Customer Reviews

Good Flies: Favorite Trout Patterns and How They Got That Way

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

 

 

John Gierach continues to hold his spot as the top author of fly fishing. I actually anticipated him taking the subject of fly tying, and go against the grain. While most authors tend to make this subject dry and complex, John makes it simple. Through the book he continues to discuss the practicality of his tying and being realistic to use what works. After all, tying flies is a means to an end. Everyone who ties flies enjoys tying the pretty ones, but the ones we use are the ones that catch fish.

Aside from the utterly awesome and accurate illustrations of dozens of flies, its the honesty of the author I appreciate. In reading how he came to tie his own flies I felt a kindred spirit because he mentioned, the artistic as well as the frugal, self reliant, and even scientific in a 'quaint, naturalistic sense' of tying ones own flies.

And that he looked at successful fly fisherman and their fly boxes and like himself and myself he saw a motley crew of flies, from 'either to long and gangly or short and stubby, neat or sloppy, trim or fat, bright or dull. They all caught fish in the right hands, and some of the best of them really did look like drowned rats'.

I had to laugh when I read on page 5 where he writes 'I also ran into the idea of flies as art, which further complicated things. I don't mean really well tied fishing flies, I mean display flies tied by people who had no intention of ever showing them to a fish,' since I have know people like that. Sadly they aren't good fisherman and in a couple instances tied flies that probably would have scared fish away.

Like the author 'For as long as I've fished with a fly rod, I've had a self conscious weakness for dry flies; first because of their puffed-up classiness, later in spite of it. Dry fly fishing may or may not be the most demanding way to catch fish, but everything about it is visual and beautiful and I've always been a sucker for that kind of thing'. (page 31)

The way the author describes the ins and outs of various flies along with accurate illustrations is a college level educational experience. He shares where he has fished with various flies, successfully as well as what each is made of. Which ones he uses most and why. Here is an example:

Page 39 'Blue Winged Olive Palm Merger. I tie it on either a Tiemco 200R or a Mustad 94840 hook in sizes 18 and 20. It has a long, sparse tail of wood-duck flank for a trailing nymph shuck, a body of olive goose biot, a small dubbed thorax (I use A.K.'s Blue Wing Olive blend), and a sparse, dun hen collar hackle. It looks like a traditional soft-hackled wet fly, and you can squeeze it wet so it sinks a fraction of an inch or grease it so it floats low in the surface film, where it works as an emerger or a crippled dun'.

He covers materials, hooks and tools needed as well as small, medium and large flies as well as spinners, midges, caddis damsels and hoppers, nymphs and streamers. Starting on page 134 he does in-depth explanations of what makes the various caddis i.e. 'Elk-Hair Caddis Light, hook mustard 94840, size 12-18;Thread yellow 8/0;Body:Yellow rabbit-fur dubbing, thin. Palmer hackle: medium ginger. Wing: sparse blond or medium bleached elk, tied down-wing style with the butts clipped to form a small head'. Now this is valuable information because it allows the novice or master to know what supplies to have on hand.

My Dad and brother are/were avid hunters and reading this book I was constantly reminded of why my family saved certain hides of elk, deer, rabbits, pheasant, quail, for flies. At the time I never gave it much thought and assumed everyone did. Not until I was an adult and happened upon a fly tie class where people were told where to purchase the stuff did it dawn on me that not everyone is the real McCoy.

It's hard to sit still long enough to read this book. Every few pages has me up out of my seat--what am I doing reading, when I could be at the vise creating? Gierach offers several ideas in this book that I've tried and like (Now, what will I do with all those Wooly Buggers tied the old way?). Of course, his preferences and biases don't always gel with my own, nor with those of other tier-authors. But even when I disagree (I like the looks of beadheads), the preferences he explains in this book offer plenty to think about. In addition, he offers some unforgetable common sense anecdotes reminscent of the stories in books like _Sex, Death, and Fly-Fishing_.

One quibble: The cover blurb compares Gierach favorably with Mark Twain. As a humorist I think Twain may remain above Gierach. But Gierach's reputation as a humorist after the manner of Twain fails to offer justice to the range of Gierach's work.

This book is great fun to read and gives you a better perspective on flies and there history. The chapters are well thought out and very enjoyable to read. The tools and materials chapter is very good also. Like all of Geirach's book it is a good read that you will read again and again.

Book was sent as advertisedGood Flies: Favorite Trout Patterns and How They Got That Way

This book was something I anticipated as I went to stand in the check outline at Borders on a snowy Saturday Feburary morning. I had cabin fever and was missing weather in which I could fish, so I went to purchase a book I hoped would help carry me back to my favorite stream. In reading this book, I was exposed to the ruminations of a good writer, but little that would lift the absence of my favorite hobby from, my mind. Sure, it was clearly and entertainingly written. But it was not much more than that. There was little insight offered to me, the reader who had some experience fly-fishing. That is why I gave if only four stars. It was good, but lacked new insight or information. Oh well, not everything can be a home run. Get it and enjoy.

The book is basically a rant on different flies and how they differ and what you can do and shouldn't do to them. Informative and interesting but it's not a typical John Gierach book like you've read before. Now, would I still buy this book . . . YES, it's still full of interesting tips for those who spend the winter tying.

John Gierach's straight to the point, matter of factness on flies, trout's selectivity (or lack thereof) and his total lack of sacred cows on the stream is a hoot.

When you buy this one (and you WILL buy it, if not now then eventually) have a good seat, expect a fun and informative read: it's not entirely what you're expecting. Most of what you're expecting is there... but, hey, it's John after all.

Disappointing: I thought this one was not up to Geirach's own standard of idiosyncracy, his way with a "serious" fishing topic --and I definitely challenge to the reductionist flyfisher/reviewer who said "flies are just means to and end" --so lures and flies are the same? Then why bother.

Puck John's books usually light up something -- something that stays with you above and beyond fishing. When you blow away the clever bits here, there's not much news or insight, as here was in Bamboo. If anybody could unravel the sphinx nature of some fly patterns, it woulda been him.

But not.

PS: I think the legend on the half title page is misattributed, to Wendell Barry 9s9c) = Berry. Anyone else get that?