Orvis Fly Fishing Guide (Nick Lyons Books)

All the essential information for the beginner and intermediate fly fisher

Conceived for novices, the Guide may be simple, but it's not simplistic. Filled with photographs and drawings and written in clear, direct prose, it's basic enough to demystify the ABC's of a complex sport and sophisticated enough to remain useful as a ready reference and constant refresher no matter what your angling skills. "The book," Rosenbauer admits up front, "is the bare bones of fly fishing; it does not set out to tell everything." The opening chapter answers the most important question for beginners: What is fly-fishing? "Fly casting," he explains, "makes it possible to deliver a relatively weightless lure or imitation of a living creature on target, using line weight to develop momentum. That's a fairly dry way of saying that, using a fly rod, you can catch fish with an artificial lure that can't be presented by any other method." Rosenbauer goes on to cover rods and line sizes, reels, leaders, casting technique, flies, fly selection, fish behavior, tactics, and accessories. He even provides an essential reading list. That's a lot, sure, but it's not everything, and that's the Guide's strength. It doesn't tie you up in knots (even if it does unravel the necessary knots you'll need to know to succeed). Instead, it works with basic principles, encouraging you to just get out there and cast your line--and lot--with enough confidence and skill to begin a relationship that should take you the rest of your life to really understand. --Jeff Silverman