False Albacore: A Comprehensive Guide to Fly Fishing's Hottest Fish (Hardcover)

by Tom Gilmore (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The first and only book to reveal when, where, and how to catch the amazing false albacore.

The false albacore is a strong and lightning-fast member of the tuna family that has been discovered by the saltwater flyfishing world as one of the most challenging species to target. These fish are so fast and so strong for their weight that they are known to break fishermen's hearts along with their expensive fly rods. False Albacore covers the life history, biology, migratory patterns, and feeding habits of this great fish, as well as the tackle and techniques that are necessary to catch them.

These fast-moving beauties migrate down the eastern coastline from Massachusetts to Florida each fall. The recognized mecca for pursuing them is North Carolina, where the greatest fly fishermen from around the world congregate to take part in the fall blitz. Tom Gilmore has spent years learning their tricks, as well as those of the guides that pursue them. He has uncovered hot spots ranging from Massachusetts to as yet undiscovered waters in Florida. False Albacore is the first and only book dedicated exclusively to the pursuit of this exciting species. 30 black & white photographs, 12 color photographs, 6 maps, index.

• False albacore is the hottest fish in the fly fishing world. Many lifetime fly fishermen are only now discovering the existence of this fish and are pursuing them for the first time.
• False Albacore is the first and only book-length treatment of the subject.
• Tom Gilmore is a well-known conservationist and regional speaker.

About the Author
Tom Gilmore is president and CEO of the New Jersey Audubon Society. He is the past president and general manager of the Philadelphia Zoological Society. He is now an avid and relentless pursuer of false albacore with a fly rod. He lives in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Countryman Press; 1 edition (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 088150520X
• ISBN-13: 978-0881505207
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #201,852 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Reel-Time's Review of "False Albacore", December 29, 2003

By	DC Churbuck "David" (Cape Cod, Mass. USA) - See all my reviews

Tom Gilmore has caught the essence of angling for these inedible rocket-fish in his well-crafted book on the species, False Albacore , devoting more than 200 pages to a fishery that has emerged as the top Atlantic coast challenge. Fast, powerful, and maddening to catch, false albacore represent an addiction that surpasses the romance of the striped bass, the bulldoggedness of the bluefish, or the tropical hunt of the bonefish with its manic habits, its pulse quickening attacks, and its well-deserved reputation for trashing gear and making otherwise sane fishermen somewhat nutty.

Gilmore, who is president and CEO of the New Jersey Audubon Society, is a good writer who gets right down to business, and wastes little time in delving into the details of what tackle, flies, and technique is needed to nail an albie on the fly rod. While the book assumes some fly fishing experience, and doesn't attempt to teach too many basics, it is a perfect starting point for a beginning and intermediate saltwater angler looking to diversify his or her catch list from the usual stripers and blues to something with an exotic punch.

The book is well illustrated, includes an excellent set of color photographs of top fly patterns as tied by their originators, and is divided between a comprehensive how-to section in the first-halt and a guide to false albacore hot spots from Massachusetts to Florida. Gilmore interviewed more than 50 guides and other experts in researching False Albacore , collecting the kind of hard won experience from a broad group that yields some nuggets and tricks that even the most experienced false albacore angler can appreciate.

Having a bit of a false albacore "problem" myself, and having devoted far too many hours and tanks of gas in pursuit of the fish, I consider myself a capable, if not experienced fisherman when it comes to albies. Yet on multiple occasions throughout the book I found myself taking note of some insights that while intuitively I may have picked up on the water, I had never really consciously considered until reading Gilmore.

As any one can attest, finding then casting, and finally hooking and landing a false albacore can seem like an extremely daunting prospect at first. Gilmore cuts away at a lot of the uncertainty by emphasizing tide, structure, the prevalent baitfish, small patterns over large, slow sinking lines over floaters (in most circumstances), blind casting, and preparation. With the added bonus of some specific directions to some well-known albacore spots, this is an essential book for someone setting out to find a tiny tuna for the first time.

David Churbuck, Reel-Time: The Internet Journal of Saltwater Fly Fishing

3.0 out of 5 stars Save your money and invest in Crease Flies!, January 20, 2003

By A Customer

Although Albies have gotten little space in other more general Northeast Fishing Classics, like Inshore Fly Fishing and Fly Rodding the Coast, I'm not sure that we have enough information about our quarry for an entire book dedicated to the hottest long rod gamefish. I would have said the same about Dick Brown's Fly Fishing for Bonefish and Lou Tabory's Stripers on the Fly, but they were much more comprehensive and the techniques have been develped for many years. Fishing for Albies is a very new game. The Deceiver was on a postage stamp before people started targeting Albies with a long rod.

If you've caught one Albie, most of this book won't be that helpful. Most of Gilmore's insights are anecdotal, based solely on his experience and guide interviews, but it's not his fault. What scientist would be interested in studying a "trash" fish? The locale guide and guide directory will save you a lot of research time. One thing to note is that Montauk and Harkers are great Albie fisheries, but on a weekends are a mess with boats everywhere. You can easily hook someone in another boat with your back cast.

I'd also would have loved to see more photos of smiling anglers with a fish. I look forward to the second edition with more substance. Despite the it's flaws, this book will probably become a classic.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bent rods and screaming reels!, April 30, 2003

By	Leonard Maiorano (Toms River ,NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For Many years Tom Gilmore has been a well respected authority on chasing and landing Northeast species on a flyrod. His
public seminars for fishing clubs throughout the east often pack a full house to Enlightened Longrodders.

His Knowledge and Practical Expierience come through in this well researched book, making this comprehensive guide perfectly clear to fishermen of all skill levels who read it.

This book was extremely helpful offering all pertinent information from tackle to seasonal Hotspots. If you are not yet an Albie angler read this book and you'll soon be!