For those of you who are just getting started into fly fishing, I'm sure you're aware that the sport has a rich history. Folks have been writing about fly fishing since before the printing press & there are a lot of old tomes out there to read. Some are out of print & some are still available today. I think every angler will find their experiences along the water enhanced by learning & reading about the history of fly fishing. One of the most fascinating ways to do this is to read old books from days of yore on the
subject.
While I don't portend to be an expert on classic fly fishing literature, I am familiar with many older titles on the subject. Below is a list of some of my favorite older fly fishing related books (in no particular order):
-"The American Angler's Book"
pub. 1864 Thaddeus Norris
-"Favorite Flies and Their
Histories" pub. 1892, Mary Orvis Marbury
-"The Compleat Angler" pub. 1676,
Izzak Walton
-" A Treatyse of Fysshnge Wyth an
Angle" pub. 1496, Dame Juliana Berners
-"A Modern Dry Fly Code" pub.
1950, Vincent Marinaro
-"Trout" pub. 1938, Ray
Bergman
-"The Way of a Trout With a Fly"
pub. 1921, G.E.M. Skues
-"The Idyll of the Split Bamboo"
pub. 1920, Dr. George Parker Holden
-"Caddisflies" pub. 1981, Gary
LaFontaine
-"Poul Jorgensen's Book of Fly
Patterns" pub. 1988, Poul Jorgensen
-"The Complete book of Fly Tying"
pub. 1991, Eric Leiser
-"Fishing Bamboo, one man's love
affair with Bamboo Fly Rods" pub. 1997, John Gierach
-"The Longest Silence" pub. 1999,
Thomas McGuane
-"Splitting Cane" pub. 2002, Ed
Engle
These are just some of the books I really like & that I think you'll enjoy too. If you're looking for a good reference point to begin researching older titles, HERE is a great place to start. Also take a look on the "Classic Trout Fly Fishing" website as well.
Of course, folks are still writing about the history of the sport. New titles delving into all aspects of fly fishing's past are being published all the time. The best place to look for these books is "The Whitefish Press". They are the premier publishing house for books that concern the history of angling. There you can find books on subjects that you simply cannot find anywhere else.
This winter I encourage you to tie some flies & curl up with a good fly fishing book. There are many out there to choose from.