Fly Rodding Estuaries, by Ed Mitchell

If you haven't yet read any of Ed Mitchell's fly fishing books, you should. The best way I can describe them is, "Cool." One of his early works, Fly Rodding the Coast (1995), is on my list of all-time favorite fishing books. His latest book, Fly Rodding Estuaries, is destined to become a favorite as well.

Fly Rodding Estuaries focuses on fly fishing the shorelines, backwaters, and tidal creeks of the East Coast. These waters are home to species like stripers, bluefish, little tunny, and Atlantic bonito. You may wonder what a book about fly fishing the East Coast has to do with Texas, but the tackle and techniques used along the Atlantic shorelines are in many ways identical to those practiced on the Gulf Coast. In some respects (kayaks not included) our fly-chunking buddies on the Atlantic coast are several steps ahead.

The common thread throughout all of Mitchell's work is his ability to clearly present an idea- he's a good teacher. His writing style is clear and descriptive and the photographs he chooses to illustrate his text are compelling. These skills, coupled with his extensive knowledge of angling, enable Mitchell to put together books that are educational whether you are reading them for the first time or the fifth. Just a few of the topics covered in Fly Rodding Estuaries include water/weather conditions, tackle and tools, strategies for calm or moving water, and "muscle-powered" boats. I really enjoyed Ed Mitchell's Fly Rodding Estuaries and I think you will too.

Fly Rodding Estuaries
By Ed Mitchell
148 pp. Stackpole Books $19.95
ISBN: 0-8117-2807-2