5 fantastic fishing books you should read this winter

The Royal Wulff Murders

As a lifelong devotee of mysteries and thrillers, I know that themed stories—with a detective who knits or races motorcycles or trains cats, but is otherwise totally bland—are inevitably cheesy. But not this one. Author Keith McCafferty crafts a lively and compelling mystery starring fly angler and semi-pro detective Sean Stranahan, set against a backdrop of Montana’s fly-fishing culture. In fact, mystery lovers who don’t care about angling still enjoy this book, which is high praise. And for those of us who do fly fish, long-time outdoor writer McCafferty gets every detail perfect. There are now six more books in the series, starring Stranahan, and his friends sheriff Martha Ettinger and colourful fly-fishing guide Rainbow Sam, and they’re all terrific.