In essays sometimes controversial, sometimes reflective, all fascinating, Paul Schullery ruminates on the evolution of fly fishing.

Distills five centuries' worth of angling lore and wisdom about trout feeding behavior. Photographic sequence shows in detail how trout take a fly. Examination of flies includes the importance of wings and what they are made of, hooks, soft-hackled flies, and skipping, dapping, and dry-fly techniques.