Nymphs Volume II: Stoneflies, Caddisflies, and Other Important Insects: Including the Lesser Mayflies [Hardcover]

Ernest G. Schwiebert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

A thorough guide to the classification and identification of the larval forms of the insects that trout eat, all across North America, with highly detailed descriptions of the insects; includes over 80 recipes for tying artificial nymphs.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Ernest G. Schwiebert published the first edition of Nymphs in 1973 but never ceased working on the project, and over the next thirty years he continued his research into the entomology necessary to successful trout fishing. Fly fishers in the early twenty-first century are accustomed to myriad types of artificial flies and approaches to catch trout, but back when there were still many anglers who populated a rules-bound world of dry flies and traditional wet flies, what Schwiebert said in the first edition of this book was novel and heretical. Vincent Marinaro, author of that touchstone American text, A Modern Dry-Fly Code, and hero to Schwiebert, refused to speak with the younger writer after Nymphs first appeared, as this new book promoted a violation of form that was unacceptable to the gentleman of the Letort Spring Run. Schwiebert, however, stood solidly behind his methods of identifying, tying, and fishing imitations of nymphs, a revolution in the sport. Ultimately, critics hailed his highly original book as a landmark achievement in both the art and science of fly fishing, and thousands of anglers today carry fly boxes crammed with nymphs of various sizes and colors. 

 
Now, the classic text has been fully revised and greatly expanded—in two volumes—and includes taxonomic details of multitudes of individual nymphs from many different insect genera, hundreds of recipes for imitations, and digitally
remastered original illustrations and numerous new illustrations by the author. Schwiebert backs his text with authoritative support from the classic work of numerous entomologists, such as James Needham, Justin Leonard, Jay Traver, and George Edmunds, and colors it with his stories of fishing with legends of the sport, including John Hemingway, Charlie Fox, and Joe Brooks. This new Nymphs calls upon decades of angling experience—years that connect extraordinarily different eras of fly-fishing—to present a lasting, highly usable angler’s entomology for all of North America.

From the Back Cover

“Many of us who began our trout fishing at a young age had our ‘go to’ books,
 essential texts that reinforced our stream-side lessons with dry flies. But later, after having given up garden hackle for fur and feathers, we began to explore what was under the surface. Then and there we discovered a treasure: Ernie Schwiebert’s beautifully illustrated, studious and stylish Nymphs. This was a text and a reference for serious anglers of every age. And now Ernie’s final project, one that he was truly excited about, this expansive, updated, two-volume edition, is a last gift from one of fly fishing’s premier authors.”
 —Peter Van Gytenbeek, President and CEO, The Federation of Fly Fishers

“Did you ever wonder if you knew enough about nymphs? After you've read this
revised and updated version of Ernest Schwiebert’s masterpiece, you can move on to worrying about more pressing issues, for between the covers of these two
volumes is literally everything you need to know about identifying the larvae that trout love to eat. Even better, Schwiebert’s elegant prose and fascinating storytelling make for enjoyable, engaging reading. Nymphs is so detailed and comprehensive that the rest of us will be depending on Schwiebert’s work for decades to come.”
—Philip Monahan, Editor, American Angler

“Just as nymphs and other aquatic macroinvertebrates are the ecological
foundation of our trout streams, Schwiebert's classic book is the foundation of
any well-educated angler's understanding of those waters. No other angling
treatise provides as comprehensive a view of what occurs beneath the stream's
surface as his.”
—Charles Gauvin, President and CEO, Trout Unlimited

“Knowledge, hungrily acquired and readily shared, was the key to Ernie’s approach to life. In my opinion, he was the most important figure of the 20th century in
the fly fishing world. He would have been the first to tell you that he stood on the shoulders of Skues, Halford, Gordon, LaBranche, Marinaro, and others dating back to Walton and Cotton, but Ernie’s synthesis of all that inherited knowledge is the stuff of genius.”
—Howell Raines, author of The One That Got Away, My Soul Is Rested,
and the novel, Whiskey Man.

 

About the original, 1973 edition:
“Few books in the entire history of fishing literature have constituted such a startling advance. Nymphs now seems to me to stand alone as the most accomplished solo writer-artist contribution to fly-fishing literature. With words and art, this book opened the eyes of the next two generations of fly fishers.”
—Paul Schullery, author of American Fly Fishing: A History

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 800 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; Rev Exp edition (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599210983
• ISBN-13: 978-1599210988
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #379,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too bad it is out of print..., February 2, 2001

By 

Yuri Kuzyk (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nymphs: A Complete Guide to Naturals and Imitations (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book that combines so many different elements. Schwiebert has enough biology information that this was the reference for a long time; but it is really his famous literary skills that make this book. I guess it would date me but I can remember the first Schwiebert story I read in an ancient Flyfisherman magazine - you could always tell them because people spoke in italics, not quotes!

The book is chock full of stories and suggestions; in particular you can read Schwiebert's ideas on the ideal fly rod, fishing during a big stonefly hatch and the art of matching the hatch for nymphs.

The colour plates are gorgeous and the paper was very high quality - my copy still looks brand new. If you see a copy I highly recommend buying it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars masterpiece, September 12, 2007

By 

P. Marzinotto (new zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nymphs Volume I: The Mayflies: The Major Species (Hardcover)

Ernie, is an enlightened flyfisher and writer. The narrative is beautiful so are the colour plates of nymphs in the centerpages.
I was a bit disappointed in the lack of photography.
Lots of dressings throughout the book which could do with a photo of the pattern.
I regard this book as a must have althgough I feel it could be well embellished by addition of colour photography.
Pier

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievably comprehensive volume! A masterpiece., October 1, 2009

By 

Bobandy "Mr. Lahey's Pool Boy" (Sunnyvale Trailer Park) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nymphs Volume II: Stoneflies, Caddisflies, and Other Important Insects: Including the Lesser Mayflies (Hardcover)

Ernest Schwiebert originally published this monumental work in 1973, never fully satisfied that it was complete and up-to-date. He continued to work on it for 30 years until his death, and never ceased to improve, create, and record new illustrations, ideas, and fly patterns. Fortunately, his son picked up where he left off and provided us with this new (2007) volume that includes all the work Ernest had put into the ever-evolving treatise on aquatic insects that trout eat. The figures are stunning. The text is rich and full of pertinent scientific information, fishing stories, and ideas about how and why the imitations work. Simply put, this book is the bible of nymph fishing information. You will not read it in one sitting. You won't get through it in a week. Not a month. Probably most useful as a reference book, or something that you can gradually wade through over a couple of seasons, the knowledge and learnings of 30+ years on the water and in the lab are something that will truly astound and impress you.
This book should definitely be in the library of any angler who wants to learn more about the wonderfully cryptic and colorful world of subaquatic insects. It would be a perfect gift for any fly fisher and I cannot recommend it enough.