The Approach and Presentation

Library Journal

Although these four books are loaded with information, their size (61/2 inches high) will cause problems on library shelves, and the conventional paper and binding leaves them vulnerable to water damage (they are designed to fit into a pocket and be taken along on fishing trips). Despite the flaws, the entire series is worth purchasing for libraries that circulate flyfishing books. The best of the guides is The Orvis Streamside Guide to Approach and Presentation, which discusses where to find trout and how to catch them. As with all of the guides, the photos and drawings are well selected and produced, and the book is well written and easy to understand. The Orvis Streamside Guide to Leaders, Knots, and Tippets, which covers an underappreciated area of an overanalyzed sport, is also useful, but The Orvis Streamside Guide to Trout Foods and Their Imitations is rather too general. However, it does contain some of the best insect photography available. Although it is probably easier to learn opera singing than fly casting from a book, The Orvis Streamside Guide to Fly Casting is no better or worse than the majority of other books on the topic. Overall, this set is a good value for fly fishers.--Jeff Grossman, Milwaukee Area Tech. Coll. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.