A Modern Dry-Fly Code

Book excerpt: Merging a poetic reverence for the art of fly fishing with a wealth of practical information and technical advice, Vincent Marinaro's, A Modern Dry-Fly Code is the classic guide to dry-fly fishing. Originally written in 1950 as the sport was languishing for lack of innovation, this book helped bring about a fly-fishing renaissance on riverbanks across America. An ideal book for readers who share Marinaro's deep reverence for the fisherman's connection to the unspoiled natural world, A Modern Dry-Fly Code will have you yearning for the sound of running brook water, eager to try some of the author's legendary fly patterns, casting techniques, and scouting tips.The product of a lifetime of experience wading in the waters of the Letort, Big Spring, and other south Pennsylvania streams, A Modern Dry-Fly Code significantly changed the way American anglers think about dry-fly fishing. In addition to detailed information on matching hatches, trout behavior and biology, and where and when to cast which types of flies, Marinaro introduces several ideas of his own invention based on the results of his many experimental outings. Among the revolutionary ideas set forth in this book are Marinaro's 'minutiae', miniscule flies designed to imitate the dozens of tiny insects that swarm over the surface of the water as well as his thorax-style technique for crafting superb dry-flies.For beginners and expert fishermen alike, there is much wisdom to be gleaned from Marinaro's inventive and curious inquiry into the nature and practice of fly-fishing.