[Cleetus]

Hi! I'm brand new to the forum but after looking around for a few minutes I decided to register...what a cool resource

After several years away from fly-fishing I am getting back into the sport. In an effort to streamline my education I was wondering if a certain type of book exists or not: I am looking for a book that IDs common flies and the insects they represent side by side. I don't want to tie them, so I don't need a tying guide, but I find myself seeing flies and not being able to ID them. Likewise I'd like to be able to pick a good fly for a bug I pick up on the stream.

Does anything like this exist?

Thanks!
-Cleet

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Cleet,

Welcome to the forum. You might think about this book by Dave Hughes. It sounds like what you are looking for. I have not seen the book.

[Colorado Cajun]

Welcome Cleetus!

[Piscator]

Cleetus,
Good to have you join the forum. Make yourself at home and stay a while.

As for a one book that would cover all flies that are available to fly fish with, you will be hard pressed to find just one book to service your needs. You will most likely start to aquire a library of books that will broadly describe many different flies and the insects that they represent.

Frank suggestion of Dave Hughes book is a great book and will help you or anyone else for that matter interested in learning more about bugs and flies. I like this book and is one of the first that I bought.

I had the fortune to pickup "A.K. Best's Fly Box" by A.K. Best for a mere $6 at Gandar Mountain. I must say it is a very good book and will help you more than you can imagine. It has great photos of the flies and the insects side by side to help you in your identification. As well as step by step tying instructions for some of the more popular patterns. It retails for $24.95 but it would be worth it for the full price. Check with Steve Robbins aka The Full Creel and I'm sure he can get it through The Full Creel Fly Shop. Just PM him and he'll fix you up.

I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Terry

[BigCliff]

Welcome to the group! Sounds like you're getting good advice already on matching bugs to flies. Just remember, getting the size and shape right is much more important than the color, most all of the time.

[Cleetus]

Thanks everyone! I'm gonna try the library first and perhaps the bookstore as well. My first trip fishing since I was 18 (15 years ago or so) is Saturday and I cant wait.

I'll keep you all posted.

-Cleet

[dorian.ducker]

I haven't ever read that Dave Hughes book, but I have one of his books called "Trout Rigs and Methods", that I think is a veritable cornucopia of information for flyfishing for trout, especially for someone new to the sport such as myself. Having said that, I am sure this other insect book by him is probably worth a look....

[dorian.ducker]

I just bought the book that Frank made reference to earlier. Dave Hughes "Handbook of Hatches". I fully endorse this book (for whatever that's worth!) for any beginner or anyone wanting to learn more about entymology without falling asleepl VERY informative and small enough to take on the stream or river in a backpack if you wanted to.