“A lavishly photographed dreambook of the world’s top angling spots” (Men’s Journal) Amateur or expert, every angler dreams of landing “the big one,” but that’s only part of the appeal of fly fishing. Because even when hours pass without a bite, nothing beats the rugged beauty of the surroundings. For both armchair travelers and avid outdoorsmen who may have already started a checklist of their own, Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die maps out the meccas of the fly-fishing world. Through in-depth interviews with the sport’s acknowledged gurus, author Chris Santella goes beyond standard guides to convey the very essence of the recommended locations. Readers can vicariously cast mouse patterns to fifty-pound taimen in the wilds of Mongolia, wrangle with wily permit off the Florida Keys, and match the hatch on Montana’s Armstrong’s Spring Creek. Jardines de la Reina, Cuba (tarpon), the Zhupanova River, Kamchatka (rainbow trout), and the Rio Negro, Brazil (peacock bass) are also included. The fifty essays include a cultural and natural history of each site, along with colorful anecdotes based on the author's and authorities’ experiences. With breath-takingly-beautiful photos of the spots, many by celebrated fly-fishing photographer R. Valentine Atkinson, the book also provides adventurous anglers with enough travel-and-tackle information so that they, too, can start planning excursions to go fish around the globe. Praise for Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die “Santella offers 50 short takes on the ultimate fly-fishing destinations in this beautifully photographed and nicely packaged volume . . . With its elegant descriptions, gorgeous photos and practical information, this book is a dream travel guide for avid fly-fishers.” —Publishers Weekly “Everything dad needs to tackle his next trip.” —Fort Worth Star-Telegram

For fishermen, the only thing more fun than catching fish are the stories they tell about those fish . . . and the ones that got away. Nobody knows that better than Chris Santella, author of the best-selling Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die. For his latest homage to anglers, Santella invited 50 celebrated fly fishers to share their favorite fly-fishing stories based on their travels and experiences. The result is this unforgettable collection of stories that are, surprisingly enough for fishermen, true. Fifty Favorite Fly-Fishing Tales includes stories that cover the panoply of emotions— comical, poignant, inspirational, incredible, absurd. It tells of Ralph Cutter casting in complete darkness for blind catfish in the caves of Borneo, J. W. Smith boxing grizzlies to protect his tent camp in Alaska, and George Anderson fly fishing for saltwater crocodiles in Cuba. It also describes how Jean Williams, through trout fishing in the Colorado Rockies, helped to bridge the chasm between a type-A father and his neglected son. Accompanied by stunning photographs, the stories in this book reflect not only the rich experience of fly fishing but also how it can extend beyond the rivers, oceans, and fish to touch the core of our daily lives.

A look at the development of the sport over the past six centuries. Once limited to trout and salmon, today fly-fishing techniques are used to catch every fish species from minnows to marlin in rivers, lakes and oceans from the Amazon to the Arctic. From the many thousands of fly patterns developed over the centuries, The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies focuses on fifty iconic flies chosen to represent the evolution not only of fishing flies and fly tying but also the sport itself. Filled with illustrations and photographs of the flies (the fifty are just the starting point—more than 200 flies are mentioned or shown in the book), as well as profiles of key characters, The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies charts the growth and diversification of this fascinating sport from the fifteenth century to the present day and its spread from Britain, Europe and Japan to North and South America, Australia and New Zealand, and now to every country in the world. The evolution of fly-fishing tackle—rods, reels, lines and hooks—is also covered in a series of essays spread throughout the book. Praise for The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies “A delightful ramble along the stream of fishing history.” —Star Tribune “This glorious book of lures will get you itching for a new toy, a new boat, a new rod—anything to experience the relaxation of this old hobby.” —Foreword Reviews

The most important hatches and recommended patterns, along with key fishing techniques and the best times of year to fish there Interviews with a stunning collection of Yellowstone Park veterans in the know, including fly shop owners Bob Jacklin, Craig Mathews, John Juracek, Richard Parks, and John Bailey; writers Tom McGuane, Wild Bill Schneider, and The Drake magazine's Tom Bie Best spots for Yellowstone cutthroat, westslope cutthroat, Snake River finespotted cutthroat, grayling, rainbows, cuttbows, brown trout, brook trout, mountain whitefish, and Mackinaw lake trout

Storied Waters chronicles the author’s six-week odyssey from Maine to Wisconsin and back to explore and fly fish America’s most storied waters and celebrate the writers and artists who made them famous. In a 5,000-mile odyssey covering over 50 locations in eight states, Van Wie follows and fishes in the footsteps of giants from Thoreau to Hemingway, Robert Traver to Corey Ford, Louise Dickinson Rich to Aldo Leopold to Winslow Homer and many more. Storied Waters provides a virtual roadmap through 200 years of fly-fishing literature and a literal roadmap—complete with local fishing tips—to the hallowed waters of our sport. In each chapter, informative sidebars detail fishing spots, best times to fish, major hatches, and other intel. Storied Waters is a grand vicarious adventure, driving the backroads for weeks at a time exploring beautiful places, and meeting fascinating people who share a common interest. With an easy, conversational writing voice enhanced with spectacular photographs, Van Wie relates an eclectic mix of travel narrative, natural history, and fishing tips and advice, as well as a deep (but sometimes humorously irreverent) appreciation for the writers who have created such a rich legacy of stories about fishing over the past 200 years.

Kreh, the Johnny Cash of fly-fishing writers ("Baltimore Sun"), takes his readers on an angling journey through the last half-century. He relates tales of fishing expeditions with Fidel Castro as well as solo battles with some of the most elusive fish in the world. 10 color photos.

Two highly respected outdoor journalists, Kirk Deeter of Field & Stream and Charlie Meyers of the Denver Post, have cracked open their notebooks and shared straight-shot advice on the sport of fly fishing, based on a range of new and old experiences—from interviews with the late Lee Wulff to travels with maverick guides in Tierra del Fuego. The mission of The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing is to demystify and un-complicate the tricks and tips that make a great trout fisher. There are no complicated physics lessons here. Rather, conceived in the “take dead aim” spirit of Harvey Penick’s classic instructional on golf, The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing offers a simple, digestible primer on the basic elements of fly fishing: the cast, presentation, reading water, and selecting flies. In the end, this collection of 240 tips is one of the most insightful, plainly spoken, and entertaining works on this sport—one that will serve both novices and experts alike in helping them reflect and hone in their approaches to fly fishing.

Chris Santella, bestselling author of the Fifty Places series, is back in action with the inspirational gift book Why I Fly Fish. Based on 25 interviews with fly-fishing professionals and celebrity hobbyists alike, Why I Fly Fish encapsulates the life lessons fly-fishing aficionados have learned from their favorite pursuit. Featured contributors include Donald Trump Jr., Bill Ford (CEO of Ford Motor Company), Conway Bowman (host of several flyfishing TV programs), actor Henry Winkler, Lefty Kreh (the worldÆs best-known fly-fisherman) and many more. With personal photographs by the contributors themselves, Why I Fly Fish is an inspirational and intimate reflection on the beloved sport and pastime.

America's Favorite Flies: 9 x 12 inches, 656 pages, full-color, case bound with cloth, smyth sewn. America's Favorite Flies, a book by Rob Carter and John Bryan, is a landmark gathering of 224 persons from across North America, each of whom has provided a favorite fly along with comments and materials. Among the book's contents are stunning photographs of the flies and writings by the participants. The list of participants is compelling: President Jimmy Carter, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, fly-fishing matriarch Joan Wulff, salt fly legend Lefty Kreh, 1% for the Planet co-founder Craig Mathews, Riverkeeper founder Robert Boyle, rock musician Huey Lewis, artist James Prosek, author Tom McGuane, and on and on. America's Favorite Flies is dedicated to Norman Maclean, author of A River Runs through It, which spawned the movie that has had arguably more impact on fly-fishing than anything in its history. Norman Maclean's children, Jean Snyder Maclean and John N. Maclean, have given their appreciation and enthusiastic confirmation for this dedication. The book also includes approximately 100 artworks by some of North America's most beloved outdoor artists. 14 influential people in the world of fly fishing have contributed special essays. All of the profits from America's Favorite Flies are donated to two organizations whose work benefits ever healthier fisheries and waters. The James River Association is guardian of the 348-mile James River that begins with mountain trout waters and concludes amid bluefish and flounder waters where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. The Native Fish Society plays a vital role in the conservation and recovery of wild, native fish in the Pacific Northwest, and is an active advocate both regionally and nationally.

From Alaska to the Bahamas, Panama to The Seychelles, Pat Ford knows where to find the best places to go fly fishing. In Fly-Fishing Daydreams, Ford and his camera capture the most exciting adventures in the sport, from great sailfishing expeditions in Guatemala to Atlantic salmon-finding missions on the icy waters of Russia’s Kola Peninsula. In each far-flung locale, Ford recounts his unforgettable fish tales and illuminates them with spectacular full-color photography, putting the reader right there in their waders beside him. The result is a book that enables readers to live out their fly fishing dreams. Complete with 300 full-color photographs, a foreword by legendary fly fisherman and author Lefty Kreh, a preface by Mike Myatt, chief operating officer of the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), and a special chapter on digital photography basics for anglers, Fly-Fishing Daydreams is a book no lover of fly fishing should be without.