5 fantastic fishing books you should read this winter

In my early teens, after just a few years of fly fishing, I’d already travelled to Labrador, Scotland, Vancouver Island, Key West, the Caribbean and beyond. With each destination, I was entertained and instructed by great masters and innovators of the sport. Am I the progeny of privileged and pedigreed anglers? Hardly—I had a library card.

In those days before the internet or the Sportsman Channel, books were one of the rare windows to the wider world of fly fishing. And with my burgeoning obsession, I devoured them. Some were good, some weren’t, but I learned something from each one. And today, especially in the off-season, I still find inspiration, entertainment and advice in fishing books. Here are a few of my favourite titles, both new and classic, that might do the same for you over the cold winter months.

The Complete Book of Fly Fishing

I may be the only person who ever borrowed this from the Pelham Public Library, in Fonthill, Ontario, but I did so over and over. I recently reread the updated 1993 edition, and it has held up extremely well. Although the gear information is dated, I’ve yet to read a more enjoyable all-around fly-fishing manual. Unlike many how-to books, it’s got real character. Author Tom McNally presents 50 years’ worth of well-organized fly-fishing wisdom using numerous anecdotes and a no-nonsense, can-do approach. He also writes about pike, bass and trout, as well as saltwater species. As a young angler, that really broadened my perspective.

Fly Patterns by Fishing Guides: 200 Flies That Really Work

The only thing as numerous as fly patterns may be books about fly patterns, with most featuring the same old flies. Honestly, YouTube videos are a better fly-tying resource these days. But every fly in this 2013 book was a revelation to me. Why? Because they’re little-known patterns designed by fishing guides to ensure their clients catch fish. Somehow, author Tony Lolli pried the patterns loose from their creators, and presents them here in a spiral-bound hardcover, complete with large colour photos and tying instructions. I’ve personally used patterns learned from this book for trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, Arctic grayling and bonefish, so yes, they really work.

The Orvis Guide to Prospecting for Trout

This book’s subtitle is How to Catch Fish When There’s No Hatch to Match, which both sums it up perfectly and points out a flaw in much of the trout-fishing advice out there. Countless books and articles have been written about fishing during insect hatches, but that’s also when you’re least in need of advice. Author Tom Rosenbauer instead focuses on those many times when you get to the river and there’s no obvious course of action. His writing is clear and entertaining and, crucially, he incorporates up-to-date research, which deflates a lot of long-held fly-fishing myths. Simply put, it’s the most useful trout-fishing book I’ve ever read.