Day 7 - Books

If you're anything like me, your bookshelves are full of books and magazines about fly fishing. I haven't done a formal count, but a conservative guess would put the books around 20-30. I state this as more fact, so you the reader can get to know me, versus bragging.

As I peruse through the titles, some of the books seem to stand out more than others. Some I have read (and re-read) while others are more instructional and used for reference. But there are some books that I feel that stand out more than others in my collection. And these are the ones that I treasure more than the others.

The first one is considered to be the Bible among bamboo fly rod builders. It is Everett Garrison and Hoagy Carmichael's book, "A Master's Guide to Building a Bamboo Fly Rod". It's a first edition from 1977 (I was 2 that year). The pages are made from a heavy stock that has a pulpy feel to them. They are yellow with age and has that slight damp and musty smell. Inside the front cover a previous owner has glued a typewritten note from Hoagy Carmichael himself. It is addressed to Mr. Crawford of Junction City, OR. The note states that Hoagy is publishing a book that should address the needs of a bamboo rod builder. He mentions that the book has 400 photographs and 80 drawings. The signature, signed with a burgandy pencil, says H. Carmichael.

The next book on my shelf is another classic. It is a green book with no title on the front cover. In gold letters down the spine, the book states " A MODERN DRY-FLY CODE". This isn't a first edition, but rather an eighth printing (June 1974). The first edition I believe was in 1950. I have not read this book yet. It seems like everytime I reach for a book, my hand never quite lands on this one. I've now moved it to the short pile. My intention is to read this in the upcoming year.

In a brown leather bound book, stamped in black and gold, is another timeless classic. It is the "Idyl of the Split Bamboo" by Dr. George Parker Holden. This is actually a volume from the series Fly Fisherman's Gold and is labeled Volume I. On the inside is a page that states that Trout Unlimited commissioned this publishing and only 2500 copies were made. I'm not sure what copy this is as the spot for the number is left blank. I wonder if I got a "sample" copy. I believe I bought this on Amazon.com, but I could be wrong. Maybe it was ebay.com.

The last book is from one of my favorite modern anglers. Many people will know him by his famous watercolors of trout. It is James Prosek's book "Fly-Fishing the 41st". This one is one of those books, that I feel that I will read and re-read through the years. It ignites that jealous adventure inside of me. I only wish that some day I might actually fish one of the rivers that he mentions in the book.