Two down-to-earth fly fishing books reviewed

Two good fly fishing books are reviewed this week. The first covers everything a beginner needs to know to start fly fishing, and the second covers the best fly fishing rivers in Montana.

The premise of both books is “keep it simple” without all the technical jargon and “uppity-ism” that plagues too many recent fly fishing books.

“Get Started in Fly Fishing” by Craig Schuhmann examines reasons people are attracted to fly fishing, then gets right down to business discussing species of trout, their distinguishing characteristics, habitats and habits.

Chapters include “Fly Fishing Tackle,” “Gear, Knots and Rigging,” “Casting, Flies, Reading Water and Locating Trout,” and “Presentation.” Well, that about covers fly fishing, without all the bells and whistles.

Beginners will particularly enjoy learning how to connect the parts of fly fishing rigs — fly line to leader, leader to tippet, and tippet to hook — and the section on where to find trout in a river will certainly cut down times between strikes. The illustrations are easy-to-follow, and there are color photographs of common flies.

All in all, “Get Started in Fly Fishing” is a perfect primer for someone just starting out in fly fishing. Published by Frank Amato Publications, Inc., it sells for $24.95.

“Fly Fishing Montana” by Brian and Jenny Grossenbacher is a compilation of 30 of the best fly fishing rivers in Montana, from the Beaverhead to the Yellowstone.

Each chapter includes sections on “Types of Fish,” “Known Hatches,” “Equipment to Use,” “Flies to Use,” “When to Fish,” “Seasons and Limits,” “Nearby Fly Fishing” and “Accommodations and Services.” A map, showing fishing access sites is included for each river.

The book is part of the unique “No Nonsense Fly Fishing Guidebooks” series. This isn’t Chamber of Commerce hype or the payback flowery prose of an outdoor writer after a free trip.

The “No Nonsense Creed” states, “Nothing is oversold or out of proportion. Everything is authentic.” I used my copy last week on a Skwala trip to the Bitterroot River. “Fly Fishing Montana” is published by No Nonsense Fly Fishing Guidebooks and sells for $28.95.