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.

September 3rd, 2007

How To Catch the Biggest Trout Of Your Life
By Landon Mayer


Reviewed by James Castwell

Book cover

Take another look at those fish. The things are monsters. I am very pleased to bring you this review. I will suggest you spend the $29.95 US. It is almost worth the price just to look at the pictures. This is not one of those books where some author has a wonderful secret method for a nifty way to catch fish. A few moments scanning will convince you that this guy has caught a heck of a lot of darn big fish. That what ever he recommends really does work and he has the pictures to prove it.

Now, I get as bored looking at pictures of other guys with big fish as you do, much rather look at pictures of me with big fish. I however have very few of them. The reasons are many. Actually I do not fish where there are many, if any, big fish. The biggest fish was not always, or even often my goal. But, it was Landon Mayer's and he got good at it. I did not just do a review of this book, I read and even challenged some of the things he says. The guy is right on and takes you step by step in the process. He has written a very well put together book. Simple, concise, no BS and accurate. He is one guy I would not mind spending a day on the water with. Perhaps not to even fish, just to watch a master at his craft.

In one place he says to the effect that "his flies don't catch big fish he does." Pretty bold statement; but I believe him. It is how he does things that produces the results. All the elements of fly fishing designed to target big fish. He tells you exactly what you need to get into big fish. The catch here is only that you want to catch big fish. Well, there are some of you who do. That is the name of your game. You goal. Your reason for going out there. So be it. If so, buy the book and study it. Page by page. Miss nothing. Practice and utilize every suggestion he makes. They work, and again, he has the pictures to prove it.

I will not list any of his teachings, those are for you to find. I will say though, how many of you cast off to the side of a fish first, or what is downstream of your targeted fish? The answers to these and many more are found in the 150 high quality pages. Does it sound like I like this book? You bet. Nice job Landon ~ James Castwell, (JC)

How To Catch the Biggest Trout Of Your Life
By Landon Mayer
Wild River Press
2315 210th Street SE.
Bothell, WA 98021
Phone: 425-486-3638
Hardbound, 7 x 10 inches, 159 pages
ISBN: 9780974642765
Price: $29.95 US

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