Customer Reviews

Trout

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

 

 

Mention the name of Ray Bergman to any group of grey-haired flyfishermen, and they will nod knowingly. Even today, Trout is looked upon as a must in any fisherman's, and especially a flyfisherman's, library.

Why? Certainly there is no shortage of literature on fishing and flyfishing. Many gifted writers have turned their talents to both the beauties and practicalities of fishing; yet Bergman is one of the few whose work has endured well past the author's lifetime. Ted Janes, editor of the book's last edition in 1976, goes so far as to include Trout in the same category as such cornerstones of the fishing literature as Dame Juliana Berners' Treatyse on Fysshynge with an Angle, Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler, Alfred Ronalds' The Fly-Fisher's Entomology, and W.C. Prime's I Go a-Fishing.

Trout speaks in a unique voice, and its voice is independent of the listener's time era. When the reader absorbs the information, he can almost picture Bergman sitting down next to him and talking to him. His very first words in the book - the dedication - immediately invite the reader to a closeness, a camaraderie.

"To you all - The many good fellows I know and have fished with, and those whose paths may never cross mine except through the medium of these pages. This is my visit with you, our fishing adventure together. I trust it will be enjoyable, instructive, and memorable."

Bergman's talents of observation and instruction are a pleasure to read. They allow the reader to immediately envision what the water is doing, what the weather is like, and how the fish are behaving. And the reader can just as easily picture himself working through the approaches that Bergman describes to the different angling puzzles he presents. Bergman details step-by-step trials, including some errors, that culminate in each puzzle's solution.

In one example, he describes an episode fishing with a companion at Brodhead's Creek in Pennsylvania. As happens with all of us, initial efforts proved fruitless.

"Because a few fish were rising we first used dry flies, but after a half hour without results we changed to wets. I don't know how many times Fred changed his flies, but I know that I tried a dozen patterns before I got a rise - to a size 14 Orange Fish Hawk that was being manipulated close to the surface by the 'hand twist' retrieve. Because occasionally the trout were breaking on the surface, we kept fishing our flies near the top, but after an hour of hard work we still had only one fish, which had taken the Orange Fish Hawk the first time it was used."

He proceeded to experiment with different depths, keeping the Hawk on and using the same retrieve style. After finding the proper depth, he exults that the "combination of depth and retrieve proved to be what was needed, and we both took quite a number of fish before tiring of the location."

This illustrates the kind of analysis that Bergman used, his powers of observation, and attention to detail. His unproductive efforts in the episode are an important part of the analysis, and he is not shy about recording them faithfully.

The appeal of his anecdotes is timeless, because, after all, a trout's gene pool and its inherent behavior patterns have changed very little over the past hundred years - and we don't expect much change for another hundred years. The types of puzzles Bergman describes are just as likely to be encountered by today's angler as by the anglers of half a century ago.

As Bergman himself observes, his life occurred during that in-between era of history, which saw the last of the so-called "old-fashioned ways" typified by stateliness, Victorian values, and a much slower pace of life. That culture was supplanted by the beginnings of the modern era, characterized by scientific and technological advances and the consequences (both good and bad) thereof. He describes it in the chapter "Early Experience:"

"When I was a boy, conditions were quite different from what they are today. I am old enough to have experienced the old-fashioned ways of the latter part of the nineteenth century and the rapid-fire progress of the twentieth. I saw the horse and carriage give way to the automobile, the dusty roads change rapidly from macadam to Tarvia and then to concrete. Each advance of progress had its effect on fishing."

This bridging or blending of eras has a curious effect on his writing. The Victorian literary style is evident throughout, yet his approaches are clearly influenced by scientific method.

Another aspect of Trout that has helped its longevity is that it appeals to the thinking angler. Much of Bergman's success can be attributed to his powers of observation and deduction, and he clearly communicates the value of these. By encouraging the reader to follow the dictates of his own reasoning rather than simply following the crowds or conventional wisdom, he strikes a chord in the intellectual snob lurking in all of us. The following comes from the chapter "Water Types and How to Fish Them."

"Most of us have so little time,... we think we must fish the best-looking spots where everyone else fishes because they must be good or no one else would fish them. This is false reasoning, because we are relying on precedents established by easy fishing and in most cases by anglers who have followed the established rules rather than the dictates of their own minds. It would pay larger dividends if we spent more time at thinking and observing than at fishing. Remember that locating fish is more than half the battle. When you know exactly where they are, then you can intelligently fish for them. Otherwise you are simply trusting to luck."

All of these factors came together at one time in history, in one man, and in a book called, simply, Trout. As long as there are members of the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo, or Salvelinus swimming in streams and lakes, and there are people trying to deceive them into taking a pointed, bent piece of metal in their mouths, Trout's place will remain secure.

Oliver Shapiro

I was given a paper back version of this book by a young lady who knew I was into fly fishing. She was going to throw the book out but I was lucky enough to be the recipient of her kind deed. This was the only book I ever read about trout fishing. The way he described his youth in developing his skills in becoming a fly fisherman made me feel comfortable in the start of long journey to enjoy catching trout with flies. The description on how to fish streams helped me in my effort to hunt for trout. If it was not for this book I probably would not have pursued this sport with the enjoyment I have for the last 20 years. I have a deep regret that this book magically disappeared from my house a few years ago but I can still see the pages in my mind when I am on a stream searching for trout. For me this was my text book for learning about fly fishing for trout.

Trout. One feature of this classic study that I have always treasured are the color plates of fly patterns painted by Dr. Edgar Burke for the 1938 first edition. These, along with four additional plates (two of fly patterns and two of spinning lures) that Burke painted for the 1952 second edition, have been faithfully reproduced in all subsequent editions and printings --- until now. In this current incarnation, published by the Warren Press in November 2010, the plates are rendered in poorly defined black-and-white photographs that make a mockery of the original art work and serve no useful purpose in helping to identify the fly patterns. The book lacks even the most rudimentary bibliographical information and gives every impression of being simply a photo reproduction of the second edition set in a new binding. Buyers interested in the original art work are therefore advised to search elsewhere for a genuine copy of Bergman's book or purchase the paperback version, which, though I have not seen it, appears to include the color plates.

TROUT, The Trout Fisherman's Bible, by Ray Bergman is a complete history of the author's immersion into the relm of matching wits with trout.

The original 1938 publication has been greatly added to for the 1966-2000 revisions.

If you like evolutions and history this is an absorbing book. I particularly like the late author's detailed descriptions on how he developed his respect and methods to entice trout throughout North American waters.

The color plates of flies are beautifully depicted and the drawings of fishing techniques and knots are well done. There are some outmoded practices described, like using gut leader and parafin dissolved in unleaded gasoline to make fly cleaner flotant.

Some of the author's fishing practices revived my appreciation of the legendary fishers in my family. It is a readable instructive book. I also liked the trade paper cover with a beautiful brown trout.

My husband had a copy of this book years ago but lost it. He is a fly tieing fisherman and wanted a book that showed how to tie a particular fly and what it should look like as a finished product. His original book from years ago had COLORED illustrations of the finished fly in it. The book I just received from Amazon had black and white pictures in it. The introduction in this book made reference to the beautiful COLORED illustrations, yet they were black and white. You can't tell from the pics in this book whether you have created a good fly or not. He was highly disappointed and I returned the book.
My original request to Amazon was "Is this particular book a fluke or is this now how it is being printed?" My only response was that I could return the book if I was not satisfied.

An incredible source of information can be found in this book. I have read several chapters over and have found something each time. There are also some great fishing stories throughout this book that had me daydreaming about fishing as I read. It took me back to an earlier time when things were simple and beautiful. I loved this book and would suggest that any Fly fisherman pick up this book.

Book in great condition, Just took 1 month to get.Otherwise happy with the purchase.Would recomend to others. May even buy one more.

The lack of the fine color plates for the flies notwithstanding (sad to hear they are not here), the information and literary style Bergman imparts is a gem, a gift from a by-gone era, yet so solid in its substance it can still speak to us who chase the "gentleman of the stream" today. In his writing Bergman sets me to mind of he old fellows I grew up with in New York's Catskill Mountains, the type of sportmen, like Bergman, who grew up in that time between the old and the new ways of things, the sort of men who knew every leaf and tree, all types of plants and their uses, men who could find fish where none seemed to be and could find game where others only saw an empty field. One of the great things about "Trout," at least for me, is it conjours up memories of those times and those men, times, because of my association with them, I was able to touch and taste a little bit - times of wool, and leather, and canvas, or bamboo rods, and double-barrel shotguns. So if you want a book that is just a great read, grab "Trout" and while reading you migth learn something.
"Trout" itself deserves five stars and more, but as the color plates have been rendered as shabby black & white pictures I gave this printing 4 stars. However, "Trout" as a work independent of this printing deserves a full five.