The freshwater fly fisher relies on tiny lures called "flies" to trick the quarry, usually trout. The idea is to present the fly to the fish in a way that makes the fly look like an insect floating on the surface (a dry fly) or beneath it (a wet fly).
In theory, the fish takes the fly, the angler hooks the fish. Usually, though, the fish wins.
In the world of angling, the fly fisher is considered apart, viewed as much as an artist as a fisher.
That's due mostly to three things. One is the dramatic-looking, tricky-to-master technique of whipping out and retrieving line. Another is the gorgeous locales in which they fish, such as rushing streams backdropped by mountain ranges or the gin-clear waters of Bahamian flats.
Third and most important is the lore (and expense) of the gear – hand-tied flies made with feathers and animal hair; graphite-boron composite rods (upward of $500); split-willow creels and shiny reels rated for their "run-stopping power"; waders and wading boots; and other apparel and accessories such as vests, packs, fly boxes and lanyards.
Of course, our state has its share of fly fishers among the 2 million-plus Californians who buy fishing licenses each year. The fly fishers angle mostly for trout in rivers and streams from the last Saturday in April through Nov. 15, which is traditional trout season (though different dates apply to some bodies of water).
As a sidebar, note that the sport got some serious exposure in the 1992 release "A River Runs Through It," directed by Robert Redford. If you fly fish, you'll want to track it down.
Now, the super-serious fly fisher can add three books to the repertoire.
• "50 Fly-Tying Patterns in a Box" by Peter Gathercole (Barron's, $14.99) is a deck of "cards" that instruct you on how to make 50 flies. Each card lists the materials needed with information about how and where to use each fly. The included reference book is a guide to essential tools, techniques and terminology.
• "Flies, Ties and Techniques" by Charles Jardine (Barron's, $18.99, 224 pages) also shows how to make 50 flies but also includes information about the behavior of the flies in the water, the tactics for their use, the months to use them and the kinds of fish they attract. For instance, the red fox squirrel nymph, Jardine writes, "could look like a scud, hog louse, sow bug, cased caddis, caddis pupa – a smorgasbord, actually. And that is where its effectiveness lies."
• A third title departs from fly-tying and gets more into actually catching fish – "Fly Fisher's Logbook" by Terry Lawton (Collins, $24.95, 224 pages). It opens with instructions on how to use the information gathered in your personal logbook and closes with advice on rods, reels, leaders and knots; clothing and accessories; choosing the fishing venue and the appropriate flies; how to "read" the water; tips for improving your catch rate; and the proper handling for catch-and-release fishing. The logbook part allows anglers to record vital information from each outing, such as location, weather conditions and style of fishing.
Oh, here's one more title: "Fish: The Cook's Essential Companion" by Rick Moonen (Houghton Mifflin, $35, 448 pages). You need travel no farther than the market.
Call The Bee's Allen Pierleoni, (916) 321-1128.
