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Individual taste in books varies as much as the favorite rod or fly. With that in mind, we hope to review books and videos from the ever-growing fly fishing world, and share them with you. Books will be the best of all worlds, new and old. Many of the old books are now available in reprint, and the wisdom contained is timely today. Others can be found in second-hand book stores, or by mail order dealers. As we find videos we feel are outstanding they will be included. Be assured, reviews are based on what we have actually read or viewed, and due to that fact, may not appear weekly.
FLY-FISING SECRETS OF THE ANCIENTS
I confess; I enjoy reading about the history of the sport of fly-fishing, and I especially enjoy reading Paul Schullery. My love of angling history goes back to my early days of fly-fishing when I taught an adult education class on the history of fly-fishing and an overview of angling literature. That was long before Paul had written any books on fly-fishing history, and my primary text for the class was a book published in 1921, A History of Fly-Fishing for Trout by John Waller Hills. How I wish I had Paul’s latest book, as well as his previous books on fly-fishing history.
Paul Schullery is the dean of American Angling History, and his easy to read style, tight scholarship, and well document research makes his books a treasure trove for anyone that is interested in the objective view of fly-fishing history, not only as it relates to the American experience but the totality of fly-fishing history.
Paul’s latest book, Fly-Fishing Secrets of the Ancients, is a very insightful book that touches on the history of flies, tackle, and America’s role in developing certain fly-fishing techniques. The final section entitled, Fly Fishing Secrets of the Ancients: A Brief Manual, is a distillation of some of the truths gleaned from Paul’s years of research. The book has an extensive endnote section where Paul lists his voluminous references that reflect the research that was necessary to write this book. Fly Fishing Secrets of the Ancients belongs on the bookshelf of any fly fisher that wants to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of our sport.
Fly Fishing Secrets of the Ancients
Paul Schullery
University of New Mexico Press
$29.95 Hardcover, 256 pages, 86 halftones
ISBN: 978-0-8263-4688-9