The Trout and the Fly [Paperback]

Brian Clarke (Author), John Goddard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2005

The Trout and the Fly has been acknowledged as one of the most important books on fly fishing to appear in this century. It takes further than any book before it our understanding of the world of the trout and the way that the angler, his fly, his tackle and his behavior appear to the fish under water.

The book is the result of years of work by two of Britain's most respected and widely-read angling writers, supported by help from university scientists in several fields. The pictures contained in it have been selected from thousands of the authors' own photographs taken from above and below the surface. The test has been informed by high-speed film viewed frame by frame to reveal the detail of events that happen too quickly for the human eye to register.

Within this remarkable book are clear understandings for both the river and stillwater angler of: the way a trout sees (and the implications for the flyfisher of its excellent color vision); the way natural and artificial flies appear to the trout (one result of which is a series of fly patterns designed to mimic the way natural flies look from below the surface); the way that lines and leaders of different colors look from underwater - and the implications for tackle choice; the clues which fish give to their feeding behavior and how the angler can interpret them. All this information, and much more, is available in this attractive volume, which includes a new introduction and a postscript added a year after first publication, reporting observations not available in the original text. (81/2 X 103/4, 196 pages, color photos, b&w photos, diagrams)

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you are a fisherman, this book is probably going to change your life."--The New York Times

"Never have I learned as much from reading a book as I learned from this one. A treasure trove of astonishingly new information on the sport."--Fly Fisherman magazine

From the Back Cover

The Trout and the Fly has been acknowledged as one of the most important books on fly fishing ever to appear.
More than any other, this book furthers our understanding of the world of the trout and the way that the angler, his fly, his tackle, and his behavior appear to the fish underwater.
This book is the result of years of work by two of Britain's most respected and widely read angling writers, supported by university scientists in several fields. The pictures contained in it have been selected from thousands of the authors' own photographs, taken from above and below the surface. High-speed film viewed frame-by-frame reveals the details of events that happen too quickly for the human eye to register.
This remarkable book provides a clear understanding for both the river and stillwater angler. Clarke and Goddard explain everything you need to know about:
The way a trout sees (and the implications for the fly fisher of its excellent color vision)
The way natural and artificial flies appear to the trout (one result of which is a series of fly patterns designed to mimic the way natural flies look from below the surface)
The way that lines and leaders of different colors look from underwater - and the implications for tackle choice
The clues fish give about their feeding behavior and how the angler can interpret them.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (December 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159228003X
• ISBN-13: 978-1592280032
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #890,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be the trout. See the bug., March 5, 2006

By 

Philip Carl "EcoAngler" (Half Moon Bay, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Trout and the Fly (Paperback)

If you wish to get inside the small, primitive brain of a trout, then read The Trout and The Fly. Most theories passed around in angling circles for how these critters behave is commonly hearsay. The authors, Brian Clarke and John Goddard - both avid fly fishermen, reveal trained and measured observations. More than any sport, fishing lends itself to word-of-mouth and story telling. Clarke and Goddard take a more analytical tact - providing the angler fundamental knowledge of trout behavior.

The book covers a lot of ground - from how to locate fish to how the trout locates the angler. The material is broken into 4 parts: (1) Observation - Man and trout, (2) Vision - Trout and man, (3) Technique - Man versus trout, and (4) Imitation - Man, trout and fly. These authors excel at transporting the reader to the cold, clear underwater world of the trout. And it's in the second part of the book where I found myself absorbed by their words and photos.

Their presentations on how a trout sees (revealed in drawings and photos) I found to be unique and awarding. Fascinating details about their depth/range of vision, their ability to discern color, the visual depiction of dry flies, the appearance of fly lines and leaders are revealed in the book's pages. To support their work, Clarke and Goddard position a camera underwater and set it to model the visual capabilities of a trout (e.g., changing the aperture setting). In ten plus pages containing color photo plates, you are treated to images of what a trout is likely to see. Ranging from how obvious an angler can appear holding a fly rod vertical in the air near the bank of a stream to the importance of wing patterns in imitating aquatic insects... it's all shown in vivid detail. The color photos alone can justify the purchase of The Trout and the Fly!

Each page contains keen observations, useful tips and above all an implicit philosophy embodied by the authors. As I see it, the philosophy throughout is one of looking, patient waiting, looking some more, and finally learning how these animals interact with their surroundings. The fruit of this philosophy is ultimately the knowledge they share.

This book was first reviewed on the reviewer's own site: EcoAngler.com - The Nature of Fly Fishing.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn to 'think' like a trout, with the help of Brian Clarke, August 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Trout and the Fly (Hardcover)

Excellent insight into the ways of the trout, and the environment in which the trout thrives. Where to find trout under different circumstances, but most of all actually showing you why and how the trout reacts to different stimuli like light, heat, sound, chemistry etc. etc.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good info, March 20, 2010

By 

salmonid m (LA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Trout and the Fly (Paperback)

The book presents some interesting information about trout and trout fishing. It is particularly strong on some unusual and perhaps unique examinations of how and what trout see.