Library

The following is a source library for much of the information I have added to this site. Many of these publications remain available and are an excellent addition to your fly fishing library.

Trout and Salmon of North America

Sierra Trout Guide

by Ralph Cutter
This is a colorful and informative overview of the fish, their habitat, and techniques for bringing them to net. It begins with a detailed description of the native and non-native trout species of the Sierras, including beautiful full-color plates. Subsequent chapters include discussions of hydraulics, trout behavior, entomology, locating fish, and traveling in the backcountry. Anyone who fishes--or plans to fish in the Sierra Nevadas--should read this book from start to finish.
Amazon: Sierra Trout Guide

Fish Food

by Ralph Cutter
Ralph and Lisa Cutter provide an indepth view of the entomology within Sierran streams and lakes. Ralph has literally spent hundreds of hours underwater examining bugs and the trout's response to bugs within stream and lake habitats. Provides great insights from a flyfishers perspective.

Amazon: Fish Food

Fly Fishing the Sierra Nevada

by Bill Sunderland
"Fly Fishing the Sierra Nevada" describes when, where and how to fish California's premier mountain range. Detailed maps and directions chart the way to hundreds of rivers, creeks and lakes that offer some of the best fishing in the state. Toss in some history, geological background and a bit of humor, and the result is a book that will be on the must-have list of every trout angler who fishes California.
Amazon: Fly Fishing the Sierra Nevada

Fly Fishing California Stillwaters

by Bill Sunderland
The inclination of most fly-line anglers is to fish moving water. That's a mistake, because there are bigger trout in California's lakes and reservoirs. Fly Fishing California Stillwaters tells anglers where the best fishing can be found, offering directions, full-color maps and so much detail you'll never again arrive at a lake wondering what fly to use or where to start your search for trout.
Amazon: Fly Fishing California Stillwaters

Fly Fishing Stillwaters for Trophy Trout

by Denny Rickards
This book offers some great tips on techniques and patterns for catching stillwater trout. Rickards calls for experimentation with speed of retrieve on full sinking lines. In terms of flies, Rickards advocates suggestive patterns rather than any sort of 'match-the-hatch' philosophy. He argues that stillwater trout are attracted to the life-like movement of the fly rather than a specific match.
Amazon: Fly Fishing Stillwaters for Trophy Trout

Trout Fishing the John Muir Trail

Eastern Sierra Fishing Guide for Day Hikers

by John Barbier
The guide at the back of the book tells so much in so little space--it lists distances to each lake, the type of fish there, difficulty, region of the sierras, and more. This, like so much of the book, understates its value. Mr. Barbier's brief comments about essential gear, lures, fishing etiquette, mosquito avoidance, are invaluable.
Amazon: Eastern Sierra Fishing Guide for Day Hikers

Fly Fishing the Tahoe Region

High Sierra Fly Fishing

Yosemite Trout Fishing Guide

by Steve Beck
With maps and detailed trail instructions, the guide provides the angler who enjoys getting off the beaten track with directions to all sorts of water within the park, including rivers, creeks, and alpine lakes (there are also driving directions to areas near the few roads). In addition, the guide covers plenty of strategies and techniques to improve your chances once you get to your chosen destination.
Amazon: Yosemite Trout Fishing Guide

Hiking California's Golden Trout Wilderness

by Suzanne Swedo
This book offers a preview of what they are likely to see and experience along their chosen route: geological features, historical sites, trees, birds, flowers, and mammals. It helps readers anticipate places where the trail is faint, where it is clear, where and when rivers and streams are special sources of delight, or where there may be obstacles to travel.
Amazon: Hiking California's Golden Trout Wilderness

Plumas National Forest Trout Fishing Guide

by Andrew Harris
Sierran fishing guide, Andrew Harris, covers fly fishing opportunities within the Plumas National Forest of the Northern Sierra and the Feather River system. Discussion of fly patterns, lakes and streams of the region, and strategies for success in fishing this region throughout the year.
Amazon: Plumas National Forest Trout Fishing Guide

Trout Flies, the Tier's Reference

by Dave Hughes
Featuring over 1400 color photographs of fly patterns, this work should be a standard for those specializing in trout flies. Hughes has a style that is easygoing and conversational, and his patterns will leave the beginning or intermediate enthusiast with a good selection of flies that will be effective in most situations.
Amazon: Trout Flies, the Tier's Reference

The Fly Tier's Benchside Reference

by Ted Leeson and Jim Schollmeyer
Featuring over 1400 color photographs of fly patterns, this work should be a standard for those specializing in trout flies. Hughes has a style that is easygoing, and his patterns will leave the beginning or intermediate enthusiast with a good selection of flies that will be effective in most situations.
Amazon: The Fly Tier's Benchside Reference

Barr Flies

by John Barr
John Barr is the most successful designer of commercially distributed flies in the world. His Barr Emerger is an unrivaled pattern for western mayfly situations, and the Copper John has evolved into the most popular fly of the millennium. Barr tells how he developed each fly, gives tips on when and how to fish them.
Amazon: Barr Flies

A.K. Best's Fly Box

by A.K. Best
A revealing look into the fly box of one of North America's most respected and experienced fly tyers, with complete, step-by-step tying instructions.
Amazon: A.K. Best's Fly Box

A.K. Best's Advanced Fly Tying

by A.K. Best
A. K. Best offers a thoughtful interpretation of advanced techniques for tying trout flies. A. K. discusses tools, materials, and methods in elaborate detail, and the resulting fly patterns "may, in the right hands, fool a few more trout," according to John Gierach's introduction.
Amazon: A.K. Best's Advanced Fly Tying

Western Hatches

by Dave Hughes and Rick Haefele
This softcover book not only matches fly patterns to the hatch but also educates the reader to the lifecycles, anatomy, and seasonal hatches of the insects. The book is well written, and contains most of the general information that flyfishermen need to really enhance their experience.
Amazon: Western Hatches

Wet Flies

by Dave Hughes
With three decades of fishing experience and coursework in aquatic entymology, plus leading workshops across the country and writing four books on fly fishing tactics, Hughes explains subsurface insect behavior, extensively covers fishing literature and history, presents detailed instruction on materials and tying, and teaches presentation-all with numerous photos, drawings, and 24 pages of color plates.
Amazon: Wet Flies

The Soft Hackled Fly

by Sylvester Nemes
Sylvester Nemes is singlehandedly responsible for the popularity of the soft-hackled fly in American fly fishing today. The Soft-Hackled Fly, Nemes's first book, written in 1975, was the catalyst for the resurgence. Now revised with ten new chapters on tiny flies and full-color photos, Nemes shares colorful experiences at home and abroad, the history of the soft-hackled fly, and illustrated step-by-step instructions for tying the flies.
Amazon: The Soft Hackled Fly

Mayflies, "Top to Bottom"

by Shane Stalcup
Shane Stalcup is a tier who approaches fly-tying with the heart and mind of both a scientist and an artist. For the first time, Shane has unveiled what many in the West consider a secret weapon--his systematic approach to imitating the mayfly. From the nymph to the spinner, every aspect of the mayfly's life cycle is explored. Shane's realistic and proven flies have been developed over 20-plus years of intense research at the vise, aquarium, and stream.
Amazon: Mayflies, "Top to Bottom"

Dynamic Nymphing

by George Daniel
Advanced tight line nymphing tactics, including Czech, Polish, French, Spanish, and American techniques Rigging and fishing dry and droppers, curly Qs, and conventional indicators Fishing the extremes: shallow water, cold weather, high water, wind Casting and technique sequences that include tuck cast, bow and arrow cast, as well as elevating and leading when tight line nymphing
Amazon: Dynamic Nymphing

Tactical Fly Fishing

by Devon Olsen
Devin Olsen explains how the techniques he has used to become a repeat medalist in fly fishing competitions around the world can be adapted to everyday fly fishing situations. He covers strategies, tactics, and flies for rivers, small streams, and still waters, allowing anyone to fish more successfully by applying the approaches taken by competitive anglers.
Amazon: Tactical Fly Fishing

Flyfisher's Guide to Northern California

by Seth Norman
The Flyfisher s Guide to Northern California covers all of the major fishing waters in the state. Each water is written by an expert flyfisher, who knows the water. The Fall River (Andy Burk): Hat Creek and Pit River (Dick Galland): Hot Creek (Dan Gracia): Yuba and Feather Rivers (Ralph Wood): Truckee Frank Pisciotta): East Carson (Jim Crouse): Lower Owens and East Walker (Kate and Bill Howe): Lower Sacramento (Chip O Brien): Upper Sacramento (Duane Mileman): McCloud River (Frank Holminski): and the Trinity River (Herb Burton). Each expert covers tactics and the best times to fish the water, along with recommended flies and hatch charts. 
Amazon: Flyfisher's Guide to Northern California

Definitive Guide to Fishing Central California

by Chris Shaffer
Central California fishing will never be the same! This exhaustively researched fishing guide on Central California, spanning from Santa Barbara to San Jose, Bakersfield to Stockton and Mojave to Sonora Pass will help even the most hard-core anglers learn new tricks. The book details more than 380 lakes, rivers and streams. The full color guide has more than 500 color photos.
Amazon: Definitive Guide to Fishing Central California

Definitive Guide to Fishing Northern California

by Chris Shaffer
Complete with more than 900 color photo graphs, 768 pages of fishing informations and tips from the best guides and pros in Northern California, The Definitive Guide to Fishing Northern California is the most comprehensive fishing books ever compiled on Northern California. This full color, glossy book covers more than 525 lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ponds and streams in Northern California and tells you the truth and secrets on how to fish each and every spot.
Amazon: Definitive Guide to Fishing Northern California

California Fishing

by Tom Stienstra
Award-winning author and veteran outdoorsman Tom Stienstra gives expert advice on the best fishing in the Golden State's lakes, rivers, streams, coasts, and reservoirs. This updated seventh edition offers profiles for each area, complete with ratings of each area's quality and quantity of fish, and information on facilities, fees, and regulations. Complete with maps and portraits of California's top sport fish, including suggestions for tackle and rigging, time-tested tricks, and the best places to find them, this comprehensive guide will invaluably enhance any experience.
Amazon: California Fishing

California's Best Fly Fishing

by Chip O'Brien
Whether you want to crack the code of Northern California's legendary wild-trout waters, learn the best floats on the Sac, or fish for steelhead, stripers, and shad on the American River, this guide is the best place to start for a successful fishing trip. With stunning photos, detailed maps and hatch charts for each river, photos and recipes of the most effective fly patterns, and insider information from local guides and outfitters, California's Best Fly Fishing is an essential reference for the best fishing in the state.
Amazon: California's Best Fly Fishing

Flyfisher's Guide to California

by Greg Vinci
The biggest, most comprehensive flyfishing guide ever on California. Author Greg Vinci brings a long-time local's point of view, with tips like access areas where vehicle numbers/parking spots are limited, campgrounds where you'll need reservations, and historical context of the fisheries. His spectacular full-color photography fills the pages with flyfishing bliss.
Amazon: Flyfisher's Guide to California

Rainbow Trout Fly Fishing- A Guide for Stillwaters

by Ron Newman
Rainbow Trout Fly Fishing provides serious anglers with a fresh look at their prey and their sport. The book is directed at fly fishing for insectivorous Rainbow Trout in pristine lakes. However, the information is useful to all trout anglers regardless of their choice of tackle or location. Over 30 years of research and data collections to provide you with: Aquatic entomology, including hatch graphs Bug availability by moon position Motivators and behavior patterns of rainbows Rainbow trout physical and sensory abilities, etc.
Amazon: Rainbow Trout Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing Mammoth

by Mark Heskett
It is my aim to share with the fly angler information that will make the precious little free time we have on the water a more complete experience. If there is just one piece of information here that will help yoiu as a fly fisher, I'll feel this journey was worth the time.
Amazon: Fly Fishing Mammoth

Fly Fishing Eastern Sierra Streams

by Mike Brown
Fly Fishing Eastern Sierra Streams takes its readers to some of the finest, accessible streams and creeks in the Eastern Sierras. In addition to offering priceless information on fly fishing for wild trout, Mike discovered a way to incorporate personal fly fishing successes and tragedies in his writings. He also opens a few doors along the way, and shares some very personal accounts about the man that got it all started; his father.Fly Fishing Eastern Sierra Streams is a full-color guide book that will have you laughing one minute, and thinking of good times with your own dad the next. Mike's book will surely be appreciated by both seasoned veterans and first-timers alike. Come along and enjoy Mike's passion for catching wild trout with a fly.
Amazon: Fly Fishing Eastern Sierra Streams

Sierra South

by Kathy Morey and Mike White
Sierra South has inspired thousands of hikers to explore California’s Sierra Nevada. Now in its 8th edition and 140,000 copies later, the completely reorganized and updated classic guidebook showcases new trips and old favorites, as well as extended coverage. Some 84 meticulously selected trips traverse Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, John Muir Wilderness, Ansel Adams Wilderness, and many more of the stunning wilderness areas and national forests in the southern Sierra.
Amazon: Sierra South

Sight Fishing for Trout

by Landon Mayer
Landon Mayer teaches you what you need to know to spot the trout before you cast--because if you can see a trout, you are more likely to catch that trout. With detailed instructions on how to cast into tricky spots, how to present the fly whatever the conditions, and how to read the rise, he gives you the extra edge to find and catch more and larger fish. He tells you where to look for the trout, how to rig your line, how to retrieve the fish when you get a strike, and how to use the buddy system for a more productive day on the water.
Amazon: Sight Fishing for Trout

California Trout

by Jim Freeman
California Trout is a thorough and specific fishing guide. It details the most productive techniques for each of California's many trout fishing areas and tells you everything yoiu'll need to know about where, when, and how to take advantage of the state's tremendous trout fishing opportunities. This is your guid to a lifetime of succesful fishing in the Golden State.
Amazon: California Trout

Fishing the Film

by Gary Borger
Of all of fly fishing's many opportunities, fishing the film still holds the greatest attraction for the fly rodder in any water type. Fish feeding at the surface film are not necessarily eating “dry flies”; they might be feeding on emergers, nymphs, minnows swimming near the surface, mice or frogs swimming in the film, and other organisms utilizing the uppermost layer of the water. In this book, Gary Borger covers the skills necessary for successfully fishing the film, including an understanding of what fish see when feeding at the surface. There’s a thorough look at the food organisms of the film zone and Gary reveals the secret of the Universal Emerger, hatch types, rise forms, and much more.
Amazon: Fishing the Film

Trout Sense

by Jason Randall
The more you know about trout, the more fish you'll catch. This third and final book in Jason Randall's series explains the trout's world for fly fishers who want to know more about their quarry. An in-depth look into the trout's world to help anglers better understand the fish. Detailed explanations of what trout see, hear, smell, and taste. Contains 100 photos and illustrations to demonstrate aspects of trout biology.

Amazon: Trout Sense

Moving Water

by Jason Randall
The most comprehensive book on how current affects fly fishing, the good and bad of drag, which casts and techniques to use when, and much more.Nymph fishing and accounting for variations in current speed at different depths. How even small movements of water can change your fly's movement, and what to do about it.The effects of turbulence on water temperature and oxygen content. How mayflies, stoneflies, and midges are affected by the water in which they live.Trout's evolutionary and day-to-day responses to current. Fishing drop-offs, midstream obstructions, and sweepers.
Amazon: Moving Water

Feeding Time

by Jason Randall
Trout eat a large variety of food items and diets, and feeding behaviors change over time. The more you understand about the fish and their ecosystem, the better skilled you will be at determining what fish are eating. You can learn to adapt your fishing strategies to trout's routines. Secrets for catching larger trout.

Amazon: Feeding Time

Strip-Set

by George Daniel
A comprehensive book on tactics for streamers, including new approaches for trout, steelhead, muskie, and bass. Features over 450 detailed photos and illustrations of casting and presenting streamers. Patterns from several of the most prominent contemporary streamer tiers, including Blane Chocklett, Kelly Galloup, Rich Strolis, Ben Furimsky, Mike Schmidt, Russ Maddin, and more. Step-by-step photos to help you master casting and presentation. Sections on reading the water, trout behavior, equipment, casting, and night fishing.

Amazon: Strip-Set

Tying Streamers

by Charlie Craven
Learn all the essential tying techniques for the top streamer patterns from master fly tier Charlie Craven. The 18 featured patterns with recipes and complete step-by-step instructions include a mix of classic and modern patterns to showcase not only fish-catching flies, but also the best range of techniques. Includes tips from other top tiers, the latest information on new materials, 50 additional top patterns and recipes, and more than 1200 color photos.

Amazon: Tying Streamers