The best non-fiction fishing literature you've read

[anadromous angling addict]

Too many to list, but my top three would be..

Steelhead Fly Fishing by Trey Combs - the ultmate guide to Steelhead flyfishing, 494 pages of steelheading this baby is hardcore.

The Gilly - compiled by Alfred Davy in 1985 with many contributing authors - this is still one of the best introductions to fly fishing BC waters.

The Fly Tiers Benchside Reference by Ted Leeson and Jim Schollmeyer, outstanding illustrations and at 444 pages this is a freaking textbook.

A primer of fly-fishing - Roderick Haig Brown - needs an honorable mention

AAA


AAA

[milt spawn]

Non-fiction fishing literature... no such thing, doncha know ALL fisherman are liars! milt.

[Hardyreels]

This is a tough cut but I will offer you some titles that have been the most useful to me. I do enjoy a good fishing story when combined with some technique but the books listed below were the real workhorse reads that helped me climb my own personal mountain.

When I needed to have a large volume of nuts & bolts how to information, Tom McNally put 'Fly Fishing by Tom McNally' out. It was simple to understand and could be taken from theory to practice quickly. This was a most helpful work and I can't imagine getting over the learning hump without it. His casting, knots, and basic water sense are hard to improve upon.

I bought many books but none could offer anything more than McNally had delivered until my fishing buddy gave me 'Advanced Fly Fishing For Steelhead by Deke Meyer' in 1993. I had been thrashing around the Great Lakes rivers and creeks after these fish and although the book was primarily dealing with West Coast fishing conditions I found some good kernels of info there as well as some fly patterns. It was very nicely done, I know there are many books about steelhead but this is the one I have and I got it just for being me.

A few years back I moved from relying on old wives tales for understanding salmon and I found 'The Behavior and Ecology of Pacific Salmon & Trout by Thomas P. Quinn' to be very informative and useful in establishing an understanding of these species.

In the 90's a similar book 'Trout' one of 'The Wildlife Series' was a collection of research edited by Judith Stolz & Judith Schnell was another gift from a second fishing friend. This proved to be a most mind altering work to have on hand, some things you thought you knew were shown to be true and many things you hadn't ever entertained the thought of were disclosed. The book deals with every species of trout on our continent and their behavior and environmental needs and constraints. A very good book for anyone looking to understand trout as a species.

Last but not the least was Nick Karas's book 'Brook Trout' Here Karas takes you on a historical study of Salvelinus fontinalis from the Wisconsin period ice age to contemporary times. If you enjoy the Brook Trout and want to know about its history, biology, ecological challenges and range, this is a must have work.

[theboz]

Some of my favorites.
Like my music i like the oldies.

Salt-Water Fly Fishing - George X Sand
The Complete McClane-A J McClane
Flies-J Edson Leonard
Fishing "The Big Three"-Ted Williams
Leftys Little Tips - Lefty Kreh
The Fly Fishers Reader- Leonard M Wright
Selective Trout- Doug Swisher and Carl Richards
Master Fly Tying Guide- Art Flick
The Pleasures Of Fly Fishing- V S Hidy

Books by Joe Humphreys Lee Wulff Ernest Schwiebert Nick Curcione and more.

Alot of these books I grew up with and still go back and read again.

[joebloe]

I enjoy reading the stories Robert Traver tells in 'Trout Magic', a classic book with a couple of neat illustrations - the author also wrote 'Trout Madness' and 'Anatomy of a Murder'(!!).

[mikel]

I just ordered Cadillac Desert. Almost ashamed to say I haven't read it already. I'm told if you fish in the west it's a must read...not really about fishing, but with the way water is under pressure in Ca it's certainy about fish.

-Mike

[grassonfly]

I am reading a fantastic biography of Ben Franklin right now. He was truly an amazing man.