The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fly Fishing

by Michael D. Shook

Book Overview

This guide cuts through the complicated details of flyfishing and explains the basics so that anyone can understand them: from buying a rod to choosing between single-action, multiplier and automatic reels, and from weights, tapers and sink rates to being a lord of the fly.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0028629531
• ISBN13: 9780028629537
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Alpha Books
• Length: 388 Pages
• Weight: 2.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.3" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Buy This Book First -- Save Lots of Money!

This is the best basic overview of fly fishing on the market today. It's fun to read, wonderfully illustrated, and very helpful. I recommend it to all my fly fishing friends as a good buy. With this book in your library, you'll reduce needed shelf space and save tons of money to spend on gadgets and gear. Trust me on this one. The others just don't measure up. Get it, read it, and enjoy hooking up with loads of fish. And, by the way -- be sure to always practice "catch and release". Leave the waters full for others. Thank you kindly.

Great field reference

Many fly fishing "manuals" focus on the "art" of fly fishing as opposed to the purpose - TO CATCH FISH. This book is for the fisherman who wants to CATCH fish and not worry about how he/she looks standing in a stream laying out the perfect roll cast. Best of all, for me, it is a great field manual I keep in my truck when I do get out a few times per year...I can barely remember how to tie my shoes and the illustrated knots in the book are right there at my fingertips.

What to buy, how to tie, which fly... it's all here!

This is the perfect book for those of us who marvel at the art of fly-fishing but are too scared to try it. Shook will help you decide what equipment to buy and what is really needed. He explains the basics of how to find the fish, and once you do... how to bring 'em in. The science of understanding the flies and their lifecycle and how it relates to catching fish is simplified for us beginners. All the best knots are explained and adequately illustrated. This is a great book for the beginner fly-fisherman.

This is a great buy for beginners and intermediates

I've been fly fishing my whole life and I still enjoyed this book. The author Michael Shook also wrote fly fishing guides which I've used extensively. Shook has written more than just a "how to" book. He explains the rationale behind his choice of material, technique and equipment choices.

Concise--everything you need to know to get started.

Finally a book on fly fishing that makes this crazy scientific sport easy to understand. It answered questions that I've always been too emarrassed to ask.