We’ve received nominations for Bergman’s “Trout,” Schwiebert’s “Nymphs,” Traver’s “Trout Madness,” Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River” and dozens more. Do you have a favorite trout or salmon fishing book that you believe is a must-have on the bookshelf of every angler? If so, tell us about it. We’ll list our cut at the 12 all-time best trout and salmon fishing books in the fall 2011 issue of Trout.
By Bill June 27, 2011 - 11:51 am
Harry Middleton’s “The Earth is Enough.”
By Chris June 27, 2011 - 5:13 pm
Richard Brautigan’s “Trout Fishing in America,” of course.
By Joe McHugh June 27, 2011 - 11:27 pm
Where are the real classics? Nothing comes close to Fly Fishing by Lord Grey, Angler’s Paradise by Barker, Where the Bright Waters Meet by Harry Plunkett Greene, or Fishless Days and Angling Nights by Sparse Gray Hackle.
By John Wilkens June 28, 2011 - 5:46 pm
“A Wedding Gift and Other Angling Stories” by John Taintor Foote. These stories put fly fishing into a wonderfully human context in ways that will make you laugh heartily and want to read them out loud with your family!
By Mike June 28, 2011 - 6:57 pm
Return to the River & A River Never Sleeps both by Roderick Haig-Brown.
By Matt Rosett June 29, 2011 - 2:25 am
The River Why by David James Duncan
Holy Ghost Creek by Garth Weissbarth
Designing Trout Flies by Gary Borger
By chris potter June 29, 2011 - 9:19 am
jame’s Prosek’s “TROUT: and illustrated histyory”
this is one hell of a book, and anyone who loves to fish should have it.
By Joe June 29, 2011 - 7:45 pm
Squaretails Biology and Management of Maine’s Brook Trout by Forrest Bonney. This is THE definitive book on Maine brook trout.
By Paul M. Ford June 29, 2011 - 7:57 pm
Harry Middleton’s The Starlight Creek Angling Society is “the” modern American classic. It catches a kid growing up midst trout and cantankerous, wise oldsters who frame his life in rural Arkansas. Poetry in prose!
George Washington Bethune’s first American edition (1847) of Walton’s Compleat Angler is my vote for the best of the American “oldies” because Bethune’s notes speak to American fly fishing history and the debate about whether a fly should be tied to imitate the real deal or should it be non-imitation–an attractor.
By Michael O'mara June 29, 2011 - 8:20 pm
My nominations are “The Fly and the Fish”, by John Atherton, and “Fishless Days, Angling Nights”, by Alfred W. Miller, aka Sparse Grey Hackle
By Alex Retzloff June 30, 2011 - 9:56 am
“Trout and Salmon of North America” by Robert J. Behnke.
By Paul Strosky June 30, 2011 - 11:00 pm
I have two titles to submit that are definitely worthy of consideration.
!. A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
And…
2. “Pavlov’s Trout by Paul Quinnett
By richard slosberg July 1, 2011 - 8:22 am
Vermont River by W.D.Wetherell. Not your usual fly-fishing book,but a memorable read never the less!!
By pshaw July 3, 2011 - 2:05 pm
Irreverently funny and at times, poignant, all rolled into one great book…”The River Why” by David James Duncan.
By Frank E. Roberts July 4, 2011 - 6:27 pm
Sugest Western Trout by Syl MacDowell
By Frank E. Roberts July 4, 2011 - 6:30 pm
I suggest the book by Syl MacDowell, “Western Trout”.
By Tim Althauser July 5, 2011 - 4:37 pm
I nominate Tactics on Trout by Ray Ovington
By Martin Sulkanen July 6, 2011 - 6:25 am
“Fishless Days, Angling Nights”, Sparse Grey Hackle (Alfred Miller)
“Trout Madness”, Robert Traver (John Voelker)
“The Well Tempered Angler”, Arnold Gingrich
“The Field and Stream Treasury of Trout Fishing”, Leonard Wright Jr., ed.
“Selective Trout”, Swisher and Richards
“A River Runs Through It”, Norman Maclean
“Big Two-Hearted River, Part II”, Ernest Hemingway
“Trout Bum”, John Gierach
By Charles Baarcke July 6, 2011 - 9:14 pm
“The River Why” by David James Duncan. Certainly a must read!
By Steve Perry July 11, 2011 - 10:17 pm
“TROUT BUM” John Gierach, A classic book for the ages from my generation.
By Dight July 15, 2011 - 8:59 pm
“A Fly Fisherman’s Blue Ridge” by Christopher Camuto
“On the Spine of Time” by Harry Middleton
“Trout Bum” by John Gierach
“Live Water” by Thomas McGuane
“Meanderings of a Fly Fisherman” by Seth Norman
“The River Home” by Jerry Dennis
By Gary Slade August 4, 2011 - 6:22 pm
“Tactics on Trout” by Ray Ovington. 30+ years ago as I was starting out, this book helped me learn to read water better than anything I’ve seen before or since.
“The Curtis Creek Manifesto” by Sheridan Anderson. This little “comic book” is quite simply the best book ever written for a beginning fly fisher.
By sherwin August 16, 2011 - 10:07 am
Hatches. Born in 1950, my fly fishing and fly tying learning experience was from trial and error , a few good books and not from CDs, videos and the Internet. I was hooked on fly fishing at the early age of 9 and my first fly tied was my blue butterfly to imitate the only things I saw around the stream of rising trout ( probably 24 olives). My first trout on a fly was a real nice rainbow on a royal coachman streamer after it fell from the tree after a bad cast. My first great book on trout was the 1938 version of “Trout”. A bible of how to on trout fishing. Unfortunately I loaned it out never to be returned but my family did provide me with a signed 1938 edition on my 60th birthday. I bought studied and tied flies in Vince’s “A Modern Dry Fly Code” The book was signed later by Vince during a trico outing on Falling Springs where I learned the jassed was created in his mind because the publisher wanted another chapter!! I tied all the midges in Charlie’s book and studied Ernie’s book – Nymphs more than any book in college!! But then came the bible on fly tying- “Hatches”. I still refer to this book today. It was jammed packed full of thorough and precise information. It truly was the modern short cut to a complete guide to hatches and tying at the time. Many things are underlined with stars. It shows the use and probably has no resale value!! The only down side is some pictures from the Bushkill at Ressica Falls. Boy Scout camp in Pa. I can take you to the exact spots even though the authors referred to other streams.
Although there are still some great books being published. We need to thank Al Gore for creating the Internet , Google’s search engine, You Tubes ability to show step by step tying instructions!, and the many TU fly tying classes. They have shortened the learning curve for the newer generation of fly fishers. The only things remaining are to inspire the required motivationand patience many of us had with the early trial and error period and to create a pill which destroys the need for instant gratification!!!!
By Chadd VanZanten August 17, 2011 - 12:01 am
Curtis Creek Manifesto by Sheridan Anderson.
Fly Fishing: Memories of Angling Days by J.R. Hartley.
These books are offbeat, unique, and oft overlooked — just like the best anglers. You will not find better laughs or more understated wisdom. One is quintessentially American, the other staunchly British. Both capture something special about angling. Both stay with you long after turning over the last page.
By John B. August 29, 2011 - 12:07 pm
1. The Habit of Rivers – Ted Leeson. One of a very few books I try and read once a year.
2. The Longest Silence – Tom McGuane. Another one that is in heavy rotation from my bookshelf.
By Chadd VanZanten August 30, 2011 - 12:13 am
I’ve been trying to refrain from saying this, and it might not even be fair ground, but can one cast a vote against inclusion of a particular book in The Twelve? If so, please consider my vote against The River Why by Duncan. This book tries awfully hard to claw and bludgeon its way into the fly fishing canon, and I concede it’s a nice try, but it just doesn’t fit. Fishing is quiet, clever, restrained. Duncan is shrill, wacky, saccharine. He writes the way I cast — heavy handed, splashy, and off-target most of the time.