Amazon.com Review
Idaho fly-tyers are innovators by necessity. This mostly rural state, with large areas of designated wilderness, is not the sort of place where anglers can always run around the corner to pick up a few hot flies at the local shop. It makes sense, then, that there's a guidebook devoted solely to a state with a wide variety of fly-fishing opportunities and a renowned history of fly-tying. Thomas gives a brief overview of a tradition that dates back to 1901 when Carter Harrison created the Trude as a joke (a joke that caught on big), then launches into an alphabetical who's who of the many varied patterns that have evolved over the course of a century. While eschewing step-by-step tying instructions, he details requisite materials and includes a few notes about the history of each fly and its proper usage. Some flies, like Kaufmann's Stimulator, while not developed specifically for Idaho waters, are included because of their popularity. Final chapters cover in brief selected Idaho fly-fishing waters and key flies.
