Fly-Fishing Pioneers and Legends of the Northwest »

The inventions, achievements, traditions, and lore of western fly fishing are explored in this unique book, which examines the contributions of twenty-three pioneers and legends from British Columbia, California, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington: Dan Bailey, Ted Trueblood, Zane Grey, Polly Rosborough, and Roderick Haig-Brown, as well as some not so well known like Harry Hornbrook, "Mooch" Abraham, and Ralph Olson. Written in an engaging style with original photographs and fly plates, the book documents the development of new and effective fly patterns, fishing methods, techniques, and tackle, all necessary for the unequaled western waters and their novel fish--five species of Pacific salmon, Kamloops trout, steelhead, and sea-run cutthroat trout. Includes the history of shooting heads, weighted flies, woven flies, the double haul, spliced lines, stripping baskets, and more Northwest fly-fishing innovations, as well as the development of unique fly styles west of the Rocky Mountains: Bailey's "mossbacks"; Pott's woven-bodied "mites"; Rosborough's "fuzzy nymphs"; and Pray's "optics"; among numerous others.

About the Author: Jack W. Berryman, Ph.D., is a professor and historian at the University of Washington, Seattle, an avid fly fisherman, and a freelance journalist with membership in the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the Society of Environmental Journalists. He lives in Kirkland, Washington, with his wife, Elaine.