Fishing Small Streams With a Fly Rod

Rating:
Summary: For once, a book that lives up to the title
Review: It was a perfect day for reading. I had the den to myself, and the table lamp was just bright enough to illuminate the pages of _Fishing Small Streams With A Fly Rod_. I opened the book to any old chapter, and like clockwork, there it was: a first person, past tense anecdote, of no informational value but so predictable it was comforting. It was a reading experience I'll look back to fondly.

Fly fishing how-to books are notoriously full of nothing, but this book has plenty of useful, nearly universal information to ponder on backcountry fishing. It's logically organized and mostly direct in its purpose. Meck leans heavily on the aforementioned poetic filler, but each chapter has plenty of valuable advice.

The book does show its age: his choice of heavy flyrods seems out of step with current trends, and many of the brand/model names he mentions have been updated, but there's so much good common sense and time-won knowledge here that it's far more helpful than most face-to-face encounters wth a flyshop guru. It's got some downright argumentation about catch-and-release ethics, and a chapter on altering stream flow might raise eyebrows today, but for its on-topic wisdom, it can't be beat.

Rating:
Summary: Techniques from a master!
Review: Only a Pennsylvania fisherman can cover the subject of small stream fishing like Charlie. If you've ever met him you will immediately recognize his passion and enthusiasm for fishing. This book helps you get off the beaten path and experience fishing the way our forefathers did. This book is a classic. If you find it in hardcover BUY IT TOO!