The reel deal on fly-fishing

Many fishing books promise authoritative coverage on a variety of techniques or locations, but this book, written by the manager of a fisheries habitat ecology program in Florida, delivers the detail. Adams explains the feeding habits of saltwater game fish by looking at the marine ecosystem that runs the show. His tone can be a little academic, but, with an understanding of predator-prey relationships, you can drop a white Crazy Charlie fly in the path of a feeding bonefish and fully understand why it worked or didn’t.

“Fisherman’s Coast” focuses on fly-fishing, particularly in the waters of South Florida, but the knowledge transfers to any angling location. Adams offers detailed tables of game fish and their prey, plus black-and-white and color photos.

Other books may cover where and how to reel in the fish; Adams also gives you the why.

-- Michael Koehn