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Learning to fly fish is not an easy thing to do. There are so many different angles to get to grip with in fly fishing, from the casting to matching the hatch, different techniques, and lots more.
Fly fishing also changes a lot when you target different species; for example, saltwater and freshwater fly fishing are miles apart regarding the environment and the tactics you need to use for different targets.
Time on the water plays a huge role when trying to improve your fly fishing but doing so with some knowledge found in the pages of fly fishing publications is key. Finding the right one, however, can be quite hard, but I am here to make it a bit easier.
Join me as we look at some of the top reads on traditional fly fishing and saltwater fly fishing that will take you to the next level.
If you are looking for other categories of fishing books, check out the links below for the type of fishing book you are interested in.
Our selection of Carp Fishing Books
Our selection of Coarse Fishing Books
Our selection of Saltwater Fishing Books
Our selection of Bass Fishing Books
Our Best Books On Fly Fishing
- The Orvis Guide to Beginning Fly Fishing: 101 Tips for the Absolute Beginner
- Getting Started at Fly Fishing for Trout
- Pocket Guide to Matching the Hatch
- The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing
- Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World Record Tarpon
- Fly Fishing in Saltwater
The Orvis Guide to Beginning Fly Fishing: 101 Tips for the Absolute Beginner
“The Orvis Guide to Beginning Fly Fishing: 101 Tips for the Absolute Beginner” is probably one of the most comprehensive books a beginner fly fisher can own.
This book covers everything one needs to know about starting a career in fly fishing. It starts by discussing how to choose the right rod and reel and set it up correctly and then takes you into the art of casting.
Learning to cast is one of the hardest things in fly fishing, and through the excellent explanations and clear diagrams, this book makes it a lot easier for a beginner to get their head around.
It also includes valuable information about choosing the right fly at the right moment and for different species. You will also learn about fly fishing tactics on rivers, lakes, and saltwater.
This is the perfect book to start fly fishing with as it covers all the basics of every fly fishing situation you might find yourself in. But, it is for beginners only, as experienced fly anglers will already know a lot about the topics covered.
Pros
- Excellent for beginners
- Well written and easy to learn from
- Clear photos and diagrams that are easy to follow
- It covers all the basics from tackle selection to setup
- Includes fly choice and matching the hatch
- Covers rivers, lakes, and saltwater fly fishing
- Teaches different casting methods
Cons
- A bit too basic for experienced fly anglers
Specs
Author: Tom Rosenbauer & Orvis
Pages: 208
Type: Paperback, Spiral
Kindle Availability: Yes
Getting Started at Fly Fishing for Trout
Pretty much every fly angler starts off fly fishing for trout and for obvious reasons. Trout are readily available to catch, no matter where you live in the world, and there is usually a trout stream or a lake not far away.
“Getting Started at Fly Fishing for Trout” is an excellent book for beginners to hone their fly fishing skills while getting a more in-depth understanding of trout themselves.
Trout are not such easy fish to get one’s head around, and this book does a great job of explaining how to catch them and bridging the gap into a trout’s world.
You will learn all about types of tackle, fly choice, matching the hatch, reading the water, and different casting techniques. Plus, you can adapt your tactics to match how trout behave in different seasons and conditions.
It is very well written, easy to understand, and has great diagrams that make absorbing valuable information as easy as possible.
Pros
- Designed for beginners
- A strong focus on trout only
- It takes you through all the basics
- It covers tackle choice and why
- Includes casting practices
- It helps you understand trout behavior.
- Talks about fly selection and matching the hatch
- Clearly written and explained with diagrams and photos
Cons
- Not for experienced anglers
- Only covers trout
Specs
Author: Allan Sefton
Pages: 240
Type: Paperback
Kindle Availability: Yes
Pocket Guide to Matching the Hatch
Once you understand where fish hold, how to read water, and how to cast, the next key to success is fly selection.
Choosing the right fly at the right time and fishing it the right way is all it takes to catch a trout, but it is not easy since trout have such a wide variety of food sources available, and they are picky creatures.
The “Pocket Guide to Matching the Hatch” is an amazing book that puts pictures of the insects trout eat next to pictures of the flies that imitate them. This allows you to see what is hatching on the river and immediately learn what insect it is and what fly is best to match.
It also goes into the life cycles of the insects, geographical distribution, and seasonality. This means you can work out what flies are hatching, when and where you are fishing, pick a fly that matches, and hopefully, the trout will eat.
This little fishing pocket book fits perfectly in your fishing bag, so you can always have it on hand to learn what the fish are eating and how to match the hatch.
Pros
- Very helpful when trying to match the hatch
- Clear pictures of insects next to the fly that imitates them
- It takes you through the life cycles of insects
- Discusses geographical distribution and seasonality of hatches
- It covers both river flies and lake flies
- Provides an understanding of entomology
- It will help you catch more fish
- It fits in your pocket or fishing bag
Cons
- None
Specs
Author: Peter Lapsley and Cyril Bennett
Pages: NA
Type: Paperback
Kindle Availability: Yes
The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing
Another excellent nonfiction book on fly fishing for beginners is “The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing.”
This book is exceptionally well laid out, enabling you to build your fly fishing skills as the sections progress slowly. It starts with explaining different casting techniques with excellent diagrams, then how to present a fly well, and onto reading the water.
Once you have these steps figured out in your head, which the book makes easy, it tells you everything you need to know about rigging, selecting the right fly, and catching fish.
It is also full of excellent tips around wading, fighting fish, choosing tackle, and more.
You couldn’t ask for more information to start fly fishing with, and the way it is laid out makes learning everything as easy as possible. It is an awesome book for beginners!
Pros
- Very comprehensive book
- It uncomplicates fly fishing
- Great for beginners
- It covers casting and presentation
- It helps you learn to read the water and find fish
- Includes rigs, fly selection, and tactics
- It also discusses wading, gear, how to fight fish, and more
- Easy to understand and visualize
Cons
- Basic for experienced anglers
Specs
Author: Kirk Deeter and Charlie Meyers
Pages: 224
Type: Hardback
Kindle Availability: Yes
Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World Record Tarpon
“Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World Record Tarpon,” tells an amazing fishing story that every angler should read.
It describes a very unique event in fly fishing when five of the best fly anglers on the planet (Lefty Kreh, Stu Apte, Ted Williams, Tom Evans, Billy Pate) decided to try and break the world record for tarpon on fly.
Based out of Homosassa, Florida, they came together each year to chase records, and the book tells the complete story, from the amazing fishing tails on the water to the daily socializing and all the bad things that their obsession carried with it!
It is a true take on the obsession with fly fishing, just how deep it runs, and how it affects the lives of fly fishermen.
The book isn’t just about the story; it also talks a lot about the tarpon as a species, its environment, and how it is impacted.
Pros
- Beautifully written
- An amazing story
- Excellent insights into tarpon fishing
- It teaches you about the obsession with fly fishing
- Very inspiring
- Discusses a moment in fly fishing history
- A good insight into saltwater fly fishing
Cons
- Not a learning book as much
Specs
Author: Monte Burke
Pages: 304
Type: Paperback, Hardcover
Kindle Availability: Yes
Fly Fishing in Saltwater
Written by Lefty Kreh, the master himself, “Fly Fishing in Saltwater” is one of the most comprehensive books on saltwater fly fishing one can find.
Fly fishing in saltwater is very different from freshwater. Everything from the environment to the flies, tactics, and cast will be new to freshwater fly anglers, and Lefty does a great job of bridging the gap.
The book teaches you the rigs, knots, flies, and how to cast in saltwater and covers everything from wade fishing to boat fishing, plus pretty much all the species you can target. Whether it is bonefish, permit, cobia, or even billfish, this book gives you the inside track!
Pros
- Excellently written and easy to learn from
- Features clear diagrams and pictures
- It covers how to cast in saltwater
- Includes info on all saltwater species from bonefish to billfish
- Great information about tackle, leader, and fly choice
- It teaches you how to wade the flats and fish from a boat
- Good info on the knots needed for saltwater
- The perfect book to start saltwater fly fishing with
Cons
- Not much for experienced saltwater anglers to learn
Specs
Author: Lefty Kreh
Pages: 340
Type: Paperback
Kindle Availability: No
Winding Up
Thank you very much for reading my article. I hope you enjoyed it and have found the best nonfiction book on fly fishing for you. Whether you are a beginner, want to learn more about matching the hatch, or are ready to go saltwater fly fishing, there is a book featured for you.
You can read more on different types of fishing books. Check out the below links for the top reads in fish books.
Our selection of Carp Fishing Books
Our selection of Coarse Fishing Books
Our selection of Saltwater Fishing Books
Our selection of Bass Fishing Books
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