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IMPORTANT
SITE UPDATE:
Visit the relaunched
Fish & Fly at fishandfly.com
Trout
Fly Fishing, An Expert Approach - Martin Cairncross & John Dawson
Reviewed by Terry Lawton
Although
this book is yet another of a similar type - large format, multiple authors
and covering all aspects of trout fishing - this one is very much better
than the others. It is up to date, lives up to the title and covers just
about everything the aspiring, progressive trout angler needs to know.
Having said that, I do have a problem with authors who write " we
believe that", " we do this" etc. Why? Are they trying
to be matey? I don't like it and it doesn't add anything to this or other
books. I know that it is nit-picking, but why, in the acknowledgements
do they use "we" and then "they"? Bad writing and
bad editing I'm afraid. This is another book that has trouble with the
correct spelling of the Klinkhåmer Special fly: it is not Klinkhammer!
Also I am not convinced by the authors' idea of how to tie this world-famous
pattern. I say this having visited Hans van Klinken's website.
The book covers stillwaters and rivers and Charles Jardine has contributed
a section on float tubing as well as line and colour illustrations including
some interesting 3D ones.
The Trout's Larder is an interesting and informative look at the main
groups of flies and suggested imitations. This chapter is illustrated
with a mixture of Jardine's illustrations of the natural insects and photographs
of the artificials. For me, this chapter actually made entomology accessible.
One short-coming is that the chapter on Great Fly Patterns does not include
specific recipes. Yes, you can tie the flies from the descriptions given
but to have had the tying recipe would be very helpful. But there is an
interesting selection of fly patterns.
The section on fly line selection has good advice: "avoid having
too many different types of line". I don't think that many people
would disagree with that. The authors then discuss the benefits of the
different types of line from floating to sink tips. They also look at
the pros and cons of different leaders. For example, floating braided
leaders achieve good turn-over and sinking leaders or poly-tips are used
to get your fly down quickly.
I liked reference to "Classic" Booby-style fishing: that will
upset the traditionalists! For those who don't know it or have never fished
one, a Booby allows the angler to fish a (Booby) fly at a fixed distance
above the bottom which can be a killing technique.
On the river side of things, the book covers a wide range of river types
in the UK and USA. For many anglers who are used to fishing upstream only
- or at least most of the time - the book explains why may, in fact often
should, fish nymphs downstream in big, fast rivers.
Like Leonard M Wright's book reviewed here recently, this, too, ends with
a chapter of bits and bobs called Tricks of The Trade. It covers landing
and releasing fish, good housekeeping, fly tying and basic nous. There
are some good ideas here.
Martin Cairncross has fished for England and has developed his own fly
patterns and these flies and his fishing techniques are based on experience
gained in New Zealand and the USA. John Dawson has won many championships
and captained the English team at international level as well as having
fished extensively in Europe, North America and New Zealand.
This is a very good and practical reference book that you can dip into
and look for answers to a particular problem. I think that it is possibly
the best all-purpose book that I have seen for sometime. As for their
"eccentric friend Reggie" - you'll have to read the book yourself.
Trout Fly Fishing, An Expert Approach
by Martin Cairncross & John Dawson. Illustrations by Charles Jardine.
184 pages, hardback published by Swan Hill Press at £24.95.
