Good Flies: Favorite Trout Patterns and How They Got that Way by John Gierach
Winter is upon us, so it is the time for reading and fly tying. With that in mind, I’ve been meaning to post a quick review of this book for a while, so here it goes. I read this book a few months back. Yes. I read a fly tying book cover to cover. But see that’s what’s different about this book. It’s a fly tying book that reads like a collection of anecdotes. Which is essentially what it is. Gierach does eventually get around to providing recipes for all the flies he discusses, but that isn’t the focus. The real focus is the personal histories and philosophies behind the flies.
I enjoyed the book. Reading it is like sitting down with John Gierach and talking about the flies he likes and why he likes them. And there lies the main “problem” with the book; if you’re looking for the how-to’s of fly tying you’ll be very disappointed. On the other hand, if you like John Gierach’s musings then you’ll probably enjoy reading this book. Just don’t expect a book full of step-by-step instructions and hundreds of patterns.
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