Greenhalgh states he is not interested in showing us any fly-fishing flies that have not caught fish and that alone should merit this book more attention than others that show us pretty flies with no track record... Although the work does not explain how to tie flies, anyone who has taken a class from a decent teacher will be able to make flies from the descriptions given here. That said, some of the flies are formidable challenges for even the best tiers, and readers must take that into consideration. Greenhalgh's introduction succinctly describes the history and evolution of fly-fishing by recounting the flies of such luminaries as Izaak Walton and Charles Cotton. The author then describes more than 1,300 flies... Entries are organized into subsections and include "recipes" (uniform lists of parts) along with brief descriptions. Often there are three flies described and pictured on a page. Jason Smalley's illustrations are lovely color photos on white paper... The book is large and heavy because of the paper's quality but very reasonably priced.
- Clay Williams Booklist 2010 11 01
Greenhalgh states he is not interested in showing us any fly-fishing flies that have not caught fish, and that alone should merit this book more attention than others that show us pretty flies with no track record... Although the work does not explain how to tie flies, anyone who has taken a class from a decent teacher will be able to make flies from the descriptions given here... Each chapter begins with the history of fishing for that particular type of fish. Within chapters, entries are organized into subsections and include "recipes" (uniform lists of parts) along with brief descriptions. Often there are three flies described and pictured on a page. Jason Smalley's illustrations are lovely color photos on white paper... Any library with a large population of fishermen among its users would want this work, as would most land-grant colleges with fisheries programs. The book is large and heavy because of the paper's quality but very reasonably priced.
- Clay Williams Booklist 2010 11
Fishing Flies: A World Encyclopedia of Every Type of Fly is thick but not dense, offering a fascinating overview that avid anglers and fishing greenhorns alike can enjoy... I found Fishing Flies accessible, interesting and well laid out. Malcolm Greenhalgh provides engaging text nicely illustrated with lots of color photographs by Jason Smalley as well as well-chosen historical images and documents... While serious anglers will want more specialized books on particular species or regions on their shelves, this is a dependable standard guide and a good read, too... Even if you never dip a line, it's fascinating.
- Kate Wallace Saint John Telegraph-Journal 2010 07 24
Fishing Flies: A World Encyclopedia of Every Type of Fly presents a mind-boggling array of flies--more than 1,300--for use under almost every conceivable condition. Fly angler, fly tier and conservationist Malcolm Greenhalgh and photographer Jason Smiley provide an informative and handsome compendium of many of the world's artificial flies--covering dry and wet flies, nymphs and streamers for fresh and saltwater species. The volume brims with hard-won advice and entertaining anecdotes.
- Robert Reid Waterloo Region Record 2010 08 28
Fishing Flies: A World Encyclopedia of Every Type of Fly is thick but not dense, offering a fascinating overview that avid anglers and fishing greenhorns alike can enjoy.... I found Fishing Flies accessible, interesting and well laid out. Malcolm Greenhalgh provides engaging text nicely illustrated with lots of color photographs by Jason Smalley as well as well-chosen historical images and documents.... While serious anglers will want more specialized books on particular species or regions on their shelves, this is a dependable standard guide and a good read, too.... Even if you never dip a line, it's fascinating.
- Kate Wallace Saint John Telegraph-Journal 2010 07 24
