Bud Lilly's Guide to Fly Fishing the New West

Rating:
Summary: Informative reading for all fly fishing enthusiasts.
Review: Bud Lilly's Guide To Fly Fishing The New West represents the distilled wisdom of a lifetime's experience with fly fishing the waters of the American west. Featured are proven techniques and seasonal approaches to successfully fishing big rivers, small streams, spring creeks, and high-country lakes. Also included are proven fly patterns, tactical tricks for presenting flies to difficult fish; locating fish in unfamiliar waters; gear; choosing the right guide; successful year-round angling; fishing from a boat or raft; and much more. Bud Lilly's Guide To Fly Fishing The New West is highly recommended and informative reading for all fly fishing enthusiasts.

Rating:
Summary: Much more than just a fishing book
Review: What a terrific combination, Paul Schullery and Bud Lilly! Schullery adds the literary polish but the words are all Bud's. A native Montanan, Bud Lilly was in the right place at the right time, West Yellowstone during the late sixties. His fly shop became an icon for the fly fishing fraternity during the decade the sport exploded in popularity. No trip to the West Yellowstone area was complete without a stop at Bud Lilly's Trout Shop. Known and unknown, master or novice, we all passed through those doors.

In "Guide", Bud recalls those halcyon days of the 70's with a wit and knack for story telling that makes you feel like he's talking to you personally. His stories are more than just good tales, he teaches through example. The other half of the book is good practical advice, the "How To, Where To" of any quality guidebook. Bud's style is very congenial, never condescending. You feel like you're talking with him one-on-one in his shop, getting straight answers to your questions. "Guide" is well illustrated with excellent color plates of popular western flies and lots of fishing photos relative to the text. Unfortunately there are a number of typos and some text missing, but this doesn't detract from what is otherwise an excellent work.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone considering a fly fishing trip to the west or any fly fisher who remembers the good old days of thirty years ago and wants a fun jog down memory lane.