Best Book for PA Fly fishing

[Chaz]

rrt wrote:
1. Landis's guidebook is the best of that type. (The Wolf book has quite a few inaccuracies regarding streams I am familiar with, and it contains far fewer streams than Landis's does.) An older book, probably hard to find now, is Mike Sajna's PA Trout and Salmon Guide. Though some of its information is now outdated, it is the most interesting of the 4 PA guidebooks to read, since it contains a lot of nice historical information and anecdotes.

2. The Meck/Weamer handbook about PA's fly hatches is pretty useful, too. However, if you can find Ted Fauceglia's "Mayflies," it is a great book about PA's hatches of mayflies and may be more useful at home than the M/W collaboration, though far less convenient to take along on trips with you. Both are well worth the money you'll spend on them.

Mike's books are available from Amazon, but beware, many books are advertised but they are from other sources that may not even have the book. Or they list them for a very high price.
Mike is an excellent writer.

 

[PennKev]

Tigereye wrote:
I dont want to bad mouth any authors, however, I find that they really know little about Most of the streams they write about. YES they may intimately know a handful, but all, I doubt it.

Usually the outline is something like this:

I met up with Joe Schmoe to fish the lovely Whachamacallit creek. We arrived at what is locally called the Honeyhole and we took positions at the head and tail of the run. It wasn't long til I heard a Whoop out of old Joe and saw him finessing a feisty brown to the net. We matched each other fish for fish for about an hour until the swarm of #16 Superflies began to subside. The best fish of the day was a hefty, broad shouldered rainbow of about 16 inches.

Yes the Wachamacallit Ck has its issues but the fishing can be great. I will return to fish it again

The author fishes the stream once in his life, has a local take him there in return for mentioning his name in the book. Suddenly the author is a rock star.

Save your money, get a map of Pa and talk to PAFBC WCO who knows the water . Information will be current and free.

Thanks for letting me vent.

You forgot about the productive riffles present in on every trout stream.

 

[Chaz]

No collection of books about fly fishing in PA is complete without the Landis Book, the Meck Book, "Limestone Legends," 'Vanishing Trout,' "Bodines," and 2 of Mike Sajna's books. they are not all of the same quality, but they have a wealth of valuable information. All of these books are available online, and the Landis book is I believe still available from the author.
B & N has some of the Landis books.

 

[poopdeck]

Save your money, get a map of Pa and talk to PAFBC WCO who knows the water . Information will be current and free.

Your outline is spot on for the Meck book I have. While I got a good chuckle I must add that his writing style is what kept me reading the book much like I enjoyed your outline. Your advice to speak to a WCO is a good one. Do you think the WCO would mind sitting under my coffee table so I can "thumb" through his knowledge as I carefully peruse my map for little blue lines during my leisure time. I find a good reference book to be worth their minimal expense.

Great outline though. Very humerous.

 

[gutcutter]

Fishidiot wrote:
If, like me, you're interested in the historical angle, you can't go wrong with: Limestone Legends (Harrisburg: Stackpole, 1997) and Vanishing Trout (Charles Lose, Baltimore: Gateway Press, reprinted 1993). LL deals mainly with the Cumberland Valley during the mid -Twentieth Century whereas VT is set in upstate PA, mostly Loyalsock area, in the early part of the century.
.

I am surprised that you didn't mention Marinaro:
A Modern Dry-Fly Code 1950
In the Ring of the Rise 1976
Both were not only written in the CV, but they revolutionized dry fly fishing

 

[Fredrick]

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:

If, like me, you're interested in the historical angle, you can't go wrong with: Limestone Legends (Harrisburg: Stackpole, 1997) and Vanishing Trout (Charles Lose, Baltimore: Gateway Press, reprinted 1993). LL deals mainly with the Cumberland Valley during the mid -Twentieth Century whereas VT is set in upstate PA, mostly Loyalsock area, in the early part of the century. Among the stream guides, Landis' is the best IMO.

I totally agree with this.

On a side note I bought Keystone Canoeing at a local thrift shop the other day. Interesting guide book.

That book is great for access points for floating.

Dwight Landis needs to come out with a updated version of his book it has been 15 Years since the last one came out and its not in print anymore .

 

[troutbert]

Fredrick wrote:

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:

If, like me, you're interested in the historical angle, you can't go wrong with: Limestone Legends (Harrisburg: Stackpole, 1997) and Vanishing Trout (Charles Lose, Baltimore: Gateway Press, reprinted 1993). LL deals mainly with the Cumberland Valley during the mid -Twentieth Century whereas VT is set in upstate PA, mostly Loyalsock area, in the early part of the century. Among the stream guides, Landis' is the best IMO.

I totally agree with this.

On a side note I bought Keystone Canoeing at a local thrift shop the other day. Interesting guide book.

That book is great for access points for floating.

Dwight Landis needs to come out with a updated version of his book it has been 15 Years since the last one came out and its not in print anymore .

My book is still available in some fly shops, and they can send it mail order. On Amazon the cheapest copy for the 3rd edition is $42.89 for a used copy.

But if you check with these fly shops, you should be able find a NEW copy for the regular price of $24.95:

Sporting Gentleman, Media
French Creek Outfitters, Valley Forge
International Angler, Pittsburgh
Neshannock Creek Outfitters, Volant
Evening Hatch, Lake Harmony

There may be some copies in some other fly shops, too, but those are a good bet.

Also, you can find second editions on Ebay etc. for low prices.

Regarding an updated edition, maybe some day. Not soon.

 

[PennKev]

International Angler had several copies as of last week.

 

[beadhead2]

troutbert
What is a 1st and 2nd edition signed copies going for ?

 

[gfen]

beadhead2 wrote:
troutbert
What is a 1st and 2nd edition signed copies going for ?

Can you make one out to "Ebay Buyer?" That's my cousin's name.

 

[troutbert]

beadhead2 wrote:
troutbert
What is a 1st and 2nd edition signed copies going for ?

Not very much. You can check online, but the prices are generally low.

 

[dryflyguy]

Besides all of the great books already mentioned, I'll throw in 2 more:

Charlie Fox's "This Wonderful World of Trout" and "Rising Trout"

I just picked up both in the last few years at antique stores. And really enjoyed them. They contain a nice mix of history and useful fishing information

 

[CLSports]

I own or have read all the books mentioned except the Mariano & Fox books (which I should read . . .). I suggest buying all of them. They are all good and contain some very useful information. Knowledge is power. Read and learn all you can about our wonderful state.

 

[bikerfish]

Once fishing season comes around, Dwight's book, and a well worn copy of a PA gazetteer are always in my truck.

 

[PennKev]

^ WHAT BIKER SAID!


If you are the slightest bit adventuresome, a gazetteer is a must have.

 

[k-bob]

best book: landis.

beyond that, several people have mentioned a "worn Delorme." got one, and like it, but I think the National Geographic PA Atlas is as good, and in one way, better... at least for brookie fishing.

the Natgeo Atlas was published in 2013, so it shows some expanded state forest and SGL areas versus some of the older Delormes. Compare a bunch of SFs and SGLs in the two books and you may see some additions in the NatGeo. There aren't a gazillion of these expanded public areas, but if you have fished a lot of the public land already it may be worth a look. (this has worked in the eastern half of PA, dunno about the west.)

http://tinyurl.com/qctdeuq

every time I pile 200 mi on the car to fish, it costs more than the NatGeo atlas, so I think the atlas is a good deal...

 

[geebee]

dryflyguy wrote:
Besides all of the great books already mentioned, I'll throw in 2 more:

Charlie Fox's "This Wonderful World of Trout" and "Rising Trout"

I was lucky enough to get Rising Trout AND The Joys of Trout by Arnold Ginrich on stripersonline for $10.

Rising Trout is a wonderful wonderful read. I envy anyone who can live close to a stream and study its moods in such detail.

 

[dryflyguy]

geebee wrote:

dryflyguy wrote:
Besides all of the great books already mentioned, I'll throw in 2 more:

Charlie Fox's "This Wonderful World of Trout" and "Rising Trout"

I was lucky enough to get Rising Trout AND The Joys of Trout by Arnold Ginrich on stripersonline for $10.

Rising Trout is a wonderful wonderful read. I envy anyone who can live close to a stream and study its moods in such detail.

I would agree that Rising Trout is the better book.
His 1st one - This Wonderful World of Trout - has a lengthy section of fictional stories, that I could have done without.

 

[wildtrout2]

bikerfish wrote:
Once fishing season comes around, Dwight's book, and a well worn copy of a PA gazetteer are always in my truck.

I have both, and they are an important part of my fishing adventures. I've also got a brand new (2001 edition) back-up Gazetteer in case my original falls apart.

 

[Acristickid]

Fox's Rising Trout (just finished it). It's a who's who of the grand ole age of fly fishing in PA. Harvey's Wood worm looks like a green weenie to me. hee hee