 |
|
 |
|
Fly Fishing Smallmouth: Book Reviews
Clousers Flies | by Bob Clouser 2006. Review by Brad Miller
Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass by Harry MurrayHarry Murray wrote one of the first books devoted specifically to smallmouth in 1989. This book is viewed by many as the source for smallmouth life cycle, places to find them and especially fly patterns and tying hints. I think the drawings by Dave Whitlock are enjoyable in and of themselves. (I like Dave Whitlock, I like his wife even more.) The black and white photographs are amateurish, but OK. Harry has a companion video that puts the book into action. This is heavily into fly patterns and tying which most of us appreciate. You fly tiers will definitely want this one in your library since it contains more information on patterns than any other I’ve seen. There is a ton of good information, some of which gets lost in the occasional long stretches of uninterrupted text. I really liked the knot section. This is the most heavily promoted smallmouth book on the internet and since its been around for about thirty years, has withstood the test of time.
Fly Fishing for Bass: Smallmouth, Largemouth, Exotics by Left KrehI got most of this as a subject focus book within the “Lefty’s Little Library of Fishing” which I bought several years ago. Lefty Kreh is the foremost author, probably in the world, on fly fishing. I take my hat off to anyone who can travel throughout out the world catching fish on a fly rod and finding a way to make money doing it! Left Kreh is more than just an author, he’s an excellent teacher, as well. Nearly everything he has ever written is well done and jam packed with more nonsensical and practical fishing information than anyone else could get in two lifetimes. He is the Ralph Waldo Emerson of fly fishing writing - no sentence is wasted, everything he writes gives you something useful. His treatise on saltwater fly fishing is the absolute Bible, bar none. This guy has done it all. Do yourself a favor and read everything you can from Lefty. You will expand your horizons through him and become a much better angler. That said, the book is good. The photographs are beautiful and there’s a lot of good how to information between the covers. His anecdotal references are always good. In the end, I wish there was more. He simplifies fly selection much more than Murray. I think this is good. I tend to be a generalist and get confused by three boxes overstuffed with every pattern known to mankind. My biggest criticism of Lefty’s book is that it is too short.
Smallmouth Bass: A Handbook of Strategies by Al Lindner For those of you interested in basic smallmouth natural history, location, and presentation tactics throughout the country this book is OK. To me, this book seemed like a rush job. It is is basically a scrap book of previously written info with a bunch of stale “filler” techno-stuff” that we all kind of got back in the 70’s. The Lindners “fill” too much space with their calendar system of seasonal classification. The spend too much time describing limnological (lake stuff) detail that gets boring very quickly. Nearly the entire book is devoted to spin fishing. There is a tiny section on fly fishing that can is easily missed if you are rifling through this book. If you are a die hard fly fisherman, rifle through it and put it back on the book store shelf. There are much better books for you.
Smallmouth Fly Fishing by Tim Holschlag  I’m sure there’s other fishing authorities out there that are monomaniacal. Few demonstrate the tunnel vision of Tim Holschlag. No one is more dedicated to smallmouth bass. I met Tim years ago when my brother arranged a smallmouth trip down the Mississippi with Tim. We had a great time fishing and getting an unusual tutorial on micropterus dolomieu. I knew it was going to be different when Tim repeatedly referred to walleyes as those other rough fish.
Most fishing writers learn to flock shoot when it comes to passing for a guru. They quickly realize its better to cover a number of different species for monetary reasons. The saltwater boom saw many trout writers “osmo-regulate” (changing biological chemical requirements from salt to freshwater, like salmon) to saltwater after just a couple of trips. Follow the money! Tim Holschlag is different. He has unabashedly promoted the smallmouth bass, almost exclusively, for over twenty years. (He’s also a closet pike expert, don’t tell anyone). During that time he started the Smallmouth Alliance which is currently responsible for special regulations on many waters contributing to the overall improvement of quality smallmouth fishing and environmental appreciation. Tim’s is a top notch fanatic, unrivaled in the world of smallmouth bass experts. Tim’s new book, Smallmouth Fly Fishing is written in a refreshingly jovial manner. Nearly every sentence contains something of value. I’ve read it once and will refer to it over and over again. Tim talks about common techniques such as top water and streamer fishing but goes beyond the basics. He covers a myriad of topics such as how to catch them when conditions are tough, ie., high water, cold weather, etc. The summaries at the end of each chapter read like the Boy Scout Oath of smallmouth fly fishing. If you memorized them, your catch rate would climb exponentially. The artwork is tasteful and the photographic plates near the center of the book demonstrate Tim’s proclivity for excellence in photography beyond his writing skills. The “talkin’ to the guy next door” style does not diminish the dozens of pearls revealed in this book. Tim Holschlag has spent more time learning about smallies than perhaps anyone else on the planet. He’s personally fished every type of water and reports on the best ways to approach both moving and static water conditions. His destinations section is up to date and pertinent whether you live in Minnesota or Arizona. In short, this book is on a different orbital in the small world of smallmouth fishing books. If you are serious about taking your fishing to the next level, you must have this book!
|
|
 |
|
|
| [HomeWater] [Site Map] [Contact Us] |
|
|
|
Copyright 2009-12 | FlyBass.com All rights reserved. |
Now Available!
FlyBass
Limited Edition
Fishing Hats