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

to the Strategy, Finesse, Tactics, and Paraphernalia of Fly Fishing by Sheridan Anderson is

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patterns described in the book are outdated, the insect taxonomy is correct and explained in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.

Mayflies by Malcolm Knopp and Robert Cormier

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