Elements of Fly Fishing, The: A Comprehensive Guide to the Equipment, Techniques, and Resources of the Sport Book

A centuries-old sport deep in ritual, lore, and passed-down know-how, fly fishing is equal parts great outdoors adventure and armchair philosophy. It's about much more than just catching fish, as anyone can attest who has spent an afternoon releasing hooks from branches or watching fish dart from the shadows.

The Elements of Fly Fishing is a comprehensive celebration of this passionate pursuit, a serious reference volume that explores the rich experience of fly fishing while providing practical logistical information for everyone from neophytes to tournament casters. Featuring the collection of the American Museum of Fly Fishing and including contributions by some of the most admired writers in the field, this handsome volume contains a feast of authoritative information -- from the history of the sport and guidance on the latest equipment to fly-tying instructions for classic designs like the incomparable gold-ribbed hare's ear. This indispensable book also provides time-tested strategies, insight into the fundamentals of casting, reflections on conservation issues, and tips on the best schools and events.

The Elements of Fly Fishing features spectacular visual material, including specially commissioned color photography of finely crafted tackle by f-stop fitzgerald. As fly fishing in both freshwater and saltwater has lured growing numbers of devotees, its highly valued trappings have taken on a new cachet: antique handcrafted bamboo fly rods have become collectors' items and flies created by the great tiers -- tiny masterpieces of concentration and cunning -- are valued by collectors and sportsmen alike. In addition to these dazzling images, the book includes a marvelous array of nostalgic photos depicting great old angling scenes, as well as elegant line drawings and informative instructional sketches, many from the collection of the American Museum of Fly Fishing.

Everyone from the grizzled old fly tier to the beginner fresh from a three-day crash course has his or her own rationale for pursuing a sport that more often than not means lost quarry and exquisite frustration. Whatever the attraction to the water, The Elements of Fly Fishing provides the reader with the means and the inspiration to go out and do it.