Reading The Water (David Hughes Fishing Library) [Paperback]

Dave Hughes (Author)

Book Description

Series: David Hughes Fishing Library | Publication Date: August 1, 1988

A comprehensive sourcebook for finding trout in all types of water. Covers stream structure, trout foods, and effective flies for riffles, runs, pools, flats, and other water types in small creeks, average trout streams, and large trout rivers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dave Hughes is the editor of Flyfishing and Tying Journal and has written more than 25 fishing books, including Essential Trout Flies (0-8117-2748-3), Handbook of Hatches (0-8117-2087-X), and Wet Flies: Tying and Fishing Soft-Hackles, Winged and Wingless Wets, and Fuzzy Nymphs (0-8117-1868-9).

Product Details

• Paperback: 223 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books (August 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811722635
• ISBN-13: 978-0811722636
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #916,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dave Hughes is author of more than 20 books about fly fishing. They include the classic Western Hatches with Rick Hafele, American Fly Tying Manual, Handbook of Hatches, Reading Trout Water, Dry Fly Fishing, Nymph Fishing, and the massive referenceTrout Flies. His latest book, published in 2009, is Nymphs for Streams and Stillwaters. His next book is Pocketguide to Western Hatches, due out in fall of 2011.

Dave was founding president of Oregon Trout in 1983, and was awarded life membership in the Federation of Flyfishers in 1985. He was awarded the Pete Hidy honorary life membership in the Flyfishers Club of Oregon in 1992 for his literary accomplishments. Dave received the prestigious Letcher Lambuth Angler Craftsman Award in 2008 from the Washington Fly Fishing Club. He is also a life member of his home club, the Rainland Flycasters in Astoria, Oregon.

Born in Astoria, Oregon on the 4th of July, 1945, Dave worked his way through college at jobs specializing in the Three Ds--Dirty, Difficult, and Dangerous: mink ranches, tuna canneries, and shrimp boats. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1967, from Army Infantry Officer Candidate School in 1968. Dave served one-and-a-half years in Viet Nam, 6 months as a communications site commander in the Mekong Delta, and one year as liaison officer to the Commanding General of communications in the Southeast Asia theater.

Dave is an accomplished amateur aquatic entomologist. His hobbies include collecting, identifying, and photographing the aquatic insects that are fed upon by trout, as well as tying and fishing the flies that match those insects and fool those trout. His articles on fly fishing have appeared in Field & Stream, Gray's Sporting Journal, Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, Fly Fisherman magazine, American Angler, and Fly Tyer. Dave served as editor of Flyfishing & Tying Journal for eight years, and is currently Elements of Success columnist for Fly Rod & Reel, essayist for Northwest, Southwest, and Eastern Flyfishing, and Minor Notes columnist for Flyfishing & Tying Journal.

Dave lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Japanese fly fishing writer Masako Tani, and their daughter Kosumo.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK!, May 15, 2000

By 

KEVIN O'NEILL (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reading The Water (David Hughes Fishing Library) (Paperback)

Dave Hughes does an excellent job describing and teaching how to read water. On most rivers, you will often see flyfisherman fishing the wrong type of water or at least fishing certain types of water with the wrong technique. Dave Hughes explains the basics water types (riffles, runs, pools, dead water, etc.) in detail. He also explains the different types of aquatic insects found in each type of water and why will be found in certain types of water over others (e.g. why certain nymphs are found primarily in the riffles and others more in pools. He explains where fish will be in each type of water, what insect types will be in each type of water and what techniques work to catch the fish in each water type. It is an all-around very educational book for both the beginner and advanced flyfisher. The beginner can get a wealth of information from the book. A more experienced flyfisher will get many tips/techniques from this book and can use it as an all-around reference book to be read at least once a year. Don't pass up this book because the title seems simple. Everyone can learn a ton from this book. I highly recommend this book.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars well written, very informative, April 5, 2001

By 

Jonathan Tapper (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reading The Water (David Hughes Fishing Library) (Paperback)

I think that the other review does a good job reviewing, but I'll take a stab at it...I am an semi-experienced fisher who needed to learn more about reading the water, and I am gaining a wealth of good information. The only drawback, and this is coming from me, is a lack of good illustrative pictures. Reading about a riffle or ledge is good, and I am learning alot, but if the book had more photos I would think it would be perfect. But I would definately recommend this book.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rosenbauer did it better, April 4, 2005

By 

hk538 (NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reading The Water (David Hughes Fishing Library) (Paperback)

Tom Rosenbauers "Orvis Guide to Reading Trout Streams" is a much better read with more comprehensive, useful, understandable information. Dave Hughes has a few decent tying books and his "Small Streams" book, in my opinion, is his best work, though Gierach gives him a run for his money. Try Rosenbauers book first. You'll be so glad you did.