I read all the fly fishing magazines I can get my hands on. Books too. I should also say that I watch as many Fly Fishing DVD’s as I can. I’m a junkie. I’m also pretty far behind – there are so many great books, magazines and DVD’s out there on our sport. Every article, book or video I dig into gives me an hour or two of enjoyment and another handful of gems that help me become a better angler. Whether they lead me to a greater enjoyment the sport or to catching better fish, I get a leg up each time.
Don’t get overwhelmed by the terminology. If you are new to this “quiet sport” some of the lingo may be a little confusing but push through it. Eventually you’ll be an old hand at talking fluently about the differences between arbor knots, albright knots, nail knots, perfection loops, nymphs, drys, streamers, larva, pupa, duns, hackles, chenille, targeting Brown Trout, Brookies or Rainbows, about whether they were hitting on Caddis or Callibaetis, and you’ll know that it’s really rare to strip a dry fly :)
Every word you read every video you watch, will become more and more informative and helpful because you will be building your background knowledge with every article, movie or book.
Grab a fly fishing book, pick up a tying magazine or plug in a trout-porn video. You’ll get a lot more from it than just an hour or two of enjoyment.
Fish On!
–Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing
