Salmonfly.Net Reviews - Issue 1

In this issue we will begin a series of short, bi-weekly articles reviewing worthwhile salmon, steelhead, sea-run cutthroat literature and websites. The literature and sites that you find reviewed in this series will generally be those that are deemed as good resources for fly fisherman.  It is not the intention of this series to pick apart anything or give negative reviews.  Salmonfly.Net has always had the philosophy that we are all in this to learn from each other and that information should flow freely within the fly fishing community. We will not hold back when recommending other websites to visit if the site has valuable information. The same holds true for the literature. We are of the opinion that all fly fisherman can benefit from a well-rounded knowledge base. Given that, there are certain absolutes in everything that we do, including fly fishing. We will attempt to point out where that appears to be the case in the literature reviews, especially when it comes to fly fishing techniques and equipment. So this week we will begin with the first in the series.

If you enjoy reading angling literature and would like a worthy book to add to your collection, then you should own Steelhead Country, Angling in Northwest Waters. by Steve Raymond.  This book was first published in 1991, but Raymond writes with a literary style reminiscent of Ray Bergman, Roderick Haig-Brown, and other writers of that bygone era where we were drawn us into the magical world of fly-fishing from our living rooms.  Don’t pick up this book, if you are looking for lots of fly patterns and color plates. It is not really a reference book. Pick it up, though, if you want to have some exceptional reading material while learning a lot about the life history and habits of Northwest Steelhead. It is a book, as the saying goes that is hard to put down. An excerpt from Raymond’s prologue reads,

The return of the steelhead is an integral part of the life of the Pacific Northwest.  A whole tradition has grown up around it, a tradition with a complicated code of behavior and ethics, a complex set of tactics, and a growing body of literature and lore to which each succeeding generation of anglers contributes its own share. The Steelhead has become a fish of legend in tales told around the campfires that flicker on countless riverbanks in the raining dawn, or in the tall stories swapped over steaming cups of coffee in the greasy-spoon diners of little towns clustered along the rivers. There are other great fishing traditions, but none quite the same as this. Perhaps one must be born in the Pacific Northwest, or at least spend much of his life here, to fully understand and become a part of it. (Raymond, 1991, p. xiv)1

Steve Raymond belies his own words, however and draws us into the world of steelhead fly fishing, regardless of where we were born or live, with stories beginning with childhood memories of fishing with his father, and on through 25 seasons on his favorite Pacific Northwest Rivers. Even if you are not one to read for reading pleasure, there are numerous lessons to be learned in these his stories about everything you need know to be a successful steelhead fly fisherman. This is a book that I highly recommend for your fly fishing collection.

SPB

Note: If you wish to read more reviews of this book, you can find them here at Amazon.Com, and here at Booklist.Com. There is also a nice article in the Seattle Times written about it entitled An Unabashed Love Letter to Steelhead, by Donn Fry.

1. Raymond, S. (1991). Steelhead Country, Angling in Northwest Waters. New York: Lyons and Burford.