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, and due to that fact, may not appear weekly.
June 11th, 2001

The Essence of Flycasting
 Text by Mel Krieger, Photography by Ben Blackwell
 Published by Countryman Press

Reviewed by J. Castwell

 The Essence of Flycasting There are many reasons to write a book. Some of the reasons are good, some not. A percentage of books actually get published. Some should, others not. Some get re-published. They are few. This is one of them. It needed to be written and it deserved to be re-published. It is about flycasting and it is by Mel Krieger and he is good; good at casting, teaching and writing.

If you are not satisfied with where you are in flycasting, buy the book. It will help. It was first offered to the public in 1987, it was time to bring it back again, some things do not change.

Figure $21.95 for the most concise, accurate, photographically documented, well organized, researched 129 pages in print. It's a bargain in my opinion. On the back cover are comments by Steve Rajeff, and Ernie Schwiebert . . . they like it . . . a lot. The forward was written by A. J. McClane, I think most of you know of him. Here is one of the pictures in a sequence for the double-haul.

Mel covers the whole range. Here are the chapter headings. The Mechanics of Flycasting, Equipment, Form in Flycasting, The Roll Cast, The Basic Flycast, The Application of Power, The Fly Rod, The Double-Haul, Fly Rod Drift and the Belgian Cast, and Presentation.

Look for the cover at your flyshop, check it out, and then take it home. You will be glad you did. ~ JC

The Essence of Flycasting
129 pages, Black and white photographs and illustrations
8 3/4" x 11 1/4"
Softcover, $21.95 U.S
ISBN 0-88150-505-6
Published by Countryman Press
P.O. Box 748
Woodstock, VT 05091
(802)- 457-4826

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