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The Internet is a powerful resource. It provides us instant
access to information, and brings us together via email,
bulletin boards, chat rooms, and instant messaging. FAOL
is a wonderful example of the Internet at its best. The Internet,
however, will never replace the printed page.
I've loved books and fishing since my youngest years, although
I did not start fly fishing until 1993. This column will give
me an opportunity to share reviews of some of my favorite fly
fishing and tying books (and some that are not such favorites)
with my friends here at FAOL. My library reflects my tastes
and interests, and so will this column. It will be heavily
slanted towards cold water fishing and tying for trout and
steelhead, and won't touch much on areas of which I know little,
such as warm or salt water fishing.
I hope that these reviews will motivate some of you to pick up
a good book, on this or any subject, and read.
~ Stu Farnham
Handbook of Western Fly Fishing
Handbook of Western Fly Fishing
by Paul B. Downing
Paperback: 228 pages
Publisher: Majestic Press; 1st edition (January 1, 2001)
ISBN: 0962531162
I approached reading the Handbook of Western
Fly Fishing with some skepticism. Do we really
need another book covering the basics of fly-fishing
the Western US? How much more was there to be written
about? Was there a point of view that had not already
been covered several times by better known fishing
writers?
Paul B. Downing's book was a pleasant surprise. Although
unknown in fly-fishing literature, Downing has written
several books on opal gemstones. His prior experience
as an author shows. The Handbook is an easy read, clear
and well written.
Downing opens the book with a series of vignettes from
his history of fishing in the West. The wide variation
in climate and terrain in the West give rise to distinct
seasonal opportunities, and each of the five western
fishing seasons (pre-runoff, runoff, summer, fall,
and winter) are described.
One of the joys of fly-fishing is that it can be as simple
or as complicated as one chooses to make it. Paul chooses
a middle path, recommending a 8.5 to 9 foot, 5 weight rod,
a dozen flies, and a couple of two fly rigs. The simple
sufficiency of his approach is enough to get a novice on
the water with a minimum of time and expense.
Succeeding chapters detail the various types of fishing
typically experienced in the west: pocket water, nymphing,
streamer fishing, float fishing, sight fishing, and fishing
on the edges of streams and in lakes and ponds. There is
also a chapter devoted to fishing the tiny midges that
hatch year-round. While most of the book to this point
has dealt with trout fishing, there is also a short
chapter on fly-fishing for pike.
The west is home to the majority of the destination
fly-fishing waters in the US. Downing has advice on
planning a trip and hiring a guide. The balance of
the book breaks down western fishing by state, given
an overview of the opportunities, as well as helpful
lists of information sources and fly shops (note: the
lists of shops are far from comprehensive and may not
be current.)
All in all, this book was a pleasant surprise. Despite
having left my novice days behind by more years than
I care to count, the Handbook held my interest throughout,
and even taught me a couple of things. The novice western
fly fisher, or the easterner looking to plan a trip to
the west, will find this book useful and informative.
~ Stu Farnham
About Stu
Stu Farnham is a New Englander by birth, who was transplanted to
and put down roots in Oregon in the early 1990s, now residing in
the Seattle area. A software engineering manager by vocation,
he can be found in his spare time chasing trout and steelhead
in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest, chasing his four Gordon
Setters (who in turn are chasing chukar), tying flies, reading,
or working on his website. Colleen, his long suffering wife of
28 years, is a professionally trained personal chef.
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