Glacier National Park Fishing Book Recommendations
Fishing Glacier National Park by Russ Schneider
"Russ Schneider, author and outdoor guide, has compiled information on 64 bodies of water in the park and on the North and Middle Forks of the Flathead River....The book leads you to streams and lakes where you'll find kokanee salmon, mountain whitefish, artic grayling, and trout."
Yellowstone National Park Fishing Book Recommendations
Fishing Yellowstone National Park by Richard Parks
Fishing Yellowstone National Park tells the angler where to go -along the roads and off the beaten path--how to get there, which species of fish populate the lakes and streams, and what to tie on the end of the line for best results." I concur with this back cover quote. Although I have numerous books on fishing Yellowstone National Park, this is the book that I found that I returned to most often.
The Yellowstone Fly-Fishing Guide by Craig Mathews and Clayton Molinero
Mathews and Molinero's book is another excellent guidebook on Yellowstone National Park fishing. I found this guide to be very helpful on covering both the waters to fish as well as those to pass, as being barren or poor fishing in general. I especially enjoyed the hatch charts and the recommended choice of fly patterns for specific waters.
Fly Fishing the Yellowstone in the Park by Bob Jacklin and Gary LaFontaine
It is almost unimaginable that a visiting angler to Yellowstone National Park would fail to wet a line on the Yellowstone River. This book is an excellent resource to park fishing on the Yellowstone River. It is invaluable in saving you time in its detailed descriptions of all the fishing sections, and it is especially valuable in helping you with fly selection and streamside tips from two experts.
Hiking Yellowstone National Park by Bill Schneider
In addition to the fishing guides recommended above, I highly recommend this book if you plan to fish the backcountry or take some day hikes to fish some of the wonderful lakes and creeks that Yellowstone National Park offers. Like all of the Falcon guide books, this one offers excellent maps, trail conditions and what to expect from destination point to destination point.
Fly Fishing the Mountain Lakes by Gary LaFotaine
Not only is this an excellent source of information for fly-fishing the high country lakes, it is entertaining as well. If you plan on fishing Montana's backcountry, this is a must read! If you haven't acquired LaFontaine's recognized classics, then be sure to order one of his pioneering books on fly-fishing listed below under the heading, "Fly-fishing Instructional Book Recommendations".
Montana Fishing Guide Book Recommendations: Since my own book went out of publication, I have just ordered two new Montana guide books through Amazon to review in the months ahead. I remember how puzzled I was when someone wrote a negative review on Amazon complaining that I devoted too much content on camping. Oddly enough he did not read the title of my book, "Montana Fly-Fishing and Camping Guide." He took umbrage that I organized the book not by watershed, which can be most confusing at times, but by Montana state highways and roads within a specific region. All of this information was in the introductory pitch. I never rebutted his comments, as I was closing out my inventory. What is most troubling to me is the number of negative, ignorant reviews that I find on Amazon. Readers, be leery of wanna-be critics who rate books as 1 or 2! Until I have a chance to review the new Montana guide books, I am going to recommend an out-of-print guide book by Greg Thomas that you can buy used really cheap along with a revised guide book by Mike Sample. Sure, Thomas' book will be a little out dated regarding the Super Fund cleanup project on the Clark Fork or the latest update on whirling disease, but it is a darn good resource guidebook for Montana. Sample's old book, The Angler's Guide to Montana served me well so I am quite confident that his new book will be exceptional as well. I love a good guide book. They save me precious time and money. Ask yourself if you want a guide book that you can mark up, dog-ear and toss on the dashboard, or do you want something to lay out on your coffee table in your den. If you are like me, you will want both, and from more than one author!
Flyfisher's Guide to Montana by Greg Thomas
Fishing Montana: An Angler's Guide to the Big Sky's Best Streams and Lakes by Mike Sample
River Safety - A Floater's Guide by Stan Bradshaw
If you are inexperienced in float fishing Western rivers, I highly recommend this book. Anyone can oar a raft or drift boat down the river and think that they are skilled after a few outings, and yet every season river mishaps occur all over the state. If you want to be a responsible oarsman, and you have had limited experience navigating class II and III water, buy this book.
Fly-fishing Instructional Book Recommendations
The L.L. Bean Ultimate Book of Fly Fishing by Macauley Lord, Dick Talleur and Dave Whitlock
If I had a nickel for every how-to-fly fishing book that has been published during the last 20 years, I'd be fishing around the world in some pretty exotic places. My article "Mastering the Basics of Fly Fishing" was begun years ago when I was preparing an outline for an introductory course for fathers and sons. Recently I was perusing the shelves for a primer to double check that I hadn't left anything out of my article. The Ultimate Book of Fly Fishing may be an overstatement; nonetheless, it is
a wonderful primer for the novice or beginner. The book is divided into three sections: Fly Fishing, Fly Casting, Fly Tying. The photographs and diagrams are exceptional, and I couldn't resist adding another fly-fishing book to my collection.
Fly Fishing - A Trailside Guide by John Merwin
John Mervin, founding editor and publisher of Fly Rod and Reel magazine, has written a highly informative and well organized how-to guide for fly-fishing. The reader will find no fluff in this book, and the illustrations and photographs are superb. The price is right too! I especially liked the Gear Talk and Tips sections scattered throughout the book, as well as the diagrams for tying knots. Mervin's voice is personal and direct.
Specialty Books on Fly Fishing
Nymph-Fishing Rivers & Streams by Rick Hafele (plus DVD)
If you have mastered the basics of fly-fishing but concentrate your efforts on the surface or bouncing a nymph along the bottom, then this book is the gateway instructional book to help you fish the entire column of water. I love this book! And it comes with a DVD. Now, if I just had a second one to mark up like a textbook...
Fly-Fishing Stillwaters for Trophy Trout by Denny Rickards
I am shocked! Once again I went to Amazon to look up the information for Rickards book. As a resident of Montana, I never found the time to hone my skills for stillwater fly-fishing. When I arrived in Oregon in the Klamath Falls area, I asked a number of guides what book they recommended for stillwater angling. Overwhelming the response was Denny Rickards' book. And yet today I found a scathing, angry review of his book on Amazon that personally attacked Denny Rickards. The review carried on as if the reviewer had a personal vendetta against Rickards. All I can say is that I agree with the reviewers who gave four and five star ratings. Am I a friend of Rickards? No. Is Rickards iconoclastic? Yes. Does his book and his system deserve high praise? Yes.
Morris and Chan on Fly Fishing Trout Lakes by Skip Morris and Brian Chan
Although I placed Rickards' book above this book, I highly recommend Morris and Chan's book on par with Rickards' book. In fact, if you are really serious about learning stillwater tactics, you need both books.
The Fish Bum's Guide to Catching Larger Trout by Mike Croft.
An illustrated cartoon manual on "stillwater tactics for the intermediate fly angler," this is a delightful book. It is a great primer! I learned a great deal from this book and was delighted with the humor and comical illustrations.
Fly Patterns for Stillwaters by Phillip Rowley
So, you have made a commitment to stillwater fishing and you need a resource for fly patterns, this is the book. In addition to the fly-tying instructions and beautiful photographs this book is packed with information on the food base in lakes and how and why to develop effective patterns. He provides excellent advice and tips on seasonal tips, tactics and presentations.
Note: If you are just beginning to collect fly fishing books, you will greatly value any of Gary LaFontaine's books.
The Dry Fly, New Angles by Gary LaFontaine
Trout Flies - Proven Patterns by Gary LaFontaine
Trout Stream Insects by Dick Pobst
A great pocket guide to the major hatches.
Bassin' with a Fly Rod by Jack Ellis
If you live near bass country, quit longing for your next trout adventure. Get out your fly rod and have a blast. Jack Ellis, author of The Sunfishes, traces the history of fly-fishing for bass as well as providing specific techniques for catching large-mouth bass. I really enjoyed reading the parts were he debunks the writers who churn out expert opinion that no one else can duplicate. Having been a fly-fisher for trout all my life, this book was exactly what I was looking for in my new pursuit of bass in the Sacramento delta waters.
Fly-Fishing the Montana Spring Creeks by John Mingo
I am not entirely sure how to recommend this book. I found it to be very informative and a good read. The problem is that it is narrowly focused on fishing "pay-to-play" spring creeks in the Livingston area of Montana. Nonetheless, I found a great deal of information on nymph fishing that I can apply to the slow-waters of Montana. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to pay for a spring creek outing, nor can I buy a two-weight fly rod. If you are thinking, well, I can, then this is the book for you! (It also comes with a CD inside.)