Handbook of Hatches: Introductory Guide to the Foods Trout Eat & the Most Effective Flies to Match Them

by Dave Hughes

"Excellent ... invaluable." -- The New York Times, on Dave Hughes

Popular reference work updated with full-color photos of the insects An understandable approach and useful guide to fishing hatches Covers mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, midges, dragonflies, boatmen, alderflies, and hellgrammites

Fishing success comes from making wise observations on stream and acting on them right away. In Handbook of Hatches, Hughes teaches how to match the hatch and not worry about identifying the insect until later, if at all, and to fish better, focus on shape, size, and color to choose the best fly for the situation.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 1987

Reviews

[Michael A Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for both beginner fly tier and fly fisherman

Excellent descriptions with of simpler flys, including pictures and color variations. Also includes techniques to use in fishing each pattern.

[Melissa Yael Winston · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dry read, although, to be fair, someone more deeply into fly fishing might not think so. The photos were amazing and I quite enjoyed the fishing stories.

[Charles Beadenkopf · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome book

And awesome book to read and would say others need to read this book that’s are beginning in to fly fishing great book for all

[Owen Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably THE textbook for matching aquatic insects, with some patterns one could tie if they so wish. To this end, the book is comprehensive, but that also means there is a lot of information for the uninitiated to attempt to retain. Let alone understand.

I have some degree of skill in catching fish by matching color and sizes of flies, if not basic identification and matching. Etymology is not my strong suit. And so I used a highlighter to bring out the crucial information in this book - that is, the hard and fast rules that one could expect to retain and use.

That said, I did learn quite a bit from the rest of the book and have a broader understanding, and a great book to return to as my understandings grow. I do wish there were - like the intro page - chapter summaries. This is in many ways, like a college textbook. Could use a study guide.

One rub is that, so much of aquatic insect identification comes with the implication that the insect is stationary. Most of these insects fly in a certain and identifiable way. Rarely have I seen a mayfly sitting still long enough for me to match him, although it does happen. When will someone address this?

There is some dissecting dead trout for their stomach contents here, if not mention of outdated stomach pumping. At one point the author suggests spending the first day or two of a fishing trip just sitting and watching the water one intends to fish. Well, between sitting all day looking at a river and spilling a trout's stomach into a jar - I just feel the author - like most fishing experts - has a lot more time to fish than the rest of us.

Also, there is disparaging mention of "bobber watchers", in one anecdote where the author shows the bait fisherman up in such a fashion that they gruffly peel away in their pickup truck. If you've read any book about fly fishing, this sort of disdain for those not fly-fishing is a cliche at this point - and really is thinly veiled elitism, if not classism.

Overall a very good and comprehensive book - even if at times it felt like homework to this particular fisherman. To those interested in a deeper and more scientific approach to the sport, with some fly thing recipes (this book seems to take for granted you tie your own - you DO tie your own flies, don't you?). I will add that the quality of the physical book was also very nice - this is a professional writer and publication.

I deducted one star, however, because I felt this was not the "introductory guide" that the cover page suggests. It's just too advanced to call it that - and as stated, much of it would only be of interest and usefulness to fly tiers and amateur etymologists. For those looking for some hard fast rules about aquatic insect life, get out your highlighter.

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far I'm liking it, but have shelved it. Since my husband fly fishes, um, A LOT, I figured I'd learn something on my own about the sport that I was interested in...I know that fly fishing is all about imitating nature to get the fish to take the bite. That actually does interest me somewhat...and Hughes writes in such a way that both informative and entertaining.