Best Books

[moosekid]

Hey Guys,

I have a bunch of books on technique, fly tying, entomology etc. but ZERO guide books that chronicle streams and access points in the northeast. I get 99% of my advice from catskill mountain man (he has over 1000 posts and is a "wealth of knowledge") but since he's gone, I gonna have to resort to reading like a common peasant. I'm gonna order some "books" and I'd like things that cover new york, new jersey, and pennsylvania -- any and all -- anyone have any suggestions??

-MK

 

[emoussa]

For NY

Fly fishers guide to new york - Eric Newman
Fly fishing guide to upper del river - Paul Weamer


PA

Fly Fishers Guide to PA - Dave Wolf
Fishing Limestone Streams - Charlie Meck
Trout Streams of PA - Dwight Landis


NJ

Fly Fishing NJ Trout Streams - Matt Grobert

I have all these books and they are very useful. Also Tom Gilmore's book, Flyfishers guide to the big apple. That will cover and burn all the spots you need in NJ, PA & NY. I never read it but it upset some people I've spoken to so it's gotta be good.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

In addition to those already mentioned:

Flyfisher's Guide to the Big Apple by Tom Gilmore covers best rivers and streams within roughly 2 hours of NY City in NJ, PA and NY.

Blue Ribbon Fly-Fishing Guide by Barry and Cathy Beck covers PA's best streams and rivers

 

[Pete]

Let's not forget our own....

Fly Fishing New Jersey Trout Streams, by Matthew Grobert

 

[WVULax22]

In addition to those already mentioned:

Flyfisher's Guide to the Big Apple by Tom Gilmore covers best rivers and streams within roughly 2 hours of NY City in NJ, PA and NY.

Blue Ribbon Fly-Fishing Guide by Barry and Cathy Beck covers PA's best streams and rivers

I highly recommend Flyfisher's Guide to the Big Apple by Tom Gilmore. I keep a copy of it under my passenger seat and I often find myself opening it up and referring to it quickly on the side of the road or in a parking lot.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Let's not forget our own....

Fly Fishing New Jersey Trout Streams, by Matthew Grobert

emoussa covered that one already, Pete...

 

[Rusty Spinner]

I highly recommend Flyfisher's Guide to the Big Apple by Tom Gilmore. I keep a copy of it under my passenger seat and I often find myself opening it up and referring to it quickly on the side of the road or in a parking lot.

He did a great job. He bought me lunch one day and I dragged him up and down the Musky to show him every public access point the river had at the time. I bet he bought a lot of guides and other knowledgeable anglers lunches as he compiled that book. When in the fly shop with newbie clients, I sell a lot of books for both Tom and Matt. We can't keep them in stock.

Check out the Beck's book as well that I mentioned for PA waters. Another great book.

 

[JeffK]

All the ones mentioned are good.

One oddball is the out of print Sanders guides - good for exploring central and western NY and they are not just fly books.

I like the guides mentioned, but they are a greatest hits list. Plenty of small out of the way streams in between and the guides leave plenty to explore on your own. Therefore, I don't think any are really spot burning, except maybe Weamer's guide to the Delaware system. That is the closest to a "tell all" book of the bunch.

 

[GARYB]

All the books mentioned are great..........actually too good with spot burning.

You can also do what we did when younger............drive to a big name river, get out and start exploring the pools
and runs. that's half the fun is discovering your "own" secret pool, etc.

 

[moosekid]

All the books mentioned are great..........actually too good with spot burning.

You can also do what we did when younger............drive to a big name river, get out and start exploring the pools
and runs. that's half the fun is discovering your "own" secret pool, etc.

Can't agree more. I have a whole binder full of maps i've printed off littered with directions, notes on pools and cool places to set up a hammock and camp. Once you find a few of these places that fish well consistently, it can be hard to motivate yourself to go explore for fear of missing out. I think having some books lends confidence to the prospecting. This way if I get skunked I'll be blaming it on my fishing and not the stretch of water...

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I just ordered Gilmore, Grobert and Weamer.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

I make it a point each year to seek out new water. Sometimes that's a new river and sometimes a new place on an old river. But I hate fishing or guiding the same waters day and night because I don't have 40 or 90 other places to head to.

 

[Iso]

I am partial to Charlie Meck's Pennsylvania Trout Streams.
If you are looking for a single book for the Catskills including the upper delaware, then I like Jim Caposela's Good Fishing in the Catskills. At this point, both are a bit dated (but so am I). Now, get off my lawn.

 

[tomfly]

I just finished reading. The Trout and the Fly by Goddard and Clarke. I read it in a weekend. It was an insightful read and hard to put down once you start reading it. It is the first book that I have read that takes an approach not only from the angler . It delves in the trout's perspective relative to the angler. If you have trouble catching pressured fish, read this book. Goddard is a f###ing genius.

 

[flyI4]

A good well rounded book that is a bit historical as well as informative is Land of Little Rivers. For purely logistical fishing info- weamer's book tells you everything you need to know. Hatch wise, the book Hatches II by Al Cucci is thorough when it comes to the insect aspect of matching the hatch in the catskills. Personally though, I think reading about hatches is one of those things that can help get you started, but will be pointless if you don't spend time on the water. Tough to apply theory to the actual stream when its all happening out there and knowing what patterns to use for a particular hatch is all trial and error.