Add these classics to your digital bookshelf
Hi Everyone,
Apart from the act of fly fishing itself, what better way to spend a rainy Winters day than to read about it. I have a particular obsession with old fishing books, I often read through sections of books to see how we can relate the information to modern-day fly fishing - it's surprising what you can find!
As it is the weekend, and you may have a little more time, we thought that you would appreciate some more reading/research material. We have put together a few links to some classic books which are all free to reproduce and read online (as they are now out of copyright), we hope these will give you a good start in helping you discover the wonderful world of classic fly fishing literature.
I'm always keen to learn more, so if you have any books you think I should know about, please feel free to share them with me - just reply to this email.
The Fly-Fishers Entomology - Alfred Ronalds (1836)
This is the book that started it all for us. A classic, and still relevant today - 150+ years later. Grab a coffee and have a read.
North-Country Flies - Thomas EvanPritt (1886)
T.E.Pritt described the soft-hackled wet flies in use among northern English anglers of his acquaintance, setting out the methods, fly patterns and techniques drawn from his experience. This account of North Country fishing in the UK found resonance with flyfishers around the world. Pritt had an influence in the works of Edmonds and Lee, Leisenring and Hidy, Sylvester Nemes.
Dry-Fly Fishing In Theory and Practice - Frederick Halford (1889)
Dry-Fly Fishing in Theory and Practice is Frederick Halford's second and most influential book on dry-fly fishing. It followed Floating Flies and How to Dress Them, these books gave birth to the Halfordian school of dry-fly fishing, especially on English chalk streams. This classic text also played a significant role in the development of dry-fly fishing in the USA.
Dry Fly Entomology - Frederick Halford (1897)
Another cracker from Fred - it's a brief description of the leading types of natural insects serving as food for trout and grayling which includes 100 of the best patterns of dry flies and the various methods of dressing them.