Learning from the Water

90 fly patterns that will work east and west plus details on insects and the patterns developed to imitate them Photos by Bonnie and Rene Harrop, Toshi Karita, Rich Paini, Masa Katsumata Original artwork by Rene Harrop

In a lifetime nearing seven decades, I have devoted the vast majority of my time probing the mysteries of legendary waters like the Yellowstone, Firehole, Madison, Snake, and the Henry’s Fork. Numerous lesser known rivers and lakes have cooled my legs but not my enthusiasm as I roam this region with a constant spirit of anticipation and discovery. In a single lifetime, it would be impossible to fish all the water in and near the park, and a close relationship with even a handful is a significant accomplishment. –Rene Harrop, Learning from the Water

Rene Harrop records lessons learned from years fishing the world’s toughest trout water. His home water, the Henry’s Fork, is one of the most challenging spring creeks in the world, and over his lifetime fishing the Henry’s Fork, he has developed legendary techniques and flies to meet the challenge.In Learning from the Water, Rene shares his wisdom on the importance of insect stages, the flies for a successful fly box, and how to plan and prepare for a trip to unfamiliar water. Chapters on midges, caddis, Flavs, Callibaetis, Tricos, PMDs, hoppers, beetles, aquatic wasps, and Baetis give solid inside information on each of these important insects as well as the patterns Rene uses to imitate them, patterns that inspire fly tiers the world over.