The May Fly – Spring Tide-The Angler and His Friends, George Akerman, London, (1852)

This annotated bibliography is intended to list both notable and not so notable works of English language, non-fiction and fiction related to the sport of fly fishing listed by year published. Although 100% of any book listed is not necessarily devoted to fly fishing, all these titles have significant fly fishing content. Included in this bibliography is a list of fly tying, fly tackle, regional guides, memoirs, stories and fly fishing fiction related literature.

Annotations

Annotations may reflect descriptive comments from the book's dust jacket, third party reviews or personal, descriptive and qualitative comments by individuals who have read the book. Some older works have links to online versions in the Internet Archive or Google Books.

Fly tying and patterns

Main articles: Fly tying and Artificial fly

19th century

William Blacker (the Irishman who operated a tackle shop at 54 Dean Street, Soho, London) was acknowledged as one of the best trout and salmon fly dressers of this day. His fly dressing methods are described and illustrated in his book The Art of Fly-making which first appeared in 1842 and was reissued in 1843 and again in 1855

— Alec Jackson, The American Fly Fisher.[1]

The Salmon Fly enjoys a unique position in the literature of fly dressing since it brought order and system to the classification of salmon flies and the methodology of salmon fly dressing.[3]

20th century

1900–1940s

1950–1970s

1980–1990s

21st century

2000–2009

2010–2020

Fly fishing entomology and other prey studies

And probably the most far-reaching of all American fly-fishing books since World War II, Doug Swisher and Carl Richard's Selective Trout (1971) elevated our thinking not only in fly-fishing theory, but also, through its wonderful photographs of insects, in our basic understanding of what the flies really imitated.

— Paul Schullery, The Rise, 2006[10]

Fly fishing anthologies

Fly fishing stories and memoirs

Herbert Hoover, thirtieth President of the United States, is a modern Izaak Walton. He values fishing for the solitude it brings and it theapeutic values to modern man as respects both body and spirit. The present tract is written in the Izaak Walton tradition and perpetuates the tradition of the wily "fresh water trouts" and their ability to outwit man.

— Justice William O. Douglas of the United States Supreme Court[15]

Nowhere else can you get the sidelights on Gordon, LaBranche, and Hewitt that this book gives you, along with the evocative prose that lets you relive, vicariously, some of the most extraordinary fishing and fishing companions of the last five decades. Sparse Grey Hackle was Alfred Miller's pseudonym for these writings which were originally only available as a private publication of the Anglers Club of New York

— Arnold Gingrich, The Fishing in Print, 1974.[16]

Gierach is so laid back he almost vanishes from sight and maybe this is the secret of his writing. These are stories, pure and simple, most of them come from nowhere and go to nowhere and they are about the sort of things we all do, so they seep into your soul and never quite leave you, the way all good writing should. Unlike many writers, Gierach's style and storylines transfer effortlessly from one continent to another and the book has sold well all over the world

— Dr. Andrew Herd, A Fly Fishing History[17]

Fly fishing poetry

Fly fishing humor

Fly fishing art and artists

Fly fishing fiction

The loveliest of all her simple narratives is that which I have chosen to stand near the end of this book, – a kind of benediction on anglers.

— Henry Van Dyke, A Creelful of Fishing Stories, 1932[26]

Geographic, regional and specific waters fly fishing guides

... journalist Sadja provides an engaging history of sport fishing in Pennsylvania.

— Explore Pennsylvania History[30]

Fly rods and fly casting

References

  1. ^ Jackson, Alec (Summer 1982). "Blacker's Art of Fly Making, 1855 – The peculiar and eccentric production of a milestone book". The American Fly Fisher. 9 (3): 12–19.
  2. ^ Herd, Dr. Andrew (2003). The Fly. Shropshire, UK: Medlar Press. ISBN 1899600191.
  3. ^ Jackson, Alec (Summer 1980). "Salmon Systematics-A review of Two Editions of George Kelson's Monumental Book on Salmon Flies and Salmon Fishing". The American Fly Fisher. 7 (3): 24–28.
  4. ^ Sisk, Toney J., Wayward Fly Fishing Book Reviews
  5. ^ Nelson, Bryant (December 6, 1992), "OUTDOORS; Insightful Reading on Hunting and Fishing to Pass the Winter", The New York Times book review
  6. ^ "Sisk, Toney J. Wayward Fly Fishing Book Reviews".
  7. ^ "Petti, Bob, Global Fly Fisher Book Reviews". Archived from the original on 2010-11-14. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
  8. ^ Gingrich, Arnold (1974). The Fishing In Print-A Guided Tour Through Five Centuries of Angling Literature. New York: Winchester Press. pp. 282. ISBN 0876911572.
  9. ^ Schullery, Paul (1996). American Fly Fishing-A History. Norwalk, Connecticut: The Easton Press. pp. 85–99, 199–200..
  10. ^ Schullery, Paul (2006). The Rise-Streamside Observations on Trout, Flies and Fly Fishing. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. p. 105. ISBN 978-0811701822.
  11. ^ Gingrich, Arnold (1974). The Fishing In Print-A Guided Tour Through Five Centuries of Angling Literature. New York: Winchester Press. p. 334.
  12. ^ Serviente, Barry (1996). Angler's Art Catalog. Plainfield, Pennsylvania: The Anglers Art. pp. 95–96.
  13. ^ Gingrich, Arnold (1974). The Fishing In Print-A Guided Tour Through Five Centuries of Angling Literature. New York: Winchester Press. pp. 317–18.
  14. ^ Schullery, Paul (1996). American Fly Fishing-A History. Norwalk, Connecticut: The Easton Press. p. 127.
  15. ^ Hoover, Herbert (1963). Fishing For Fun – And To Wash Your Soul. New York: Random House Inc. pp. DJ.
  16. ^ Gingrich, Arnold (1974). The Fishing In Print-A Guided Tour Through Five Centuries of Angling Literature. New York: Winchester Press. pp. 318–319.
  17. ^ "Dr. Andrew Herd, A Fly-fishing History". Archived from the original on 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
  18. ^ "Bie, Tom, Rodholders: John Gierach". Archived from the original on March 13, 2010.
  19. ^ Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher (April 1, 1991), "BOOKS OF THE TIMES; Fly-Fishing and Other Essentials", The New York Times book review
  20. ^ Gingrich, Arnold (1973). The Joys of Trout. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. p. 186. ISBN 0517505843.
  21. ^ "Veteran Fly Fisherman Authors 'The Fly Rod Chronicles' Essays on The Quiet Sport of Fly Fishing". Sortis Publishing. October 21, 2007 – via Newswire.
  22. ^ "W.J. Schaldach Painting – Rising Trout – 20th Century American Fine Art". www.bedfordfineartgallery.com.
  23. ^ Gingrich, Arnold (1973). The Joys of Trout. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. pp. 85–87. ISBN 0517505843.
  24. ^ Haig-Brown, Roderick L., Tom Brayshaw in Starkman, Susan B.; Read, Stanley E. (1970). The Contemplative Man's Recreation: A Bibliography of Books on Angling and Game Fish in the Library of The University of British Columbia. Vancouver, Canada: The Library of the University of British Columbia. pp. 15–20.
  25. ^ "Academic Book: Life and Work of Writer Annie Trumbull Slosson – A Connecticut Local Colorist". mellenpress.com.
  26. ^ Van Dyke, Henry, ed. (1932). A Creelful of Fishing Stories. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
  27. ^ "Fiction Set In Maine, Waterboro Public Library". Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
  28. ^ "Fly Anglers OnLine, Your Complete Internet Flyfishing Resource". www.flyanglersonline.com.
  29. ^ "Globe Pequot Press". Archived from the original on 2005-02-09. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
  30. ^ ExplorePAHistory.com Pennsylvanians and the Environment Bibliography
  31. ^ "Wood, Vreeland, Fly Fishing Resources Book Reviews". Archived from the original on 2007-07-19. Retrieved 2010-03-10.