Long Flies- Streamers, Bucktails & Other "Big Fish" Flies (Fly Fishing, the Book Series, Volume Three)

The term "long flies" is more than just a slightly enigmatic name for a book, it's a topic that has significant relevancy for all fly fishers because fishing long flies holds the greatest opportunity for the fly rodder to take big fish in any water type. Big fish target the food sources that provide the greatest amount of energy; these are the long fly organisms such as minnows, leeches, eels, mice, and more. Long fly patterns imitate these big organisms that big fish feed on, and that means fish ranging from big trout to big tarpon. The concept of long flies and what they can do for the fly fisher goes well beyond simple patterns and basic retrieves. Indeed, the long-fly world is a rather refined place, honed to effectiveness by many decades of angler input. In this book you will find an historical exploration of long flies, from their earliest, simplistic days to twenty-first century "techno-flies." Eighty-one example imitations are shown in full color. You will also find a discussion of effective ways to fish all of those patterns, from basic "cast-and-strip" retrieves to more evolved methods that have their roots in other fly-fishing and all-tackle disciplines. Proven tactics like The Baitfish from L, the Broadside Float, the Leisenring Lift, Shotgunning, the Jigging Swing, the Strip/Tease, Walking the Dog, Trolling and Drifting, and many others. Throughout the book, the "how to" and "why to" are brought to life with stories that stretch back over half-a-century of Gary's fly-fishing life. Complementing all of this is a collection of black-and-white illustrations by Jason Borger.