Reviews (5)

Freemarket Cell groups
I bought this bought this book because I do respect Ted Haggard ministry and his books. After reading the book, I bought another 2 for my pastors. By the time I wrote this review I bought another 10 books for friends in ministry. I do think that this book is a great resource for anybody that want to grow his church

Bait and Switch
Despite this book's title, the author provides no useful information regarding the art of angling with flies, and readers seeking advice on fishing the waters of Colorado, where the author lives, should look elsewhere.

Excellent, insightful, and thought-provoking.
This book blows the doors off of mainstream accepted taboos in our culture. After personally experiencing the highs and lows of traditional cell-based groups, I was at a point of wondering why change was not being made in churches. Then, I came across this book. In it, Ted delightfully shows how a church can face change and come out of it truly blessed. Thanks so much for sharing your results, and your honesty! We are all blessed, because of it. I exhort other churches to openly test their waters and see if this book and what it presents can be applied in their congregations. And... as we all know... this book, and the concepts it speaks of... will evolve as they continue to understand the power of God more fully in their midst. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Christianity - Church Administration - General    3. Christianity - Pastoral Ministry    4. Church group work    5. Institutions & Organizations    6. Religion    7. Religion - Church Life & Growth    8. Religious aspects    9. Small groups    10. Church Growth    11. Evangelism    12. Religion / Church Institutions & Organizations   

Reviews (12)

Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die
A wonderful book for the fly fishing enthusiast.A keepsake for all fishermen.A must have for the coffe table!

Beatiful places
nice book, but i would like to see more pictures of the different species!! also some maps to locate some places would be great...I live in argentina and the 3 places chosen are great, although you must be a millionaire to fish rio grande!! Fortunately we still have a lot of places here to fish for free.
Places i only wish i could go
There are a lot of places i realy wish i could go fly fishing.Unfortunatly, there are only a few select places that are affordable.and those that are doable just don't have much description convincing me to go.if there was only some background info or narrative this book would go be a much more useful guide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flyfishing    2. Fishing - General    3. Fly fishing    4. General    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Fishing, angling    8. Places & peoples: general interest    9. Sports & Recreation / Fishing   

Reviews (4)

Very good Book
For any one interested in tying any of Bob Clouser's flies this is the perfect book. The hints contained in this book allowed me to tie much better flies

"Clouser's Flies" is an exceptional Fly-tying book.
"Clouser's Flies" is an exceptional Fly-tying book. The writing is clear and concise, the photographs are excellent, and the chapters are well thought-out. This book is mandatory for the fly-tying beginner to the advanced tier, and for those of you that are interested in the versatile Clouser Fly and streamer fishing. Clearly this is the best book produced on tying the Clouser Fly; understandably so, it is written by the person who first developed the fly. On a scale from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest rating, this text is a 5. In Brief, this book is a must purchase for your fly-tying library.

A Must Have for any serious tier
It has been a long time since I read a book with such detail.Not only are the directions and explainations to the point, but the photographs are supurb and eliminate any questions that usually arrise due to lenghtly explanations.
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Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flytying/Lures    2. Fishing - General    3. Fishing Sports    4. Flies, Artificial    5. Fly fishing    6. Fly tying    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Fishing, angling   

Reviews (27)

The Fly Tier's Benchside Reference
A must have reference for anyone seriously interested in all aspects of Fly Tying.Even though I consider myself a reasonably adequate tier, this book will provide many answers.Knowledge never comes cheap but this reference sure helps bridge the gap.

Best Fly Tier instruction book around!
This book is fabulous. My husband says it is all a fly=tier would ever need and he has been fishing and tying his own flies for years.He couldn't be happier with it. You can't go wrong with this book!

Excellent Instruction Manual
This book provides exceptionally clear concise instructions for all aspects of fly tying.I've been tying flies for years, but this book has taken my abilites to a whole new level ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flytying/Lures    2. Fishing - General    3. Fishing Sports    4. Fly tying    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Fishing, angling   

Reviews (16)

A wonderfull read
The Moon Pulled Up An Acre Of Bass The Guides don't control Mother Nature
I enjoyed the book and the concept, but the fawning treatment of certain guides (that probably gave Kaminisky free rides) read too much like promotional materials.

Superb writing!
The author gives us a great look into not only the stiper fishng world, but the culture and heritage of the east coast.A pleasure to read, cover to cover.Even for those of us that may never see stripers in the salt, this is defintely a worthwhile read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishes    2. Fishing - Flyfishing    3. Fishing - General    4. Fly casting    5. Migration    6. Montauk Point    7. New York    8. Saltwater fly fishing    9. Sports    10. Sports & Recreation    11. Sports & Recreation / Fishing   

Editorial Review

In the wise words of Dame Juliana Berners, spoken five centuries ago yet just as immediate now, "there is more to fishing than catching fish." So begins Read more

Reviews (11)

Complete is right!
just a quick word about this wonderful book: within two months of reading it, and having never fly-fished a day in my life, i took 23 creel-size trout in two days from Helton Creek, North Carolina. this book guided me throug the purchase of all my equipment, and instructed me on all the techniques in using it. in the nine months since i first read this book i have caught all three species of trout, countless pan fish, crappies, small- and large-mouth bass, and one baracudda. i highly recomend it to anyone interested in fly-fishing.

Great Book!
I'm reading this book right now and I love it!I used to read his articles years ago in Field and Stream and Outdoor Life and Sports Afield and I'd forgotten what a fine writer he was. I like the way he tells good stories while he's taking fishing and even though I can't yet get to some of the places he's writing about, he sure makes me want to be there. This is the sort of book that a book lover will enjoy and a book lover who is also a fly fisher will especially enjoy every bit of it! My husband, Tom, who is a writer himself, also has read it and is every bit as keen on it as I.

Disappointed Southern Fisherman
This book is listed as 368 pages. Thankfully there were only 349. I thought I was reading a novel. Each chapter began with a verbose, and usually self backpatting, 4-5 page introduction of the authors personal conquest while fly fishing. It took me so long to read, that I was out of time to return it. I sincerely believe the "meat" of this book could have been communicated in less than 200 pages, and probably less than 100 if color photos(other than the 10 pages in the center of the book that were of no benefit) were used. Actually, few photos of the "how to" were shown,the sketches carried most of the weight. Most of the black-and-white photos were of an already caught fish that bolstered the authors standing with his audience. L.L.Beans books are done and offer more info. Let's cut to the chase so that we can get back on the water. I would not recommend to beginner of advanced fishermen. I think that any book that includes fly tying or pictures of fishing flies commands color photos. How many fishing lures have you ever bought from a black-and-white catalog? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flyfishing    2. Fishing - General    3. Fishing Sports    4. Fly casting    5. Fly fishing    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Fishing, angling    9. Sports & Recreation / Fishing   

Editorial Review

The name L. L. Bean is acknowledged as being the tops in outdoor gear. This handbook justifiably bears that brand. A handsomely illustrated Text enhanced with photographs, Dave Whitlock's book covers the Zen of fly fishing, the craft or how-to, the strategies for various fish, how to "read" both fish and stream, and describes the art of tying various flies, and the latest in fly- fishing attire. Whitlock addresses both fresh- and saltwater considerations, the ethics of fishing, and has compiled an excellent list of publications and organizations of interest to the fisher. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent Book to Start Your Fly Fishing
Whitlock's book is one of the best (the other being Rosenbauer's Orvis book) introductions to the sport of fly fishing. The Whitlock illustrations are always great, and the information is top-notch. You will find out everything you need from fly lines to fly rods to knots to basic flies. Don't be fooled by the "L.L.Bean" title--it nowhere promotes their products. An excellent book overall. As an added note, the L.L. Bean Fly-Fishing Bass Handbook is mostly a rehash of this book.

An "if you could have only One" book
This is Prime Whitlock - and he is good. If you bought only one "How to git 'er done" flyfishing book, ever, you couldn't go wrong with the L.L. Bean Flyfishing Handbook.

Excellent beginner's guide
After reviewing dozen of books, I decided to purchase and use this as my primary self-teaching tool.Surprisingly, I was able to learn the basics of casting from this book.I did get some instruction but was too eager to wait for that route.Once I showed up for a lesson, I was told my cast was quite impressive for a beginner; that was the result of this book.I also initially had qualms with the what-I-thought were overly complicated knots given as examples for connecting flies, leaders, tippets, etc.However, after losing several flies, leaders, and tippets from using other knots, I have followed the advice in the book with significantly more success.Overall, I would say there is no better introduction to this wonderful and satisfying hobby.After reading it, you can safely walk in to your local fly shop without feeling like an idiot.Highly reccomended.After reviewing dozen of books, I decided to purchase and use this as my primary self-teaching tool. Surprisingly, I was able to learn the basics of casting from this book. I did get some instruction but was too eager to wait for that route. Once I showed up for a lesson, I was told my cast was quite impressive for a beginner; that was the result of this book. I also initially had qualms with the what-I-thought were overly complicated knots given as examples for connecting flies, leaders, tippets, etc. However, after losing several flies, leaders, and tippets from using other knots, I have followed the advice in the book with significantly more success. Overall, I would say there is no better introduction to this wonderful and satisfying hobby. After reading it, you can safely walk in to your local fly shop without feeling like an idiot. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - General    2. Fishing Sports    3. Fly casting    4. Fly fishing    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Reference    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Fishing, angling    10. Sports & Recreation / Fishing   

Reviews (16)

Best Fly Book You Can Buy
Bottom line is.. if you tie flies... you NEED this book.Great pictures, great descriptions, all around an awesome book.VERY RECOMMENDED.I've been tying for over 10 years, and THIS is still the book I goto.BUY IT.HEY also makes a great gift!

Trout Flies: The Tier's Referance
This book is a must on any serious fly tyers desk. The color photos and detailed pictures captures the essence of learning to tye fly's. The patterns and techniques are very refreshing and give good in-site on details and basics. If any one asked me why buy this book it would take more than a thousand words to describe. If you want to learn good techniques, de-mystify some troubles you encounter in everyday tying, learn about the patterns and see how they are tied, then this book is for you. I think this is Dave Hughes best work ever.

Might be the best book for many tiers
This is an outstanding book on several counts.The quality of the printing itself is high - 480 full color, glossy pages.Frankly, Amazon's price ... for this book is more than reasonable.Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial flies    2. Fishing - Flytying/Lures    3. Fishing - General    4. Fishing Sports    5. Flies, Artificial    6. Fly casting    7. Fly tying    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Trout fishing    11. Fishing, angling   

Reviews (1)

Not just for bonefishers
This book is one of the best nonfiction fishing books I've ever read. I'd recommend it to any flyfisher, even those who've never seen a bonefish.Chico Fernandez has an incredible amount of experience and knowledge about bonefish and flyfishing generally, and his writing is clear, interesting, and sometimes hilarious.He is careful to explain why he thinks a certain way about an issue, includes many examples, and isn't afraid to express uncertainty.All these are refreshing qualities in a genre dominated by those who typically issue piles of dogma, seemingly believing themselves to have risen above other ordinary fishing nuts, to the status of gods or celebrities.Chico reminds us it's just fishing, but damn, it's an unbelievably interesting and fun way to spend time.
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Subjects:  1. Bonefishing    2. Fishing - General    3. Fly fishing    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Fishing, angling    7. Sports & Outdoor Recreation   

Editorial Review

Hailed as a classic almost as soon as it came out in the early 1980s, this combination of entomology and fly-fishing instruction puts a small insect--the caddis fly--under the microscope to help anglers get big results on the water. Misunderstood for years, LaFontaine explains why caddis should be an important part of any fly-fisher's arsenal of flies, and his arguments are very persuasive. With in-depth and anecdote-punctuated discussions of the insect's biology and life cycle, tactics for deciding at what stage in the life cycle caddis are being fed upon (nymph, emerger, or dun), and various methods of presenting imitations, the author provides a thorough and scientific approach to catching fish. Read more

Reviews (4)

Must have in your collection
I've read this book twice and refer to it regularly.Gary LoFontaine's dedication to the scientific method, insatiable curiosity, and love of fly fishing make this book an indispensable resource.

Detail, detail, detail!No substitute for this book!
Gary LaFontaine died this year.A great shame...but he has left behind a body of work that enriches us all. THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING.
This book is for anyone who wants to understand better why certain patterns work one day and not the next.For all of those died in the wool dry fly fisherman, read this book and you will start fishing below the surface, where most of a trout's diet is taken.This is as much a scientific work as it is a manual on how to take more fish more often. The only negative aspect of this book is that it focuses on the caddis fly (although Mayflies are mentioned).A similar work on Mayflies is needed.All in all though, this is the "Bible" that should be on all of our shelves. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Caddisflies    2. Fishing - General    3. Fly fishing    4. Fly tying    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Trout fishing    8. Fishing, angling   

Editorial Review

For the unschooled, fly-fishing can appear impossibly difficult and otherworldly, the province of tweedy sportsmen with enough time and money to look credible on the water. But as Peter Kaminsky explains in the opening chapter, this graceful method of catching fish doesn't require "the touch of a surgeon, the body mechanics of Tiger Woods, and the spirit of a Zen master." What it does require is a little dedication and good instruction--and Read more

Reviews (9)

Fly Fishing for Dummies not all that great
This book is an OK overview of the sport but there are much better books out there.Fly Fishing (A Trailside Guide) by John Merwin is one.Merwin's book has extrememly colorful pictures that get you excited about fishing and the illustrations make it very easy to learn somewhat complicated knots.Fly Fishing for Dummies doesn't do a horrible job of explaining things but different books I've read do a much better job making it easier to learn and much more enjoyable.

Falls short for beginners
I'm a big fan of the Dummies series but found this one very disappointing. The author goes into excruciating detail about some peripheral parts of fly fishing, while completely glancing over some of the essentials.
This 'for Dummies' book misses the mark for dummies
I liked the book but found it to be a 'miss' on illustrations and specifics.For a Dummies book I expected there to be the maximum amount of examples on how to set up a new rod, real and leaders and tippets.
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Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flyfishing    2. Fishing - General    3. Fishing Sports    4. Fly fishing    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Fishing, angling    9. Sports & Recreation / Fishing   

Reviews (11)

outstanding!!!
A great book for beginners like me or the well seasoned tyer.
Fly tying
Book has good details, but lacks many of the flies I normally use and that are found in other books.

Excellent reference for the new fly tyer
Nice bench side guide, with great photos of the completed flies and step by step sequences.Good (but brief) general information section covering materials and basic technique.This book is more like a manual than a encyclopedic reference like the Leeson book.The spiral binding makes it very handy to use in the confines of a small bench like mine.I really like this book and would recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flytying/Lures    2. Fishing - General    3. Flies, Artificial    4. Fly tying    5. Salmon fishing    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Trout fishing    9. Sports & Recreation / Fishing   

Reviews (2)

A Missed Opportunity
Within the corpus of technical American fly-fishing literature an innovative and influential text on the finer aspects of flat-water trout angling eludes us. For years I anxiously awaited "Spring Creeks" and had automatically incucted Lawson into the "KLM club" (i.e. the best American fly-fishing authors to date: Kreh, LaFontaine, and Marinaro). Unfortunately, this book is a missed opportunity and certianly does not deserve a "must read" distinction. A must read--carefully--for trout anglers
Except for the last 1/4th, whichis more directly instructional, Lawson writes in a casual conversational style that must be read carefully to pick up many little bits of information and insight. He credits others for all his know-how, but I watched him fish a difficult stretch in front of his shop. He and Will Godfrey were the only ones who caught anything that afternoon. He knows western springcreeks as few others do. One minor criticism--he mentions midwestern spring creeks only in passing.(He also ignores his own advice concerning red shirts.) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flyfishing    2. Fishing - General    3. Flies, Artificial    4. Fly fishing    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Trout fishing   

Reviews (5)

The Great Lakes Steelhead Bible!
This book is truly a masterpiece. The tips and techniques that one can glean from this work are indespensable. If you consider yourself to be an advanced steelheader, than you will, if nothing else, appreciate the fantastic photographs. I do not suggest this book as a bed-time reader however, as the pictures will more than likely make you too excided to sleep (no joke!).

A masterful work
This is a "must have" for any Great Lakes Basin Steelhead Fly Fisher. Written from One who has been faced with "4th & goal" and has made the conversion.Matt's underlying theme is that each and every one of us Great Lakes' Steelheaders MUST realize that we have to take care to preserve this awesome privilege that we enjoy. Matt shows how and why the traditional West Coast Methods are very limited in the Great Lakes Basin. He does, indeed cover everything you'll need to know and do to become a more proficient fly fishing steelheader...I promise.

Dreaming about Steelhead
Steelhead Dreams ranks up there as one the best books about the Great Lakes steelhead fishery. Author Matt Supinski is considered one of the top Great Lakes steelhead guru. In this book he shares decades of knowledge and experience. The book has chapters on mastering the rivers, different times of year, presentations and the top Great Lakes rivers. Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flyfishing    2. Fishing - General    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. United States - Midwest - West North Central (General)   

Reviews (1)

A good source for new ideas!
This is a book I got on a whim at the local fly shop. What I like is it showcases patterns from a lot of people who are excellent tiers, but do not have the name recognition of a Jack Dennis or Mike Lawson. The pictures and recipes are all first rate and for the average tier more than enough to put the fly together. The patterns are fresh with alot of new ideas. This is a book that would go well with the Fly patterns of Umpqua Feather Merchants book as a fly tying recipe book. Personally I think you will like this book a great deal. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flytying/Lures    2. Fishing - General    3. Flies, Artificial    4. Fly tying    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation   

Editorial Review

It's easy to forget that in between his collections of essays, John Gierach has published a number of slender volumes, each devoted to a single aspect of fly-fishing and usually of a more technical nature. Read more

Reviews (6)

10 star must own for the serious authentic fly fisherman
Aside from the utterly awesome and accurate illustrations of dozens of flies, its the honesty of the author I appreciate. In reading how he came to tie his own flies I felt a kindred spirit because he mentioned, the artistic as well as the frugal, self reliant, and even scientific in a 'quaint, naturalistic sense' of tying ones own flies. Fun reading
This book is great fun to read and gives you a better perspective on flies and there history. The chapters are well thought out and very enjoyable to read. The tools and materials chapter is very good also. Like all of Geirach's book it is a good read that you will read again and again.

Duh...
John Gierach's straight to the point, matter of factness on flies, trout's selectivity (or lack thereof) and his total lack of sacred cows on the stream is a hoot.Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flytying/Lures    2. Fishing - General    3. Flies, Artificial    4. Fly tying    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Trout fishing    8. Fishing, angling    9. Sports & Recreation / Fishing   

Editorial Review

If fly-fishing were run like baseball, at the entrance to every river, stream, lake, and pond you'd find a vendor with a stack of Read more

Reviews (9)

Great reference, low price
I have only been tying flies for 3 years and I use this book like a bible.It is well written and takes a lot of the guesswork out of tying new patterns.Like others have said, the variations section is very valuable and the added text tells you what insects the variations are matching.Also contains helpful tips on what types of water each style should be fished.If you are just getting in to tying and are feeling overwhelmed by the number of patterns out there, then BUY THIS BOOK.It's an awesome primer and I have caught and released numerous trout by tying the main patterns that Dave suggests.Also, the beginning of the book offers advice on tying materials and the basic stuff you should have.I highly recommend this book to the beginning tyer and also for those who are more experienced.Tight lines!

Great book
If you need quick reference to fly patterns, this is the book. Great photos..Highly recommended.

A well balanced book
Like other reviewers before me, I've found this to be a very useful reference.It's got a good selection and cross section of the different types of trout flies, many of which are also very good for warm water species such as panfish.The fishing notes section is very useful in telling how this type fly should be fished and under what conditions.One feature that I really like and that I did not notice that anyone else mentioned is the Useful Variations section.The book will give detailed explanation of how to tie and what is needed for a particular fly (example Royal Wulff) under a section (example Wulffs) and then give the recipes (the "how to" will be the same) for a number of other flies of that same type. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flytying/Lures    2. Fishing - General    3. Fishing Sports    4. Flies, Artificial    5. Fly tying    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Fishing, angling   

Reviews (2)

THE BOOK to read if you want to learn to fly fish!
Twenty years ago I bought "Fly Fishing For Trout", the previous incarnation of this book (from a different publisher) and it made me a fly fisherman.I've already been through three copies of the present (expanded, revised, updated) edition, as the people I lend it to never return it. A decent book, but not great
As I'm writing this, I see it's out of stock from the publisher.The reason I'm still bothering to write a review is to make you feel a little better if you're dying to find it.I noticed it got rave reviews incertain circles.I've wondered if these were friends of Talleur's, or ifhe simply has a good reputation.I'm an intermediate flyfisherman, and Ireally didn't find this book as useful as I hoped.It's a *good* book,just not a *very* good book.I found the chapter on leader constructionquite useful.The book seems to assume that you'll be fishing during ahatch on classic trout waters.This is only a slight exaggeration, butlet's face it - the vast majority of trout flyfishing done in this countryis not during the Hendrickson hatch on a calm pool on the Beaverkill.Thechapters on casting and rod/reel selection are only mediocre (although I'veread better casting instruction, most equipment discussions in books seemsto be mediocre.)So that leaves the fishing.And I can't help butnoticing a subtle bit of arrogance in Talleur's writing, as if he seems tobe saying "This is a great book."I can't put my finger on why. I would have to recommend other books for the fishing aspect, such asRosenbauer's excellent "Prospecting for Trout" or Humphrey'sslightly off-beat "On the Trout Stream".I have glanced atKreh's "Presenting the Fly" and that may be a real winner - we'llsee! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flyfishing    2. Fishing - General    3. Fly fishing    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Trout fishing    7. Sports & Recreation / Fishing   

Reviews (3)

Most comprehensive review on the subject!
This is a fabulous book.It covers: A Must Read for the Great Lakes Steelhead Fly Fisher!
This book is the "bible of Great Lakes steelhead fly fishing." The book covers the history and biology of Great Lakes steelhead, and provides the reader with a wealth of information on angling techniques.

Put this on your list!
This is a brilliant masterpiece by two of the premier steelhead experts in the great lakes region. The book is a wonderful mix of history and technical details presented in a manner that exudes their love for the sport and their reverence for the quarry and it's natural environment. Read more

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flyfishing    2. Fishing - General    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation