The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing

by Kirk Deeter, Charlie Meyers

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 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.

Genres: Outdoors, Reference, Nonfiction

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2010

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read with lots of info for beginners like myself. I will take it with me on my first fly fishing trip-the Blue River in Colorado at my daughter and son in-laws cabin.

[Books Ring Mah Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was on the table, my husband's book. Being a nerd for books, I flipped thru it.
Over 200 tips of flies, reading water, casting and the like.
Seemed very informative and handy for the new fly fisherman.

Best tip in the book:
"Under no circumstances should a man teach his wife or girlfriend, nor a woman her husband or boyfriend, the mechanics of golf or fly fishing."

True dat.

I'd like to extend this to in-laws.

Here's the story.
A few years ago, up at the family cottage, I was out on the boat, fishing with my husband and in-laws. My father-in-law decided it was a good idea for me to learn how to fly fish. I was game. So, he stood behind me, gently directing my arm for a few casts and then proclaimed me ready to fish. Off I went to the end of the boat and began casting. Within moments, I felt a huge tug.
"Wow guys! I got one on!" I yelled.
My father-in-law is beaming, (and very, very, excited, no doubt thinking his son married well) scanning the water for the splashing fish.
"Oh, IT IS HUGE!" I say. "About 140 pounds... five and a half feet long."
At this point the boys turn back to see a small purple fly hanging from my cheek.

The end.

[Lex Littleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve read The Pragmatic Programmer like me, then you’re pretty familiar with this style of book. It’s a mix of introductions to broader concepts and specific details on techniques, all organized thematically. I can tell it’s one of those books I’ll reference every 6 months with a different takeaway each time. Some of the techniques referenced are just a starting point which you will want to ask your fly fishing buddies or watch a video about but this has given me so much to think about and focus on the next time I hit the river. Can’t wait to misremember half the DOs as DON’Ts. Easily worth the price.

[Corbin Mapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing is an amazing book for beginning fly fishermen. I am an avid fisherman and have recently taken an interest in the world of fly fishing because of friends and family (fly fishermen) that always seem to hook into good sized fish. To learn more about the art of fly fishing, my friends told me to read this book. The things that I learned are not only valuable, but exhilarating. Now that I understand the basics, I feel more ready to go out and practice.
This book explains the basics of reading water, casting, fly selection, where to fish, and even how to fish different types of flies and water. This book even explains how to fish in muddy, fast waters that have always sent me back home empty handed. This book explains that fishing in these waters can be more beneficial. Apparently, when the water runs murky, fish are more likely to make quicker and less thought-out attacks, taking almost any fly. I’m excited to get out later this spring when the snow melts to try this theory out.
Overall, I give this book a 10/10 for the beginning fly fisherman. For those that are experienced, this book may not be anything new, but for me, it really made me excited to get out and fish. If you want to learn the basics and get directions on how to start fly fishing, then this is the book for you. I personally am going to read it again so that I can be ready for my next fishing trip.

[Bradley Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every winter I pick up this little book to refresh my fly fishing skills and learn just a little something more about the sport. Every angler should keep a copy on their shelf and make it a point to return to it every once in a while.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will return to it again and again

[Renz McMaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice quick and easy read with some cool insights on a ton of different aspects of the sport. Would recommend to others interested in fishing the old fly

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure fun.

[Dylan O'Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book about the fundamentals of flyfishing without being too dense on information or boring

[Bob Shadel · Rating 4 out of 5]

lot of good information and tips in here. Just have to try to keep them available to use when go out fishing...

[Miles Bergstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a new fly fishier I found the tips in this book relatable and informative.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book that covers an extensive list of practical knowledge of the sport of fly fishing. I look this over before all my fly fishing trips.

[Jack Looper · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was a very good book. It teaches you a lot of techniques to help you catch fish. I went to Wyoming recently and caught lots of fish using the techniques. Its not only that though it tells stories of guides and fish they caught. overall a great book.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short snippets of tips format was a nice change from the other fly fishing books that use a more narrative style, often filling pages with long-winded anecdotes. Unfortunately, the authors often had difficulty in following their own format and many of the snippets also ended up as overly narrative examples as well.

All in all though, it is filled with good tips and is fairly well organized. It appears to only be available in hardcover, and it would be really nice to have a quick-tips book like this in a light and pocketable size that could be with me on the stream.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit to not yet finishing this book, but I will someday...probably. It's not a sit and read type of book anyway, although you can. What it is, a great resource to anyone interested in fly fishing. Brief tips to help you brush up your game. If you fly fish, you should have this on your shelf.

[Sinjin Eberle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book - a very compelling and thoughtful read in small bites. Very useful and entertaining.

[Nick Carlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book with great tips for beginners.

[Scott Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you fly fish, it is a must.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good reference book for those who take on information in books. With this, and some practice...maybe a fish?

[Rayma]

Great reference. It will be more relevant as I start to fish.

[Bob Peru · Rating 4 out of 5]

a lot of great tips here.

[Charles E Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the best


Practical Tips for all aspects of the sport given in easily remembered and concise instructions for all levels of expertise.

[Severn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good general tips on fly presentation, casting, trout feeding habits, and entomology.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great advice for the new fly fisher. Helped me make it through a long Minnesota winter!

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great . Lots of general tips !

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book for any fly-fisher. Great compilation of advise and tricks.