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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.
PRODUCTIVE TROUT FLIES FOR UNORTHODOX PREY
Books on fly tying are very numerous and, in recent years, most of the books that I have read that concern fly tying techniques have basically just been a rehash of material that is available in other books. Jeff Morgan's book Productive Trout Flies for Unorthodox Prey is a breath of fresh air. This is not to say that the patterns and techniques that are found in this book have not been previously covered in other fly tying manuals, but he opens up an area of imitation that has only been briefly covered in other books.
In this book the author explores not only the different insects and other food items that trout consume, but he raises questions about why anglers don't pay more attention to these food forms since they make up a sizeable portion of the trout's diet.
I found the first four chapters of this book especially intriguing. In chapter one the author sets forth the reasons why understanding these food forms will improve angling success. In chapter two he provokes the angler into asking why these food forms have been mostly overlooked. Chapter three contains a study on the ecology of terrestrials; however, I believe chapter four reveals the true purpose for this book.
"My way is not the only way to do things. I hope that no one that reads this book walks away a converted fundamentalist. The mission of this piece is to explore the best ways to imitate the Oddball insects that slip through the cracks of traditional angling entomologies. It is neither a guide to the usual entomological suspects that one finds on a stream, nor a manual for the easiest way to imitate insects."
This is a book that will make you think about the way that you approach fly fishing for trout. It will broaden your horizons, and if taken to heart will make you a more well-rounded, and thus a more proficient, angler. What more could you want in a book?
Productive Trout Flies for Unorthodox Trout Prey – The Oddballs
Author: Jeff Morgan
Frank Amato Publications, 2012
Softbound; 8½ x 11; 136 pages; $29.95
ISBN-13: 978-1-57188-426-8