What's you're "definitive" how to fish a river book?

[np01]

Hi

I'm looking for some Xmas book ideas and following yet another frustrating year spent mostly unsuccessfully chasing river trout (Annan, Clyde, Tweed) I thought it might be a productive use of the off-season to try to bone-up on the subject. I've read a number of titles by esteemed authors, Kite, Falkus, Wyatt etc etc but don't feel I've ever read a definitive "how to fish a river" book? Maybe it doesn't exist? But I'd be very interested in any recommendations or thoughts on good books to read on the subject.

Appreciate it's time, effort and accumulated experience of a particular river that will ultimately lead to sustained success, but sometimes, in the face of yet another blank, I feel like I don't have sufficient experience to feel confident of what/where to try next. And hence it might be good to get some new/additional ideas from an authority on the subject - pipe dream??

Thanks in advance for any thoughts and recommendations

Regards

Nick

[Traditionalist]

I thought long and hard about this, but apart from various beginner's books, which you are not apparently looking for, there is no really definitive book which covers "everything".

There are a few places where you can get very good information on various things, including here, but I don't know of any really comprehensive river fly-fishing book that I would recommend.

TL
MC

[Harpo]

yeah I agree with Mik, there isn't really a definitive book on river fishing

if only Stan fished rivers! :

[Wildfisher]

I don't think there is such a thing as a definitive book, however check out some of the books  by Lou Stevens. Informative and easy  to read.

He has written quite a few, you'll find them on Amazon

Here are a few titles.

The Small Stream Dry Fly
Trout and Terrestrials
Trout and the Sub-surface Fly
The Adaptable Fly Fisher: Wild Trout and Coarse Fish on Fly

I have read a few of them, they are pretty good.

[Traditionalist]

Here are a few things which might be of help to you,

http://midcurrent.com/techniques/reading-the-water/

http://midcurrent.com/experts/tactics-for-wary-trout/

http://midcurrent.com/techniques/rich-and-poor-trout-streams/

there is a lot of stuff like this on the web, some of it very good, some not so good. The reason of course is that very many people have similar problems. It is also very difficult indeed to give very broad advice on practically any aspect of fly-fishing.  You need to select a couple of techniques you want to try, make sure you have the right setup, and then practice them until they work.

Also, if you are looking for some good stuff to read have a look through these;

http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16865.msg180953#msg180953

Something else which may be of help, and is a common problem for people fishing big rivers, you have to learn to break it down into sections, and fish those sections, not try to "grasp" the whole river.

Also, if you can get a copy, this is a wonderful book and very much underrated. The information on watercraft applies on any river;

"Small-River Fly Fishing"  For Trout and Grayling.  by James Evans ISBN 0 7136 1228 2

I found a few for you;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-river-Fly-Fishing-Trout-Grayling/dp/0713612282

http://www.herewardbooks.co.uk/books/detail/8182.htm

http://www.anglebooks.com/product.php/13793/small-river-fly-fishing-for-trout-and-grayling-

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780713612288/Small-River-Fly-Fishing-Trout-Grayling-0713612282/plp

There are doubtless more. have a look around, prices vary a lot.


TL
MC

[Highlander]

You might want to have a look at DVD rather than books.
Oliver Edwards as does a few others.does a range of river fishing techniques which should be easy enough to acquire.
I am told they are quite good but have not viewed any myself.
Tight Lines

[Traditionalist]

Indeed, Alan makes a good point there, you can see some samples here;

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=oliver+edwards+fly+fishing&search_type=

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=oliver+edwards+fly+tying&search_type=&aq=0&oq=oliver+edwards

Also worth a watch;

Sporting Scene - Fly Fishing and River Bank Entomology P3.

Sporting Scene - Fly Fishing and River Bank Entomology P1.

Some of these are nice too;

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sporting+scene&oq=sporting+scene&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=2285l5067l0l6331l14l14l0l3l3l1l251l1877l1.6.4l11l0

There are loads more there of course, but some are absolute rubbish.

TL
MC

[Malcolm]

I've never found "how To" books helpful. If I were a raw beginner and needed to know how to tie a knot then that would be different. It seems to me that approaching the trout, casting quietly, avoiding drag and getting an approximate representation of the fly are the important things - and these can't easily be picked up from a book.

Having said that I have books by Frank Sawyer that I think are great (Keeper of the Stream and Nymph and the Trout).

"The Trout and the Fly" by Goddard and Clarke is also really good and thought provoking.

[haresear]

Having said that I have books by Frank Sawyer that I think are great (Keeper of the Stream and Nymph and the Trout).

"The Trout and the Fly" by Goddard and Clarke is also really good and thought provoking.

You just beat me to it

I like Bob Wyatt's "Trout Hunting" too although it is isn't focused on rivers.

Apart from casting ability/line control, the observation skills of the reaction of the angler and his reaction to what is happening (or not happening on the river are what really matters. These are hard things to convey in print and there is a real opportunity to capture these nowadays by video and more importantly to share.

Here is an example of what I mean about the potential for instructional video. Fred and I in NZ on a fish I spotted.

Listen to the observations we make and the interpretations of the fish's reactions. I think it was starting to feed and then a small hatch came on, which got the fish into an increasingly excited state. The fish was on deeper nymphs and then eventually almost on the surface taking emergers. I eventually got it at 5lb 12oz after we had been on it for around two hours

The fish is really difficult to make out on video (it was in real life too). It tends to sit with it's head on the most obviously brown rock in view roughly on centrescreen. If you look carefully you might see a vee shaped blur on the brown rock, which is caused by the head of the trout when it is on station.

Most folk probably won't see the fish, but the dialogue/commentary is the most relevant part to this thread - the observations and reaction to what is happening.

larry 1 mpeg2video

larry 5_mpeg2video.mpg

[Wildfisher]

Having slept  on this I agree with Highlander. DVDs are the way to go.

I'd buy a few Oliver Edwards DVDs. OK some of the fly tying is a bit OTT, but the practical fishing instruction is excellent.  No book can substitute for a practical demonstration and this is as close as you will get without going out with an "expert".

A no nonsense Yorkshireman, no 20  foot leaders, 100 foot casting, just sensible fishing. You will learn a lot from these, mostly that approach and control is more important than casting 90 odd feet  with perfect tracking.

I'd buy the lot starting with

Wet Fly Fishing on Rivers
Big Dry Flies for Fast Water
Search and Sight Fishing
Streamer Fishing on Rivers

http://www.essential-skills.tv/products.html

You are in for a treat. They are delightful.