Fishing Yellowstone Waters

My headline says it all. A great deal has changed in Yellowstone since this book was written, and even then Charlie Brooks was locally known with wry amusement for being very set in his ways, so the book was slanted towards his own preferred methods even in the 1980s. Now it's simply outdated. BUT Charlie Brooks belongs in the pantheon of Yellowstone-area anglers, and variations on some of his flies are still the best stonefly nymphs in the region (they are produced by Gardner local Matt Minch). As such, this book is worth owning simply as a historical document.

This book is a classic, and still full of great information. It's amazing, but 10 years after the book was published, and the information is still accurate and useful. I spent the past week in the Park, and based on Brook's great descriptions, fished specific sections of the Firehole and Madison -- with spectacular results at each. Also based on the book's recommendations, I made the 13 mile hike to and from the Lewis Channel -- again a fantastic day. I've read more recent guides to the park by Matthews and Charlton and although they cover more waters, this book covers the big name waters in much more depth. Required reference for anyone visiting Yellowstone for the fishing.