good use of this unwanted down time.
The bookshelf of any fly shop is often times the most overlooked corner of this retail emporium,
but could possibly be the most useful this time of year. Decades of legitimate scientific research
and angling experience collect dust year after year on these shelves, while anglers go on
misidentifying insects and fishing the wrong part of the hatch. Here are a few of my favorite fly
fishing books organized by the intended reader’s level of angling experience from beginner to
expert.
For the Novice Angler: Curtis Creek Manifesto by Sheridan Anderson
If you are new to the sport of fly fishing, Curtis Creek Manifesto: A Fully Illustrated Guide
a must read. The cartoon illustrations and easy to understand language makes for a perfect
introduction to catching trout on the fly. At less than fifty pages, the Curtis Creek Manifesto is
not a threatening addition to the bookshelf or coffee table, and is easily read by any beginner fly
fisherman.
Dave Whitlock’s Guide to Aquatic Trout Foods
Intermediate fly fishermen will benefit greatly from the clear layout of the main trout food
groups in Dave Whitlock’s Guide to Aquatic Trout Foods. Here Dave introduces anglers to the
basics of how trout feed and how we represent their prey. He then separates the trout’s diet into
eight categories with explanations and pattern examples for each one. While many of the fly
patterns described in the book are outdated, the insect taxonomy is correct and explained in
perfect depth for the intermediate angler.
This manual about our beloved Ephemeroptera reviews almost every single north American
mayfly in depth at the species level. Malcolm Knopp and Robert Cormier do a great job of
explaining the taxonomy and entomology of each insect, and then demonstrating practical
angling applications. Fly pattern instructions and photographs are included as well as detailed
drawings of important mayfly features. This is not necessarily an easy read, and is best broken
down by region. For example, if you are fishing the Frying Pan and want to learn more about
Pale Morning Duns, skip forward to that section before your trip and read it a few times to soak
it in.
This is just a small sample of the great resources you can take advantage of this winter while
you are stuck inside. I try to read and understand one fly fishing book each winter and I notice
a huge payoff during the summer months while guiding and fishing on my own. We carry these
and many more fly fishing books here at Vail Valley Anglers so be sure to talk with one of the
experts in the fly shop in order to choose the best one to start with.
Andy “Otter” Smith, Guide and Content Writer
