Fly Fishing Reviews

Westfly maintains a large and expanding archive of product reviews grouped into ten categories. A summary of all product reviews is below, grouped by category. Click on the product name to read the review. Click on a category to go to that group.

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Categories: Rods  Reels  Lines  Clothing  Waders  Wading Boots  Accessories  Watercraft  Books  Videos.

Rods

Thomas & Thomas Two-Handed Rods. Superb two-handed rods, but match the rod to the water if you want to be happy. Reviewer rating: 5.

Winston Boron IIX Fly Rods. Light weight and a pleasure to cast. My favorite production rods. Reviewer rating: 5. Average User Rating: 5

Reels

Nautilus CCF Fly Reels. Well-made, trouble-free reel perfect for saltwater fly fishing and other big game. Reviewer rating: 5.

Lines

Cortland 444 Sylk. Good line in general, but especially well suited to cane rods. Reviewer rating: 4.

Skagit Cheater. Clever system that helps when you're using a sink-tip line and the brush is at your back. Reviewer rating: 4.

Tropical Fly Lines Compared. Some are better than others. The Wulff Triangle Taper Bonefish Line is my top choice. Reviewer rating: 5.

Clothing

Cloudveil Two-Trigger Gloves. Best fleece gloves I've tried. Great for rowing during cold weather. Reviewer rating: 5.

Cloudveil 8X Jacket. An excellent jacket for the premium market, but you're going to pay a lot for it. Reviewer rating: 5.

Cloudveil Zorro Jacket. A great lightweight, breathable jacket Reviewer rating: 5.

Cloudveil Flat Creek Jacket. Stops the wind, keep the warmth in, fits great, stands up to abuse, practical. Reviewer rating: 5.

Waders

Cloudveil 8X Waders. Great waders from a new provider; too early to tell about durability. Reviewer rating: 5. Average User Rating: 5

Boots

Fly-Fish Better by Art Scheck. Good insights into fly fishing tactics and the industry at large. Reviewer rating: 4.

Korkers Konvetible Boots. Innovative wading boots that let you change the soles to fit the situation. Reviewer rating: 4. Average User Rating: 4

Accessories

Sleeping pads of several brands. When looking for a sleeping pad, be very very careful. Reviewer rating: Various.

Bug Bagz Entomology Kit. Simple, compact streamside collection kit for budding entomologists. Reviewer rating: 4.

Simms Bottomless Pit Luggage, model 80. Sturdy and roomy, but weighs a lot. Reviewer rating: 4.

Ross Pescador 6 Fishing Pliers. Versatile pliers with interchangeable parts and hook hone. An issue with tolerances, though. Reviewer rating: 3.

Bole Flote Right. Works great for nymphing, especially if you're fishing from a boat. Reviewer rating: 4.

Finsport Fly Drying Wallet.. Best fly drying wallet I've used. Reviewer rating: 4.

Quick Seine. Handy accessory if you carry a net and want to seine the river for insects. Reviewer rating: 3.

Leatherman Juice S2. Wonderfully useful and compact multi-tool. Reviewer rating: 4.

Fishpond Waterdance Gear Pack. Roomy and comfortable fanny pack for use on flats or general fishing. Reviewer rating: 4.

Vac Rac Combi Rod Mounts. My pick for car-mounted rod carrier. Reviewer rating: 4.

Watercraft

Waterstrider Inflatable boat. Top watercraft for stealth, safety, and portability. Reviewer rating: 5.

Escalade Inflatable Boat. Inexpensive, versatile, and highly portable. Worth considering for either lakes or rivers. Reviewer rating: 4.

Books

Nymph-Fishing River and Streams by Rick Hafele. Good book/dvd combo for advanced beginner to intermediate fly anglers looking to improve their nymph Reviewer rating: 4.

Clouser's Flies by Bob Clouser. Clear and concise instructions for tying 17 patterns from master tyer Bob Clouser. Reviewer rating: 4.

Rod Crafting by Jeffery Hatton. Pictorial history of cane rods from 1843 to 1960, showing the best of the old masters Reviewer rating: 4.

Bonefish Fly Patterns. The best fly pattern book for anyone pursuing bonefish. Reviewer rating: 3.

Western Streamside Guide. Handy streamside guide in new edition, marred by some production issues. Reviewer rating: 3.

Trout Flies of the West. An excellent collection of fly patterns that represent some of the best regional thinking on the sub Reviewer rating: 4.

Trout Flies. A standard reference that should be on every tyers book shelf. Reviewer rating: 5.

Best Flies for Idaho. Good collection of regional fly patterns, but the fly photos leave much to be desired. Reviewer rating: 3.

Essential Trout Flies. Great book for the beginning tyer because it shows how to tie basic styles of trout flies. Reviewer rating: 4.

Trouble-Shooting the Cast. Good technical advice for solving problems, but you'll always do better with one-on-one instruction. Reviewer rating: 3.

Fishing In Oregon, Ninth Edition. Must-have book if you're fishing in Oregon. Reviewer rating: 5. Average User Rating: 5

Fly Fishing the Sierra Nevada. Gets you oriented to the best fly fishing in the Sierra Nevada. Reviewer rating: 4.

Fly Fishing Alaska. Could cut year's off your learning curve if you're going to fish in Alaska. Reviewer rating: 3.

Guide to Fly Fishing the Oregon Cascades. Hard won information about the big and little waters of Oregon's northern Cascades. Reviewer rating: 4. Average User Rating: 5

Trout Fishing Near American Cities. In the internet age, this is not a valuable resource; save your money. Reviewer rating: 2.

Seasons of the Metolius. If you love the Metolius, you should have this book. Reviewer rating: 4.

Taking Trout. Good trout fishing advice from one of our best writers. Reviewer rating: 4.

Ultimate Montana Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia. Useful resource for anyone traveling through Montana. Reviewer rating: 4.

Big Trout. Some profound insights into big fish behavior; marred by sloppy publishing. Reviewer rating: 4.

Fly Tying Made Easy for Beginners. Great choice for a beginning tyer. Reviewer rating: 4.

Basic Fly Tying. Decent book for beginning tyer, but I like Randall Kaufmann's new book better. Reviewer rating: 3.

At the Grave of the Unknown Fisherman. Another enjoyable collection of Gierach's essays. Reviewer rating: 5.

Tying Flies with CDC. A useful reference for the advanced fly tyer. Reviewer rating: 3.

The Book of Practical Fishing Knots. Color illustrations make it easier to understand how knots are to be tied. Reviewer rating: 4.

A Fishing Life is Hard Work. A collection of well-written essays that give some insights into the fly-fishing industry. Reviewer rating: 3.

Freshwater Fishing--Oregon and Washington. Suited to a newcomer to the Northwest or to fishing. Reviewer rating: 3.

Lefty Kreh's Ultimate Guide to Fly Fishing. A poorly-produced pastiche of the author's earlier writings. Limited use to the Western fly angler. Reviewer rating: 2.

A Concise History of Fly Fishing. A good place to learn about the elders of the tribe. Reviewer rating: 3.

Tying Emergers. The best on the most important stage of insect life. No tyer should be without it. Reviewer rating: 5.

Fishing Online: 1,000 Best Websites. A book that can save you a lot of google time. Reviewer rating: 4.

My Story as Told by Water. Entertaining, humorous, and thought-provoking. Top quality work from one of our very best writers. Reviewer rating: 5.

Biological Time. Revolutionary ideas about the behavior of fish and other animals. Reviewer rating: 5.

Cane Rods: Tips and Tapers. Uneven book, but occasionally useful to an intermediate or advanced builder. Reviewer rating: 3.

Tying Small Flies. Clear and practical, like having the master at your tying bench. Reviewer rating: 4. Average User Rating: 5

Midge Magic. Oriented to Pennsylvania, but the methodology is adaptable to Western fly fishing. Reviewer rating: 3.

Splitting Cane. Highlights the work of 16 cane craftsmen from around the country. If you love bamboo, you'll love th Reviewer rating: 4.

Fly Fishing for Beginners. There are better books for beginners. Reviewer rating: 2.

Trout Hunting. A different perspective on some fly fishing tactics, garnered from fishing on three continents. Reviewer rating: 3.

Northwest Patterns and Tying Guide. A fine collection of regional patterns from top tyers. Reviewer rating: 4.

Cathy Beck's Fly-Fishing Handbook. The target audience is women, but men can find it useful, too. Reviewer rating: 3.

How to Fly-Fish. A gear junkies dream, but NOT for beginners. Reviewer rating: 2.

Fishing Small Flies. The companion volume to Tying Small Flies. Get both, and you'll have the killer flies and tac Reviewer rating: 4. Average User Rating: 5

America's 100 Best Trout Streams. Quick overview of the best places, then points to resources for more info. Useful book Reviewer rating: 3.

Oregon River Maps and Fishing Guide--First Edition. Two editions; the first is terrible, the second is useful. Get the correct one. Reviewer rating: 2. Average User Rating: 2

Western Mayfly Hatches. A must-have book if you want to match-the-hatch in the West. Reviewer rating: 5.

Small-Stream Fly Fishing. Stop complaining about crowded rivers and learn how to find big fish in small streams. Reviewer rating: 5. Average User Rating: 5

A New Generation of Trout Flies. Effective Western trout patterns that are easy and quick to tie. What more do you need? Reviewer rating: 4.

Still Life with Brook Trout. Another in a long string of great essay books from John Gierach. Reviewer rating: 5.

Creative Fly Tying. For any experienced tyer who wants to get into the mind-set of a master fly designer. Reviewer rating: 5.

Oregon River Maps and Fishing Guide--Second Edition. The second edition is what you want. Read the review to learn how to get it. Reviewer rating: 4.

Fly Waters Near and Far. A "fantasy" photo book that focuses on a limited set of destinations. Reviewer rating: 3.

Driftboats: A Complete Guide. Good read for anyone owning or planning to own a driftboat. Reviewer rating: 3.

Fly-Fishing for Smallmouth Bass. Knowledgable, well written, and well laid-out. Reviewer rating: 4.

Drift boats and River Dories. Best of breed. Reviewer rating: 5.

Oregon Fishing. A useful book that most Oregon anglers will want to put in their library. Reviewer rating: 4. Average User Rating: 3

Fly Fishing Pioneers and Legends of the Northwest. Well-written, thoroughly enjoyable Reviewer rating: 5.

Fly Fishing Pioneers and Legends of the Northwest. Informative and entertaining with good videography. Reviewer rating: 5.

Barr Flies. A must-have book for fly tiers. Reviewer rating: 4. Average User Rating: 5

Fishing Tandem Flies. Good presentation of effective strategy. Reviewer rating: 3.

Rotary Fly-Tying Techniques. Useful book for anyone contemplating or owning a rotary tying vise. Reviewer rating: 5.

Rod Rage by Rhea Topping. Everyone should read this book. Reviewer rating: 4.

Green River Virgins. Excellent collection of short stories ranging from Colorado to Alaska, with both drama and humor. Reviewer rating: 5.

Spey Casting. If you're serious about spey casting, buy this book. Reviewer rating: 5.

Videos

Trout Grass. If you're into cane rods, you'll love seeing this forest-to-rod saga. Reviewer rating: 5. Average User Rating: 4

Polly Rosborough Ties His Fuzzy Nymphs. One of the most influential fly tyers of the 20th century ties some of his signature patterns. Reviewer rating: 4.

Tying Bob Quigley's Signature Flies. Watch, and learn a few secrets from a master tier as he whips up a few patterns for fussy trout. Reviewer rating: 4.

The Hatch. Beautifully crafted video that captures the fly fishing soul at its most passionate. Reviewer rating: 5.

The Trout Bum Diaries: Patagonia. Breakthrough fly fishing video. Don't miss it! Reviewer rating: 5.

Spey Fishing for Steelhead. Anyone wanting to pursue steelhead should see this video. Reviewer rating: 5.

Fly Fishing Large Western Rivers--Spring and Winter. Entertaining video series covering trout fishing tactics in all seasons. Reviewer rating: 4.

Fly Fishing Large Western Rivers--Summer and Fall. More entertainment and wisdom from master anglers Rick and John--and The Bugwan. Reviewer rating: 4.

New Zealand Trophy Waters. Superb videography, good entertainment, and informative. Reviewer rating: 5.

Spey Casting Secrets. See a variety of spey casting techniques from the masters at a Sandy River Spey Clave. Reviewer rating: 3.

Introduction to Spey Casting. If you're into spey casting, you'll learn a few new tricks from this video. Reviewer rating: 4.

New Zealand Trophy Waters, Volume Four. Beautiful videography of outstanding fishing situations. NOT your typical "nice fish" video. Reviewer rating: 4.

Fly Fishing Pioneers and Legends of the Northwest. Informative and entertaining with good videography. Reviewer rating: 4. Average User Rating: 5