This book was wonderful, its what sustained me during long winters dreaming of a trout stream and during long summers of lazy pan fishing. It prepped me perfectly for our epic trips to the high country trout streams in Colorado. I got into fly fishing without the benefit of an experienced partner and the complications of the sport were beautifully simplified in this book. The paintings are beautiful and the writing is smart and quirky. To this day I remember this suggestion in paraphrase, When you catch a fish do not celebrate or gloat or behave in a boorish fashion. Words to live by"