Mayflies: An Angler's Study of Trout Water Ephemeroptera

Any fly-fisher worth his or her waders knows that, like most things in life, successful angling often stems from simple observation; if you pay attention to what's around you--plants, animals, weather, and especially insects--you'll catch more fish and have a better time doing it. This big book on such a very narrowly defined subject is all about providing the angler with a vast amount of information on a single order of insect: Ephemeroptera, the mayflies. Who will benefit from Mayflies? In the authors' own words, it is "written for the novice and expert fly fishers who wish to understand the fundamentals of mayfly entomology and how to effectively fish mayfly species inhabiting the trout waters of North America." To this end, there are chapters on the mayfly's life cycle (with in-depth discussions of each phase, from nymph to emerger to dun to spinner), detailed sections on many common species, and instructions for the fly tier. Drawings, photos, charts, graphs, and an attractive layout enhance the considerable descriptive and scientific text. In all, this is an exhaustive study that should provide serious anglers with useful and fascinating information for those difficult hours spent off the water.