In Getting Started in Fly Fishing, author Tom Fuller places a definite emphasis on the “doing” aspect of learning. With a no nonsense approach that would do Hemingway proud, he gets his readers started with nothing more than the basic information that’s absolutely necessary for day one on the stream. He offers a stripped back start-up kit and doesn’t hesitate to identify heavily promoted products that he believes to be superfulous.

Fuller shows a keeness throughout the book not to leave the aspiring fly angler sinking under the weight of complicated theories. After just an hour he has his student out on the water making his first cast to rising trout. He teaches them how to fish with dry flies, wet flies, nymphs, and streamers, and how to cast to all kinds of fish in all waters - fresh and salt.

Getting Started in Fly Fishing is cleverly sequenced to be in sync with the student’s learning curve, and is supported by numerous detailed photographs and drawings. Those looking for more advanced tuition are looked after as well, with Fuller tackling issues such as the reading of water, fly selection, casting problems, and the presenting of flies to trout, salmon, bass, steelhead, and saltwater fish.

Tom Fuller is a lifelong angler whose articles have been published in fishing and outdoor magazines. He is the Northeast Regional columnist for Outdoor Life magazine and has published several books on fly fishing.

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