The Trout and the Fly: A New Approach

If you wish to get inside the small, primitive brain of a trout, then read The Trout and The Fly. Most theories passed around in angling circles for how these critters behave is commonly hearsay. The authors, Brian Clarke and John Goddard - both avid fly fishermen, reveal trained and measured observations. More than any sport, fishing lends itself to word-of-mouth and story telling. Clarke and Goddard take a more analytical tact - providing the angler fundamental knowledge of trout behavior. The book covers a lot of ground - from how to locate fish to how the trout locates the angler. The material is broken into 4 parts: (1) Observation - Man and trout, (2) Vision - Trout and man, (3) Technique - Man versus trout, and (4) Imitation - Man, trout and fly. These authors excel at transporting the reader to the cold, clear underwater world of the trout. And it's in the second part of the book where I found myself absorbed by their words and photos. Their presentations on how a trout sees (revealed in drawings and photos) I found to be unique and awarding. Fascinating details about their depth/range of vision, their ability to discern color, the visual depiction of dry flies, the appearance of fly lines and leaders are revealed in the book's pages. To support their work, Clarke and Goddard position a camera underwater and set it to model the visual capabilities of a trout (e.g., changing the aperture setting). In ten plus pages containing color photo plates, you are treated to images of what a trout is likely to see. Ranging from how obvious an angler can appear holding a fly rod vertical in the air near the bank of a stream to the importance of wing patterns in imitating aquatic insects... it's all shown in vivid detail. The color photos alone can justify the purchase of The Trout and the Fly! Each page contains keen observations, useful tips and above all an implicit philosophy embodied by the authors. As I see it, the philosophy throughout is one of looking, patient waiting, looking some more, and finally learning how these animals interact with their surroundings. The fruit of this philosophy is ultimately the knowledge they share. This book was first reviewed on the reviewer's own site: EcoAngler.com - The Nature of Fly Fishing.

Excellent insight into the ways of the trout, and the environment in which the trout thrives. Where to find trout under different circumstances, but most of all actually showing you why and how the trout reacts to different stimuli like light, heat, sound, chemistry etc. etc.