5 fantastic fishing books you should read this winter

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.