Reviewed by Deanna Birkholm
Subtitled: "The basics you need to get started &
the rest for when you're ready to take on more."
One of the most frequent questions in our email
box is "what do you recommend for a good fly
fishing book for beginners?" The search for the
'perfect' book for beginners is over!
Cliff Hauptman's How to Fly-Fish is based
on a different concept. One which works.
Case in point, a pediatrician I worked for while
going to college had just examined a 13 year old
female patient. She was pregnant. The doctor,
really a super person and usually very unflappable,
was livid. He took me in his office and proceeded
to explain how I should teach my children about sex.
I was a single college student at the time and not
thinking about even having kids. But he needed to
vent at someone and I was it.
His message, answer their questions, simply and honestly.
Don't try and give them the whole college level anatomy
class or the religious morality dogma. Short, simply
and honest. When they are ready for more, they will ask.
The author of How to Fly-Fish has done exactly that.
He tells the new fly fisher just enough to get them started
and then has a follow-up section in the each chapter titled,
HERE'S WHY THIS CAN GET MORE COMPLICATED.
For instance, there are about a half dozen paragraphs on
reels in the 'getting started section.' He recommends
a single-action 5 weight reel to go on the previously
recommended 9 foot, 5-weight graphite rod. In the
follow-up section he covers:
Reel Types, single action, multiplier and automatic reels.
Drag systems
Ratchet and Pawl
Caliper
Disc
Arbor Size
Traditional Arbors
Large Arbors
Righty or Lefty?
Color
General Quality
Materials
Features
Workmanship
The section on rods is even more elaborate and detailed!
The Table of Contents has:
What you Need to Get Started
Rods
Reels
Lines
Leaders
Flies
Knots
Waters
Waders
Accessories
I truly believe the absolute beginner can follow
the 'getting started' section of each chapter and
go out and catch fish.
What author Cliff Hauptman has left out - on purpose - is
how to cast. He believes having a friend give you a
brief lesson, taking a casting class, or if either of those
is not available viewing a video will do just fine to
get the beginner fishing. It is the 'getting to it'
which makes the book so different - and valuable.
If you are a beginner, know a beginner or have a
friend you would like to introduce to fly fishing,
this is a "must have!"
Well laid out, clearly written, illustrated with
excellent black and white drawings, this should be in
everyone's library - you never know when you might
have the opportunity to enrich someones life.
How to Fly-Fish
Cliff Hauptman
Softcover: 113 pages
Published by Stackpole Books
ISBN: 0-8117-3137-5
~ DLB
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