Description
".....caught on a fly!"
The words conjure up images of pristine lakes, pure air, sparkling mountain streams and the excitement of catching your first fish on a fly. The skilled angler artfully manipulates the line through the air with grace and form, delicately placing the fly in a predetermined location in full expectation of a "strike." Suddenly, your mind races...fish on!
Put yourself in that picture!
Fly fishing engages the mind and captures the spirit. No other sport is as pure or as satisfying. It is without a doubt the most gratifying, exciting, captivating form of fishing. Fly fishing is challenging yet relaxing. It is stimulating and yet can often be tranquil.....it is an intoxicating obsession.
Virtually all species of fish can be taken on a fly. Trout, steelhead, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, striped bass, salmon, walleye, blue gill, crappie, you name it, all come readily to a well-placed fly. Rivers, lakes, creeks, brooks, farm ponds, bays, streams and the ocean offer infinite possibilities for you to catch every species of fish imaginable.
Why else would I want to fish with a fly??
In today's world of increasing pressures on our fisheries, conservation is a legitimate concern. Fish caught on a fly can be released unharmed much more easily than with either lures or bait. The challenge of presenting an artificial, tied to represent a natural, is a more sporting method of fishing and also offers a greater degree of satisfaction.
Fly-fishing means fishing with a virtually weightless fly without the encumbrance of a heavy lure or sinker; the fight is directly between you and the fish! The excitement, visual reward and enormous satisfaction of actually seeing a fish move to and strike your fly is an experience that will need no further explanation after the first time that it happens. The lightweight tackle, the beauty and esthetics of the equipment and the delicacy of a handmade fly all add to the grace, timelessness and pleasure of this fascinating sport.
Fly-fishing is fun!
Flyfishing: First Cast to First Fish takes the mystery out of fly-fishing and teaches you everything that you need to know to become an accomplished fly-fisher from equipment selection, through casting techniques, to "reading the water" and everything in between. This book is loaded with fish-proven secrets for success!
Fly fishing is an enormously satisfying style of fishing. It is environmentally sensitive, promoting a catch and release philosophy. It is a pro-active sport for men and women of all ages as well as for young adults. Flyfishing: First Cast to First Fish is the perfect beginner's guide for those intimidated by the ill-conceived notion that fly fishing is too complex a sport to learn. Nonsense. If you can ride a bike, play golf or a racket sport or use a computer etc., I can teach you to successfully catch fish with a fly rod!
FEATURES
Fully illustrated/248 pages/ 7'x10" format
The basics; decoding the language: wet flies, dry flies, nymphs, streamers etc.
Casting techniques
Reading the water
Pattern selection
Equipment and Gear
Knots and knot tying
Fish on! What to do when the fish strikes; line control, playing, landing etc.
Resources: clubs and organizations
Checklists, fish identification guide etc.
Planning your trip
Basic fly tying
and much more!
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
"Joe's new book [Flyfishing] is the best-selling beginning guide that we've ever sold. It is complete, thorough and most importantly it wasn't written by a tackle company. There are no allegiances to certain rod or reel companies although the book discusses the latest developments in tackle nd rigging. The sections on casting, rigging and reading the water give the beginner plenty of information to start off on the right foot." --Peter Woolley, President, Fly Fishing Outfitters
"Flyfishing: First Cast to First Fish! is the book that is most often selected by newcomers to the sport who look to us for advice-it's been a 'best-seller' in our shop." --Randy Botz, owner, Upstream Tackle
"Our committee has just unanimously approved Flyfishing: First cast to first fish as the class text for our Spring semester. We found the book well illustrated, easy to follow and the user-friendly format ideal as a teaching tool." --Prof. Garth Stam / State University College, Oneonta, New York
"Your book is a refreshing, wonderful, all-purpose fly fishing information source. It has everything a beginner needs, plus a very substantial quality of tips and other data any fly fisherman can use- including intermediate and even advanced fly fisherman. My entire staff of fly casting instructors, fly tying instructors, and fly fishing school instructors have endorsed the book with enthusiasm. We include it in our top-of-the-line introductory fly fishing outfit, as well as offering it as a text book in our fly fishing courses. Thanks for a book that has the information needed told in as unassuming , easy to understand manner. I hope you sell a million!"
Gean Snow--Anglers' Inn
"...the author's anecdotal style, using fishing adventures to drive home certain points, and his 'fishing secrets' make this an excellent hands-on guide."
The International Angler / International Game Fish Assoc.
"Without a doubt, the best introductory book on the subject in a long time. We use it in our fly casting classes every month. A great no-nonsense approach to fly fishing for the beginner--and it's remarkably thorough!"
Larry Kovi, owner, The Selective Angler
"...just finished Flyfishing: First Cast to First Fish. I especially liked the book since I've been searching for an instructional book to stock and one in which I don't have to make excuses for in order to make a sale. Please send me ordering information as soon as possible." --McDaniels, owner, Duck Creek Sporting Goods
"Dear Mr. Petralia, You have another convert to the world of fly fishing. I just had to write and thank you for your excellent book. You have opened a complete new world of enjoyment and relaxation for me...my first trip to a stream was the clincher." --Lou Seig, The Hideout, Lake Ariel, PA
REVIEWS
"Flyfishing includes 248 pages of down-to-earth advice on every aspect of the sport for the new fly angler. It ought to satisfy even the most voracious technician who needs book support before taking the plunge. Some of the illustrations and photos from the 3M Guidebook to fly-fishing are tops for beginners...If I were a bookstore or fly shop owner, I wouldn't be without it."
--Charlie Powell, Northwest Outdoor Writers Assoc. Idahoian/The Daily News
"Fly-fishing is a challenging yet relaxing way of enjoying the great outdoors. [This book] contains everything that you need to know to become an expert fly-fisher." --Outdoor Magazine
"If it [Flyfishing} covers a lot of well-traveled ground it nonetheless covers it ably and usefully {and} Flyfishing distinguishes itself from similar efforts. First, the book emphasizes fishing over mere casting, and its sections on reading water, fishing techniques, striking and playing fish, and even a brief bit on fly selection are better than average. Second, the scope is broader than in other instructional books. The information contained there is well chosen and practical....The final benchmark for an introductory text must be utility, and 'Flyfishing' measures up to this regard. It is a workmanlike production that will acquaint beginning fly fishers with the major elements of the sport." --Flyfishing Magazine
"This reasonably priced title is well worth considering for libraries wanting a basic text." --The Library Journal
"We think your book [Flyfishing] is great! It's helped us close many new tackle sales because of its complete, logical, easy-to-follow format." --River's Fork Fly Angler
"Petralia's approach works well not only for trout but on numerous other species as well. Beginners should be sure to read his chapter on proper fly-casting techniques because if they follow the text, they can avoid many mistakes." --The American Library Association Booklist
"If you're looking for a nice little gift for the trout fisherman or woman in your life, and if they're thinking of trying fly-fishing, we'd like to recommend one of the most useful 'how to' books we've read on the subject."
"From the first chapter on 'the basics' to the first cast, reading the water, fighting the fish, to tying your own flies, Joe's book is easy to read and follow and compact enough to pack along on trips as an easy reference guide, It also has some excellent illustrations which help you understand what he's describing, and there are also some great photos that prove what he says works. It is certainly a perfect book for the beginner, and I highly recommend its as a father's day or graduation present for the fisherman in your family." --Sonoma Index-Tribune
"{Flyfishing} is profusely illustrated, packed with photographs and eminently readable." --Tom Valtin, Outdoor Wilderness Skills
"[Flyfishing: First Cast to First Fish!] takes the mysteries out of the sport with extensive photos, diagrams, and how-to step-by-step instructions. Rigging up; casting; choice of flies for streams, lakes and salt water; reading the water; and playing fish are all covered...and the price of $16.95 for 250 detailed pages makes it a special bargain." --Outdoor Life Magazine
"Flyfishing: First Cast to First Fish! One of the best beginning guides to the habit-forming love called fly fishing. Joe Petralia is an outdoors man who is an outstanding writer, interspersing exact descriptions with lyrical portraits and humorous asides. Plenty of photographs and drawings from where to locate fish to currents, riffles, flies, fly lines, etc. There's even a section entitled '@/#!(which any reader will appreciate). Glossary in the back with a resource list, and many, many tips." --The Book Reader, ABA Issue
"it's purpose is to make fly-fishing easy and dispel the high-brow mythology that surrounds the sport." --California Angler Magazine
"Flyfishing: First Cast to First Fish! is a locally published book that's better-produced than the majority of its brethren...[and] as a plus for California anglers, with our easy access to a wide variety of fisheries, also included are discussions about fly fishing for warm-water and saltwater species." --California Fly Fisher Magazine
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
From his home base in Northern California, Joe Petralia has explored, prospected, camped, rafted and fly fished across the continental United States and from Alaska down to the Baja. He has guided wilderness raft trips in Alaska, demonstrated his prospecting techniques on TV's Two on the Town and holds several copyrights and registered trademarks on proprietary products that he has brought to the recreational market. He still actively pursues his main avocations: prospecting for gold, fly fishing, exploring and retracing the steps of the West's early pioneers. In his spare time, he coaches students in the techniques of gold panning and the art of fly fishing.
He is currently finishing up a novel set in the West in the 1870s which is due out in the Fall.
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