November 2006 Review - www.westfly.com Nymph-Fishing Rivers and StreamsBy Scott Richmond The subtitle is "A Biologist's View of Taking Trout below the Surface." Thus the views are those of a professional biologist, rather than a well-read layman. Further, the book is about trout, not steelhead or bass, and the book considers a "nymph" to be anything below the surface film. The content bears out the title; you don't know how rarely that occurs. The biologist/author in question is Rick Hafele, a long-time fly fishing writer and professional entomologist. Rick knows his bugs, but more importantly he fishes a lot and knows how to translate his scientific acumen into practical fly fishing wisdom.
From Basics to Meat Hafele starts with the basics: trout habitat, tackle, pattern selection. If you have much on-water experience, you'll find these chapters old-hat. Stay with it, though, because in Chapter Five, Hafele delves into eleven different nymphing tactics. For each tactic you'll find photos, step-by-step instructions, equipment, approach, and tips for success. Hafele also explains the advantages and disadvantages for each tactic. It's a meaty and practical chapter. The remainder of the book is about naturals and their imitations. Mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, midges and true flies, scuds and sowbugs are covered. Hafele looks at the major genera within each category, ranking each one's importance and describing its habitat, behavior, imitation, and tactics. He shows fly patterns, but does not include recipes. The level of detail is perfect for someone just getting into entomology, someone who wants to know more but doesn't want to be overwhelmed with Latin and technical jargon. You realize the author knows way more than he's telling you, but he has the good sense to know when to quit. But, as they say in those steak knife ads on TV, "There's more!" Nymph-Fishing Rivers and Streams includes a DVD. Here, Hafele and John Smeraglio demonstrate basic nymphing skills. John and Rick previously teamed up for the excellent series Fishing Large Western Rivers (see the reviews on Westfly). This time the approach is similar: practical, yet light-hearted. The infamous Bugwan (Rick in turban, fake beard, and high-pitched voice) makes a brief appearance from Bugwan University, aka as "Bug U." Rick and John discuss when to fish nymphs, show how to sample the water and choose a fly, talk about using indicators, and demonstrate different presentations. There is also a visit from the S&M Guide Service, which hits clients with a baseball bat if they don't do it right. Who Should Buy It The book is well-written and generously illustrated with color photos of the nymphs, fly patterns, and tactics. The level of detail makes this a good book for any advanced-beginner or intermediate fly angler who is wants to improve his or her understanding of nymphing tactics and basic entomology. That's a lot of people, and the book should sell well. Lighting, contrast, and sound quality are all excellent on the video, which was filmed in Oregon on the McKenzie, Crooked, and Deschutes rivers. The combo of DVD and book is both entertaining and practical. An angler who fits the target market should be pleased with the result. Nymph-Fishing Rivers and Streams: A Biologist's View of Taking Trout Below the Surface, by Rick Hafele. Published by Stackpole Books. 180 pages in an 8.5 by 11 inch all color, hardbound format. Includes 72-minute DVD produced by Laughing River Productions.
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Review by Bruce E Harang - Beaucatcher Fly FishingNymph Fishing Rivers and Streams The author has written one of the most informative and instructional volumes on modern nymph fishing for trout. The book is well written and easy to read. It is also well illustrated with excellent quality photographs as well as lovely watercolor artwork illustrations. The book includes an opening chapter on the history of nymph fishing which is a fun read. The trout, and more importantly, his habitat is described in chapter two which is followed by a chapter on tackle for nymph fishing. This tackle chapter covers not only rods, lines, and reels, but also indicators, weight, and rigging techniques. This is probably one of the best descriptions of modern nymphing tackle in print. The chapter on selecting the right fly pattern includes information on collecting bugs as well as how to take bug samples, and most importantly, how to interpret the resulting informat ion. Chapter five is the real meat of the book presenting eleven nymphing methods using text, photographic sequences, and diagrams to clearly teach the reader exactly how to accomplish successful fly presentation under numerous habitat and water conditions. The final major section of the book is dedicated to the insects trout eat and the imitations that will successfully fool the trout. The insect information is very well presented with enough information to allow the angler to have enough of an understanding of the prey species he is trying to imitate without having to look to reference volumes. The pattern selection is kept short by providing a limited set of imitative patterns that cover a large number of insects without having to carry thousands of patterns to the river. Interestingly, the book also includes a DVD which presents a humorous, fun day on the stream with the author and his sidekick showing how and where to use the various nymphing techniques. This DVD is so light h earted that you can not help but learn while chuckling. The book is a rare combination of instruction and page-turner fun read. Such a well written volume deserves a place in every trout fisherman's library. © 2006 Bruce E Harang - Beaucatcher Fly Fishing
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A book's title should tell you what it's about. So parse this title: "Nymph-Fishing Rivers and Streams" tells you it's NOT about fishing dry flies or on stillwaters.