Customer Reviews

Steelhead Fly Fishing

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

 

 

I'm not interested in selling this product to or for anyone, and I rarely write reviews, but after reading this book I felt like I had to say something about it. The essence of fly fishing for steelhead CANNOT be encapsulated into a bound volume...the subtle nuances of the sport far exceed the explanatory capacity of the written word. That said, Trey Combs loves this sport like few others I've encountered, and writes with a technical proficiency that is almost completely missing in this genre. The historical information alone makes this volume worth spending twenty dollars of your discretionary income, and if you tie flies, you really NEED to have this book. There is a separate chapter on nearly every relevant steelhead river in the west (save the smaller, out of the way streams, which we all thank Trey for not including). The author has fished them all extensively, knows the locals, understands the ethics of the sport, and writes VERY well. The book is a smooth pictoral not only of fly fishing in western rivers but of the new conservationist mentality that simply must be adopted if we want our kids to ever have a shot at catching a wild steelhead. This one tops out at over five hundred pages, and serves not only as entertainment but as an angling period-piece as well as a streamside and tying-benchside reference. Any one who fly fishes for Pacific Steelhead should own this. On a side-note, those of you who fish for great lakes steelhead should really read this as well. The good doctor Combs calls your fish "land-locked" steelhead and doesn't really comment on the fishery aside from that. Having spent a decent amount of time fly fishing the Salmon River in upstate New York, I can only comment that Trey's technique suggestions are beneficial for anyone fishing anywhere for any strain of steelhead. Although I currently concentrate my efforts on Pacific fish due to geographic convenience, I would love the opportunity to get back to NY and fish the Ontario tributaries again.

Trey does a good job of covering most aspects of how fly fishing for steelhead "feels." From the best anglers to the best water to the general methods/gear he gives a good overview of steelhead fishing in general. I enjoy sitting down and reading his observations. If you are looking for a tecnical "how to" book, this probably isn't the one (get Dec Hogan's "Passion for Steelhead").

Exelent from start to finish! The perfect seller to buy from! I will recomend you for everyone.

Lots of great information. The author is very knowledgeable about the subject and this book shows his passion for the subject. I would however prefer that the photos were in color.

Hey guys, I bought this book last year because I was getting into steelhead fishing and wanted to explore new rivers, techniques, etc. I have trout fished for 15 years, I tie all my own flies, done tons of salmon fishing and was spending more and more time chasing steelhead. I wanted a book I could use as a guide so I can plan some trips. I read all the reviews prior to reading this book and again before writing my own review. I think this book has been given way too high of a rating by others. I just don't understand how they come up with those reviews.

The book is really a compilation of short stories written by folks who fished the rivers. Another review mentioned it focuses on the "feel" of fishing on each river. That would be true, it's full of very descriptive short stories about past trips (some a very long time ago). If you are looking for some winter reading to get you excited about fishing, then it's a decent choice. But if you want to learn something about the rivers, water type, popular techniques, flies, maps, access points, times of year to fish, what to look for, best sections, etc...you should find another book. Sorry to be negative, but I was disappointed.

The book comes up short compared to many of the other books I have. This is by no means a guide to rivers. I found it a little "fluffy" with very little useful material. There is a short attempt to cover flies, but they're all the basic flies you would see in any book from the past 20 years. Nothing new (or even modern really).

Minor note - I was disappointed with the quality of the book. The cover is great, but the rest of book has an old school feel (like when you pull an old fishing book out of the attic). Only black and white pictures, low quality paper, no diagrams or charts...just short story text.

Sorry fellas...it didn't meet my expectations.
~Tight Lines

If you're already a steelhead flyfisher this book looks like an interesting read to get lots of anecdotes, other people's perspectives, and tons of paterns. But if, like me, you're a beginner looking for a book that will help you with "Tackle and Techniques", skip this.

Trey's encylopedic descriptions feel targeted for people who already know what he's saying - he jumps right into detailed verbose descriptions of every kind of tackle he knows about - who'd be interested in this I am not sure, but there was no actionable information I could find. And so it goes.

If you want to confirm and expand your own already substantial experience this book may be for you, but if you're interested in learning how and where to find good steelhead water, what to look for on the river and how to fish the different types of water you'll find, or how to tie key patterns, this book will disappoint.

Coombs invites the best of steelheaders to discuss their favorate western stream, fly patterns, presentation, and memories. Very useful for patterns and places to fish.

Is this the second book which includes the section on the Klamath River in California?