John Bailey's Complete Guide to Fly Fishing

I'm brand new to fly fishing so I can't speak to the quality of the information contained in this book but I can say that it hasn't really answered all my questions. The chapter on tackle in particular felt pretty light and left me with many questions. Unfortunately, one of the main things I was hoping to get from this book was a little insight into how to chose a rod, reel and line to start with and those three topics were barely glossed over as if they were simply common sense and not really important. It never really explained the need for four different types on line (backer, primary, leader and tippet) on the reel at the same time. There is almost no discussion about different types of line or selecting reels. Even rods only received a few vague paragraphs with no discussion on the difference between a $25 or a $3500 pole. One thing this book does do very well is introduce you to thinking like a fish. The majority of the book is given over to food sources, habitat, and strategy. There's several really good diagrams of streams, rivers, lakes and ponds explaining typical flow patterns and the types of places fish like to rest and feed. If you're a gear head at heart, this book may not give much advice, but it will provide all the justification you'll need to fill your tackle box with thermometers, binoculars and camouflage waders and hats, not to mention thousands of kinds of flys and other lures. Who knows, maybe you'll even decide to replace your TV with a fly tying vice and hundreds of bags of fur, feathers, hooks and thread. ;-)

This is a beautifully crafted book, both in its visual presentation and its lighthearted and honest dialogue by Mr. Bailey. Most of the pictures are so beautiful you want to be there. And the pictures that demonstrate key aspects are right on money. This is one of the few books that my children should benefit from, if they choose to take up fly fishing. I highly recommend it.