Orvis Fly Fishing Guide

by Tom Rosenbauer, Georgine MacGarvey (Illustrator)

Conceived for novices, the Guide may be simple, but it's not simplistic. Filled with photographs and drawings and written in clear, direct prose, it's basic enough to demystify the ABC's of a complex sport and sophisticated enough to remain useful as a ready reference and constant refresher no matter what your angling skills. "The book," Rosenbauer admits up front, "is the bare bones of fly fishing; it does not set out to tell everything." The opening chapter answers the most important question for beginners: What is fly-fishing? "Fly casting," he explains, "makes it possible to deliver a relatively weightless lure or imitation of a living creature on target, using line weight to develop momentum. That's a fairly dry way of saying that, using a fly rod, you can catch fish with an artificial lure that can't be presented by any other method." Rosenbauer goes on to cover rods and line sizes, reels, leaders, casting technique, flies, fly selection, fish behavior, tactics, and accessories. He even provides an essential reading list. That's a lot, sure, but it's not everything, and that's the Guide's strength. It doesn't tie you up in knots (even if it does unravel the necessary knots you'll need to know to succeed). Instead, it works with basic principles, encouraging you to just get out there and cast your line--and lot--with enough confidence and skill to begin a relationship that should take you the rest of your life to really understand. --Jeff Silverman

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Outdoors

246 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1984

Reviews

[surfurbian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a 1985 edition and would have given the book 4 stars if not for some of the items I mention in this review.

Overall it is a really good book. Great for novices. More and better diagrams demonstrating some of the casting techniques would be good. Color photos of the flys would have been good too.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a textbook in my fly fishing class, and for good reason- it has everything the beginner needs to know, plus some great tips and tricks. Orvis is one of The Names in fly fishing, I went to their big store in Vermont and it was awesome :)
Get out there and catch some fishies!