So You Want to Flyfish?: It’s Not As Hard As You Think!

Flyfishing is no longer just for the pipe and tweed crowd. This explosion of flyrodding has hit a nostalgic nerve in middle-class baby boomers. But the sport is seeing all kinds taking up the longrod from blue-collar workers to senior citizens to kids to women. Want to know just how popular?

According to the American Sportfishing Association, the number of Americans who went flyfishing last year outnumbers those who either played golf or tennis. The base of recreational anglers in America is over 70 million recreational anglers per year from age 5 to 85. The numbers exceed either recreational amateur golfers (25 million) or tennis players (22.4 million) in America combined. The sport of flyfishing was born in England and remains incredibly popular in Europe and now increasingly across the globe including places like Russia, South Africa, Belize, Costa Rica, Japan, New Zealand and Australia--even further expanding the potential reach of flyfishing.

So You Want to Flyfish is a how-to book written in a conversational style, complete with brief anecdotes, clear instructions, insider tips and secrets of how to get on the water quickly without weeks and months of practice. This is a technique book that's actually fun and easy to read, complete with color photographs that reinforce the techniques for both beginning and intermediate anglers. The book is designed to get the new angler on the water, but keep providing instruction through their learning curve.

Williams and McPhail have both been on the water fishing since they were children, a combined fifty-five years of flyfishing experience between them. Known for their quirky humor, zany adventures and ability to boil down complicated things to understandable parts, these two fishing buddies have traveled thousands of miles together flyfishing rivers and lakes, honing their skills, parlaying their love of the sport and expertise into articles and books. Both are also award-winning teachers.

W. Chad McPhail has published photographs and written articles for numerous outdoors and fishing publications, as well as written books on camping, the outdoors and contributed to So Many Fish, So Little Time.Williams and McPhail have both been on the water fishing since they were children and have traveled thousands of miles together flyfishing rivers and lakes, honing their skills, parlaying their expertise and love of the sport into articles and books.

Williams is the author of twelve travel and outdoor books and is a recognized expert on trout fishing, flyfishing and travel around the world. His popular book, So Many FIsh, So Little Time (HarperCollins, 2007) has been one of the best-selling fishing books the last few years and has received numerous rave reviews and awards.