Customer Reviews

Flyfisher's Guide to Idaho (2nd Edition) (Flyfisher's Guides)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Retallic and Barker know of what they speak. The writers live near, and fish, the water of which they write. It is refreshing to see a "hook and bullet" book that does not try to browbeat you with the authors casting expertise or remembrances of the West of long ago.

This is a very good, easy touse guide on idaho water. If you are going ther, buy it.

What an excellent guide! Very through. Great maps. The book covers every drainage in Idaho from ice out to ice over.

This book is the best Idaho guide I have seen. It has clear directions (especially for people who are not familiar with Idaho), plenty of maps, and good complimentary information such as fly shops, motels, and restaurants. It is well written without being condescending, yet it is of just as much use to the experienced flyfisher as it is to the novice. I have not tried out all the streams and lakes listed (obviously), but Retallic and Barker's descriptions and evaluations match those of the fly shops on the internet as much as could reasonably be expected. If I could fault anything, it would be that the book is 5 years old and many things can change in that time. I would really like to see an update. Other than that, I would rate it 4 ½ to 5 stars.

There is a lot of information in this book. If you are looking for information on fly fishing in Idaho this is probably the most concise book to get. Information covers everything from the Henry's Fork to small lakes you would need to hike in to. There is probably more information in this book than you will ever need.

CONS: some of the info is old. I believe the last revision of this book was 2002 and even then some of the information was out of date. Just double check before you head out. There is a lot of urban fishing in Boise and I would have liked to see some more coverage regarding that. The book just skims over it. Its doesn't detract from the book in a major way but if you don't want to leave the city to fish its great stuff to know.

PROS: Lots to read. A great index to help you get right to the area you are looking for, hatch information, Detailed maps, Restaurant, fly shop, hotel, lodging, camping information. (although some of it is no longer correct) 450+ pages of content

If you are looking for an everything Idaho guide for fly fishing this is the one to get. The other Idaho guides like the Fly Fishing Idaho: A Quick, Clear Understanding of Where to Fly Fish in Idaho (No Nonsense Fly Fishing Guides) and Idaho Blue-Ribbon Fly Fishing Guide (Blue-Ribbon Fly Fishing Guides) don't cover nearly as much water as this does but they do seem to be a bit more detailed on the water they do cover.

I have fished in seven states, East, Midwest and West, and have read all the major guides. This guide is one of the best, if not the best, because of its coverage and accurate detail of the major rivers down to out of the way creeks. The lure of Idaho for me is its remote fishing venues. This guide introduces them, then gets you there with all the info to stay comfortably. This is not to say the "Big Boys" ( Snake, Henry,s Fork, Silver creek, Boise, Clearwater ) are given short shrift.Indeed, they are given the blue ribbon treatment they deserve. Stream conditions, wading, drifting, bottom conditions, hatches, suggested flies, and stream access are all covered in detail. Maps are good. You will not have enough time in your fishing life , unfortunately , to use all the info in this fine guide.

An excellent guide listing places, access points, fly recommendations and local people to contact for up to date fishing reports. It's an enjoyable read and so far the info has been right on. It leaves the "Blue Ribbon" guide I previously bought in the dust.

By comparison to the FFGT Montana by Chuck Robbins, this one falls short.

What's missing? Detailed info on access. I found very little specific access information, usually buried in the river descriptions. I need to know where I can park, walk, etc. to fish these beautiful waters.

There are fewer specific fly recommendations. There is no recommended fly section like in Robbins book. The sportfish of Idaho section is confused and unorganized. Also, the table of contents is disorganized and difficult to use.

Most annoying is a strange overuse of "dashes". Words like "Rain-bow", "life-long" and "do-nate" are everywhere...what gives?. Finally, I found Robbins book's maps to be far better because they show you where in Montana each map is taken from so it's much easier to determine if the location is feasible from where you will be. Not a feature of Retallic's book(s). I'm not trying to trash Retallic, just think that the book could be alot more helpful to visitors of Idaho.

On the positive side, the river descriptions are pretty good and the "seasons" section looks helpful.

I would think that the "Flyfishers Guide" series could gain alot from organizing all of it's books in a manner similar to Robbin's.

If you are planning a trip to Idaho to fish you NEED THIS BOOK. It takes you through the state one area at a time and tells you where, when, how and why. I just bought a cabin in South East Idaho, I'm going to spend 5 or 6 months as soon as the snow melts and I can't wait to put what this book has told me to work.

Outstanding reference and, well written! All fly anglers should have this book as part of their library.

I used this book (and others) to plan a fabulous flyfishing, camping vacation. Then Hurricane Katrina hit. I still peruse the book, waiting for my next 2 week vacation...