Christmas gifts for intermediate/advanced anglers

Educated anglers read

My library continues to grow

Reading fly fishing books is an excellent way to improve your angling skills. They will give you insight to hundreds of new techniques, flies, and fly fishing locations. I make it a goal to try something or somewhere new every time I go fishing. Sometimes this means catching less fish on a particular outing, but in the long run the new locations (Note: I count a different stretches of my home waters a new locations) and skills are extremly beneficial. 

I love learning from fly fishing books. I have read several, but I have many more on my Christmas list year. I will recommend a few of my favorites.

Pocketguide to Western Hatches by: Dave Hughes

For a small book it is packed with great information. It contains an excellent summary of water types and fishing presentations. It then explains the differences between mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, and midges. It lists the most common types of insects found in each of the four categories mentioned above, and also explains other important aquatic/bug life such as terrestrials, worms, crayfish, sculpins, etc. Each insect has a picture and the representing flies for the various stages of the insect's life. At the end of the book the author lists the materials needed to tie each fly in his book.   

Dynamic Nymphing by: George Daniel

A few ideas to add to your Christmas list

If you want to learn about high-stick, czech, polish, french, and suspension nymphing techniques then this is a must read. George Daniel has spent years in and around competitive fly fishing and despite your good or bad feelings towards it competitive fly fisherman know how to nymph. George goes into detail about nymphing presentations, leader construction, and other helpful tricks of the trade. I'm reading it for a second time because there is simply too much good stuff to digest the first time. 

 Bug Water by: Arlen Thomason

This book goes into incredible detail about fly fishing entomology (in other words the study of bugs.) The author explains the life stages of insect life important to anglers. It also explains what a fly looks like from a fishes perspective. This book is packed with helpful information. I will warn you that it is not for the faint of heart. It is not a light read, but it is incredible. I would suggest reading a few pages a day. It takes a little bit of time to process the information. However, I refer back to this book often. It is a must for an anglers library.

Merry Christmas