This is not to say one or
the other has more or better information - to me it's a matter of what
one is comfortable reading. Or maybe which things tend to stick in
your mind better. Both are just excellent books, with a very opposite
manner of getting the information to the reader.
Skip Morris and Brian Chan have combined their many talents of
fly fishing, fly tying, entomology and aquatic biology to bring you
information on lake fly fishing, regardless of your current level.
The book has tons of excellent photographs, and illustrations,
making their instruction easy-to-follow.
I found the "A Beginning" section very well planned, an excellent overview
of what one needs to fish lakes. It doesn't claim to be a 'beginners'
book, but if you can cast and can land a fish, everything else you
need is here. References to what in which chapters is also helpful
if one has a specific question or problem.
Contents include: Fishing Techniques, Productive Flies, Reading
the Water (a little different than rivers and streams) Casting, Knots,
Tackle, Float Tubes, and Boats, Entomology and Safety. There are
some interesting sections on casting, courtesy, cycles of a trout lake,
trout species - just about everything.
There is a great section on Flies for Trout Lakes, which has
a beginning selection of flies, then a fleshed out section on
Chiromonids, Mayflies, Claddisflys, Damselfly - Nymphs,
Waterboatman and Back Swimmers, Scud, Leech, Terrestrials,
and All-Purpose Flies. The photos are included with the
dressing recipes. And a bonus! Each flies has the recommended
retrieve for the best success. Cood stuff!
This really is a good book. If you fish lakes, you should have it.
~ DLB
