Anglers who are book lovers are privileged to have a huge selection of fly fishing titles to choose from. Books make beautiful gifts. As author and radio personality Garrison Keillor said “A book is a gift you can open again and again.”
Here are Fish Tales' best reads for 2024:
Celebrated fly fishing author John Gierach passed away earlier in 2024, and it's unlikely there will ever be another writer as treasured by anglers everywhere. His stories are filled with honesty, humor, and humility as he shares his experiences in fly fishing.
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Chasing Chrome Tying Steelhead and Salmon Flies by Jonathan Farmer
Chasing Chrome is a step by step guide to Jonathan Farmer's steelhead and Pacific salmon flies. This book is packed full of proven patterns from Alaska, throughout the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes and beyond. This new book is beautifully bound and is well suited for beginners all the way to advanced fly tyers.
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The Curtis Creek Manifesto by Sheridan Anderson This is a classic that we recommend to new anglers and the experienced alike. You'll find between the covers a fully illustrated guide to the strategy, finesse, tactics and paraphernalia of fly fishing. With its simple, straightforward approach the illustrations are done with great classic humor. Easy to read and understand for both adults, and children. |
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The Klink by Hans Van Klinken features full instructions for tying Hans' most important flies including The Klinkhamer Special, probably the most popular fishing fly in the world today. It floats on the end of fly lines on salmon, trout or grayling rivers, from Britain to USA, and Scandinavia to Mongolia. This year marks the fly's 40th anniversary and to celebrate the occasion, its creator Hans van Klinken has at last written his long-awaited first book.
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Lords of the Fly by Monte Burke This book is our top pick for saltwater anglers. Filled with larger-than-life characters and vivid prose, Lords of the Fly is not only a must read for anglers of all stripes, but also for those interested in the desperate yearning of the human condition. We carry this book in both hard cover and paperback editions. |
The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson
Natural history meets true crime meets fly tying. We highly recommend this book for anglers and non-anglers alike. The Feather Thief takes you through some history before launching into a real-life drama that impacts the angling community and beyond. We think you'll have a hard time putting this book down.
The Believer: Year in the Fly Fishing Life by David Coggins is a humble, humorous call for the journey that is as enriching as the destination, where the search for greater self-awareness leads to patience, observation, and endurance. And, since this is fly-fishing, after all, there's always the possibility of abject failure and leaping, glorious reward. Wry, entertaining, thoughtful, and relatable, The Believer is a wonderful example of how well angling can weave us into the world (Gray's Sporting Journal) and will hook both anglers and non-anglers alike.
Cast, Catch, and Release by Marina Gibson
Cast, Catch, Release by Marina Gibson is an inspiring true story about the healing power of water from one of the world's best known female anglers. In her early twenties, drifting and directionless, Marina Gibson fled the city for the countryside, and picked up a fishing rod for the first time in years. Alongside the twists and turns of her own story, Marina traces the epic migratory journey of the Atlantic salmon and its fight for survival against the odds. Cast, Catch, Release is a love letter to the water, and what it means to find peace and purpose in the great outdoors.
The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing by Mark Kurlansky
The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing marries Kurlansky's signature wide-ranging reach with a subject that has captivated him for a lifetime. This book combines history, craft, and personal memoir to show readers, devotees of the sport or not, the necessity of experiencing nature’s balm first-hand.
A River Runs Through it by Norman Maclean
This classic title novella is recognized as one of the great American tales of the twentieth century, and Maclean as one of the most beloved writers of our time. The finely distilled product of a long life of often surprising rapture - for fly-fishing, for the woods, for the interlocked beauty of life and art - A River Runs through It has established itself as a classic of the American West.
Trout Streams of Alberta by Jim McLennan
Also one of Fish Tales' best-selling books, Trout Streams of Alberta is a must-have for anglers wanting to explore Alberta waters. Also on our list is Jim Mclennan's Trout Tracks - Essays on Fly Fishing
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Backroad Mapbooks Southern Alberta
To help you take advantage of Southern Alberta’s many outdoor adventure opportunities, the 5th edition of the Southern Alberta Backroad Mapbook features extensive updates and upgrades from the last publication.
