Book Review: “Art of Fly Fishing” by Alan Simmons, published by Sunset Hunter Publications, price $30 plus GST plus $10 postage and handling. – total $45. Obtainable from <artofflyfishing.co.nz>
Reviewed by Tony Orman
Alan Simmons, is well known in the trout fishing world as a trout fishing guide and a person who hasn’t been afraid to get involved in politics and among the political issues are healthy rivers and the well-being of the environment generally.
As an angler and fly fisherman Alan has been around trout rivers, streams and lakes for quite a few decades, starting in the Wairarapa and then residing at Turangi at the southern end of Lake Taupo.
There is a tendency for many fly fishermen to become rigidly conventional in ideas, i.e. hidebound.
Author Alan Simmons has always been the thinking outdoorsman and the innovative fly fisherman who when one way doesn’t work, is not afraid to depart from the norm, experiment and change tactics to adapt to the mood of the trout.
This is the basis of Alan’s motivation in writing the book.
“A lot of knowledge contained in this book has been gained from years of practical experience and has worked for me,” he writes.”I hope by reading this book you can be saved the years of experimentation and frustration.”
He is far from being hidebound that might lead to a book being a dogmatic manual. He candidly writes “It should be noted that everything in this book is purely my own thoughts. —— However it is written as I see it and have experienced it. I am bound to be wrong on some matters regarding minor things.”
Imaginative
The author’s open minded approach that he has developed over decades of pursuing trout, frequently surfaces and especially in a chapter on “Where to Fish” where he likens a trout river (or stream) to a city.
“There are motorways that fish follow to cruise to and from the feed areas and there are suburban streets where fish travel to the corner store for a quick snack. most important of all, there are supermarkets where fish congregate to stock up on food. In some areas there are huge apartments blocks where lots of fish live and there are suburban houses where the bigger fish go to escape the crowds. And last but not least, there are maternity hospitals where they go to have their young and nursery areas where the young go to to get their basics in life. If you think of a body of water as as such, some of the mystery vanishes quickly as you set about finding the supermarkets and motorways.”
It’s all a matter of being imaginative and enterprising.
In refreshing style the author gives valuable ideas on equipment, learning to cast, rigging gear and runs through the various trout flies. In practical fashion, he recommends only a few flies of each type of trout flies, i.e. nymphs, dry flies and wet flies.
Interesting he makes no reference to the soft hackle “wee wet” flies that before the advent of nymphing, were so common. After all, you’re hard pressed today to find a trout tackle shop that stocks those old English patterns such as the March Brown and Hardies Favourite which are so effective and ideal for a beginner to use.
The author loves wilderness fishing and devotes a full chapter to it. There’s a brief diversion into saltwater fly fishing that might have merited more especially as to kahawai on the fly rod.
But they’re minor points to quibble over.
Public Sport
What’s in the book is excellent advice and such are the often innovative ideas, that the well seasoned fly fisher will also benefit from numerous new ideas.
There’s another side to the author which is very evident. He appreciates the egalitarian aspect to New Zealand’s fishing when he writes of the early European settlers who sought to do away with any class distinctions where the wealthy upper class only could access the best trout and salmon waters.
“That egalitarian thinking has prevailed today and for the cost of a licence, anyone can fish.”
Alan Simmons emphasises that there’s immense personal benefits beyond catching a trout. He’s not afraid to admit to some blank days but as he says “a day spent in the environment is like nourishment to our soul.”
“It’s about the peace and well-being the sport (of fly fishing) brings you.”
Reading this reminded me when I was a kid and through teen years, my father, who was a good trout angler, used to say “think like a fish” so as to become consistently successful. Teenage boys rarely listen to their fathers. So I temporarily ignored it. But later as an adult, the words were still there in the sub-conscious and surfaced.
I now understand what he was trying to tell me. It seems this book is much in the vibes of my father. Sounds like a good catch.
Fishing books rarely recognise that the angler’s mental approach is so important. My grandfather taught me to look and observe what is happening on the river. Swallows darting around, skimming the surface, might give the clue of a hatch of mayflies.
Be prepared to adapt to the part of the season and be flexible to adapt to the water and weather influences. Don’t be rigid in approaching the day’s fishing.
For the angler aiming to improve and be capable of catching fish on a regular basis I think it fair to say it’s vital that he/she keeps an open mind. The more flexible the angler’s approach the better.
For fish change their habits daily and often at times when we least expect it.
If there is a golden rule it’s that the fish dictate the rules of the game and the angler must be ready and willing to change methods and tactics accordingly. If you decide how you’ll fish before you reach the river side, then don’t adapt to suit the conditions on the day, your rate of success will not reach its full potential.