The Fly and the Fish: Angling Instructions and Reminiscences

The classic book from a revered artist and fly-tying master.

An internationally renowned artist, John Atherton (1900–1952) was also a legend in the world of fly fishing. This lost classic, originally published in 1951, combines his evocative memoirs of Vermont fishing expeditions with practical directions for fly-tying. Atherton’s reminiscences and instructions are complemented by his exquisite sketches of tools and scenes from the angler’s life.

The author’s wife, expert fly fisherwoman Maxine Atherton, notes in her introduction that in addition to his skills as an accomplished artist and fine sportsman John Atherton was a romantic realist, whose exuberant outbursts of wonder over natural phenomena celebrated our planet’s everyday magic. Indeed, Atherton’s work was featured in the Museum of Modern Art’s 1943 exhibition of American Realists and Magic Realists. On a more practical note, Maxine Atherton adds that the Impressionistic fly patterns such as those featured in this book have worked wonders for her fishing, fooling trout in rivers throughout North America and Europe.

Atherton's The Fly and the Fish is being re-issued alongside the debut publication of The Fly Fisher and the River, Maxine's memoir on their life together and her own angling adventures

Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for fishermen. Our books for anglers include titles that focus on fly fishing, bait fishing, fly-casting, spin casting, deep sea fishing, and surf fishing. Our books offer both practical advice on tackle, techniques, knots, and more, as well as lyrical prose on fishing for bass, trout, salmon, crappie, baitfish, catfish, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

John Atherton first gained fame after moving from San Francisco to New York City to stake his claim as a commercial artist. Encouraged by a fellow artist, Atherton eventually moved away from the commercial art scene and became immersed in the realist approach to painting landscapes. Atherton would go on to win several prestigious awards during the Second World War for his patriotic artwork, at which point he went on to create covers for numerous publications, most notably The Saturday Evening Post. Along with his many works of art, Atherton became famous among the fly-fishing community for his beautiful fly patterns. He lived in Arlington, Vermont.