Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover ~ Friday's Grab Bag

Well it's a Friday night and I am all tuckered out from my fishing day...  What kind of day, you ask?  Tune in tomorrow for Sunday Tippets.  Until then, I have a little book review in the good ol' grab bag!

A few weeks ago, a fellow employee came over to my desk to tell me that he was planning on selling his house and moving to the other side of the state.  I was surprised when he asked me if I would be interested in some fly fishing books that he had collected and no longer wanted.  Now, why would I say "no"???  When he came in the next morning, he had a stack of books...Not bad, eh?

Of course, it was one of the longest days at work.  I kept looking over at this pile of books, wanting to browse each one!  Finally, I had to put them under the desk.  Haha.  (I'm very bad about presents under the Christmas tree too!!)  Well...it didn't help that he told me that there were notes and directions in the "Guide to Utah" of all his favorite fishing holes.  : )  When I got home, I did a quick glance with each book and decided that there was one that was pretty fun.  One that was different than all the rest... I found a book that would be perfect for anyone that is just getting into fly fishing or that wants to increase their knowledge about it.

   

The book is entitled, "Catch That Fish"...The Essential Guide To Fly Fishing Tactics.  Sounds kind of silly, doesn't it?  Well, friends...this book isn't silly at all.  In fact, it is the best deal I've seen at $7.99 (special value price that my friend paid a few years back) and even a better deal as I got it "free"!!  Peter Gathercole is the author and his insight and knowledge are very well illustrated by the brief write ups on fly selection and techniques.  He talks about everything from what equipment and clothing is used to species of fish to how to tie some of the most common fly patterns.  What is a rainfed river, a chalkstream, a spate river?  I'm still pretty new to all of this I guess...I had never heard of those names...So, I have really been enjoying this "drop in my lap"!   It even has tips on how to fish stillwater; small and large lakes and reservoirs.  The hardcover book was published in 1999.  But, I don't believe that it is outdated by any means...And the hints to matching the hatch and where to cast are going to be tested by this River Damsel very shortly!  Hey, I always welcome improvement...

My favorite part about this book has to be the split pages!!   Each section tells you how to fish that particular area of water on the top half and then gives you helpful "try these first" flies on the side of the page.  Then, all you have to do is flip the bottom part of the book to that fly to match up... Ok...I like interactive books, I guess!   I know, this might sound "elementary" to some, but it is a great way for someone to learn about fly fishing or just brushing up on their skills.  The fly patterns are very large and colorful and really bring the fly to life.  You can really see the detail which is great also.  You can pick up this book "used" on several sites on the internet.  If you want to add a book to your collection...give this one a try!  And you can get it on the cheap... What's better than that??  : )

Oh...and that wasn't all I received from my friend who was tossing things out.  Are you ready?

Hmmm...Where to put these?