The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies

by Ian Whitelaw

A New York Times bestseller, The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies recounts the history of a sport that dates back 2,000 years, focusing on milestone flies from the first feathered hook to contemporary patterns using cutting-edge materials.

“A delightful ramble along the stream of fishing history.” ― Star Tribune

“Angler Ian Whitelaw charts the development of the sport over the past six centuries.” — Wall Street Journal

From the Catskills, the birthplace of American fly-fishing, to the wide rivers of the American West, to overseas fishing hot spots like New Zealand and Iceland, Ian Whitelaw’s fly-fishing history book features profiles of the key characters involved, tying tips, photographs and illustrations of the flies, and detailed explanations of the techniques used to fish them.

Among the countless fly patterns created over the centuries, these 50 have been carefully chosen to represent the development not only of the flies themselves but also of fly-fishing techniques—and of rods, lines, and reels. These iconic flies also chart the spread of this addictive sport from its modern origins on the chalk streams of Southern England and the rivers of Scotland to the US, Europe, South America, Australia, and now to nearly every country in the world. Featured here The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies is a fascinating companion to the evolution of this captivating sport.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Nature, Sports

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2015

Reviews

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fly fisherman, I highly recommend that you acquire and read this book. This is not a "how to" book. It doesn't teach you how to fly fish for trout, salmon, steelhead, or other fish species. This books walks you through the history of our sport--the use of a long rod, lines, and carefully crafted flies intended to imitate what fish eat in the wild. This is a rich and interesting history, and Ian Whitlaw recounts this chronological story using fifty flies to describe the advances in the sport over the centuries. Each chapter focuses on a single fly and describes the state of the sport, important people, and why this particularl fly was developed and why it was important in its time, and with some why they're still important to this day.

This is the kind of book that you can pick up in the dead of winter and browse over a hot cup of tea, and reaquaint yourself with the rich history of this sport that many of us love so very much--that of going out into nature and trying to convince a wily trout to take an artificial imitation.

Just to be clear, I am a trout conservationist and strongly believe in protecting and effectively managing this beautiful natural resource for generations to come. I don't eat trout, and I carefully catch and release my fish, and use barbless hooks when I can. I am involved in efforts to protect water quantity and quality in watersheds across the western U.S. I grew up in Montana and had a fly rod in my hands from the age of eight years old on, fly fishing has always been an important part of my life, and the history of this wonderful sport is equally important to me. 4/5 stars for me.

[Daniel Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from two friends a little over a year ago. I leafed through it quickly then, looking at the main flies, but didn’t really have a chance to fully read it until recently. The water is starting to warm up in Florida, so fishing is more active so it’s time to pull the gear together. I thought it was also a good time to look at the book regarding the history of flies and see what is in my fly box.
I am primarily a saltwater fly fisherman, so my box tends towards the saltwater flies. The main freshwater ones I have are poppers which can be used for both fresh/saltwater, but I am beginning to buy some freshwater ones specifically for bass, pike, and some of the salmon species as I will be summer fishing up north.
The book really is a “history” as each section gives the background of the fly as well as the main materials used (Hook, thread, tail, body, under/overwing, collar and/or head). It’s really detailed.
I particularly liked the story/history of the Muddler Minnow, Holy Mackerel, the Clouser Minnow, and of course – Lefty’s Deceiver. The part about the Deceiver is not just a history of the fly but of the man who was so important to fly-fishing. Really well done.
Great book. Well worth it. And a great gift to a fly-fisherman/woman.

[Chris Sheridan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title says it all. Being new to fly fishing I wanted a book that would teach me some of the history and help make sense of what you see at the tackle shop. That's exactly what I found, the book describes people, materials and trends pertinent to their period that have lead to the state of fly fishing today. The only short coming of this book is there is not much technique or strategies offered but it's not a how to fish book. I would reccomend this to the beginner fly fisher as well as the seasoned fisherman as the book is filled with intresting facts.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fly fisher since being gifted with a fly rod after doing chores for an old barber dying of lung cancer when I was ten, famous flies mostly tied for trout have been of interest. This is a well researched and detailed account of most of those flies; a book that was well written and will find a permanent spot on my home library. Whitelaw takes you through tying period beginning in the 1500s through the 2000, and mixes those historic flies with some even us warm water fanatics love to use along with those used for saltwater fishing. Those who take their fly fishing seriously should really love this book.

[Bradley Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ian Whitelaw has produced an engrossing read that ranges far beyond simply fifty flies in the exalted history of fly fishing. The people, places, equipment, and fish stories that are at the heart of fly fishing spill across wonderfully detailed pages accompanied by beautiful photos and sidebars that add to the depth of the book. Never has a fly fishing book been such a page-turner. This is a must have for every angler.

[Jacob Blandford · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a beginner to fly fishing I really enjoyed the history and the description of the flies. There is an overwhelming number of flies out there and I was hoping this book would help me understand the different patterns. It did exactly that. Great illustrations, lots of fun facts, and great history. It would benefit from a proof-read because there are some terrible typos but they don’t really detract from the read.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love fly fishing, so a book like this seems like a natural choice. I love the spirit of the book. But this is one super technical read, and would best appeal to a highly specific type of reader. I usually love wonky reads, but this was too detailed for me to get into. (No offense to the brilliant, lovely woman who gave me this gift!)

[Matthew Komatsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely way to engage with the sport. I enjoyed every page of this book, and the illustrations were lovely. Well-researched, there’s just enough history and context in here to keep every fly tier/fisher engaged from beginning to end.

[Shelly Vochelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book with great illustrations and information on the flies and their history.

I've borrowed this many times from my local library and probably will again. I've contemplated purchasing it.

[Mako Shoemaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. As a novice fly fisher I am looking to find out why flies are tied certain ways and how the sport came to be. This is the first book you should read on your trip into the hobby.

[Brian Schmitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! Must read for new and old fly tyers! This was an outstanding book from an information and entertaining stand point. It will help fly fishermen whether or not they tie their own flys.

[Ted Gebhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being this is my first book I've ready very pleased! Interesting to see when techniques started and how things progressed. Gave me a better understanding of fly tying!

[Isaiah Wohlfeil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great synopsis of fly fishing and gives an insight on where the common flies we use today originated. Great for someone just getting into fly fishing.

[Tre Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a wonderful introduction into the art and science and craft and skill of tying flies. I'm new to fly fishing, and I have taken to it 'hook line and sunker.'

[Mattyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! Everything about it is good except the print being a little light, not sure why. The art is an excellent addition, great history, very good explanations, good ideas for future reads, some nice extra sections here and there. Just a really nice book. If I had just borrowed it from the library I would have thought it pretty nice but the hardback edition makes me glad I have my own copy. I probably borrow 10 books from the library for every one that I actually purchase for my bookshelf but this one was worth it. I'll probably read this 30 or 40 times over the next few years. Full disclosure is that I've been fly fishing for just a few years and started tying my own flies last year so this is just what I was looking for to learn more in a very enjoyable format.

[Jill Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I am not a fisherman, but I had a great time looking through all of the illustrations of fly-fishing lures and reading about them! I was surprised how much I did enjoy the book. When I was finished, I passed the book on to a friend that is an avid fly-fisherman. He was absolutely thrilled with the book!! Given his animated reaction, I'd say this is a great gift idea for the fly-fisherman in your life. : )

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

The hard cover edition of this book was beautiful. The illustrations, the layout, and even the paper used was all really nicely done. The history is really interesting but after awhile seemed a little dry. I liked the fly fishing history more than all of the fly tying details.But overall I really liked the book

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly well researched and Full of fascinating facts about the fifty most famous flies from the past to the present, their creators, recipes, variations and how and when to use them. Every fly fisher from novice to pro should have this book and these fifty flies in their fishing arsenal.