The Classic Wet Fly Box

by Mike Valla

A glimpse inside the Wet Fly Box of Mike Valla! The sequel to the critically acclaimed The Classic Dry Fly Box, this book is a love letter to the Classic Wet Fly. Join Mike as he takes a tour of the history of the classic wet fly, from the Abbey to the Zulu, with 98 other stops in between. From the popular to the obscure, Valla delves into the history of these marvelous flies, masterfully weaving quotes from Gordon, Cross, the Dettes, Bergman, and other legends with his own personal anecdotes about growing up in the Catskill tying tradition. Fully illustrated with gorgeous color photography and complete with dressing appendix.

Paperback

Published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Bradley Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not uncommon to reflect, from time to time, on the roots of fly fishing. Through beautifully tied flies and superb photography, Mike Valla has captured a sweeping variety of traditional wet flies that have become a part of our shared fly fishing history.

Each page is dedicated to an individual fly and includes an accompanying historical anecdote about as well as a note from Valla related to the pattern. Given the history that accompanies so many of these flies the reader is often left wanting more than a single historical anecdote, but we must recognize that such was not the purpose of the design of the book, and one should not allow that to detract from enjoying the material.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to keep at least a passing knowledge of what is becoming a forgotten part of fly fishing- the wet fly. Not to be overlooked is that Valla has included the recipe for every fly in an appendix.