reviews

Big Trout

Reviewed by Scott Richmond

Big Trout, by Bernie Taylor. 288 pages in a 7.25 by 10.25 black-and-white format. Published by The Lyons Press. Hardback only; $24.95 retail. Available in some fly shops and online (google the title and author).

t's proverbial that a fly fisher passes through four stages: first, you just want to catch a fish; as you gain more experience, you want to catch lots of fish; in the third stage you want big fish; and last, the numbers and size become less important as you focus on the overall fishing experience.

In other words, sooner or later you're going to want to catch big trout. And when you're ready, you should read Bernie Taylor's book Big Trout--probably two or three times.

Is This Book Necessary?

Obviously, it's possible to catch trophy-sized trout without reading this or any other fishing tome. Some anglers get very good at hooking the big guys without having any idea why their tactics work. Through years of experience they develop the intuitions and techniques that make them successful.

Taylor's book, on the other hand, puts some science into the big trout equation. That science can help you find out-sized rainbows, browns, and brookies with greater reliability and less work.

Not For Beginners

If you're still learning the intricacies of drag-free drifts and roll casts, this is not a book for you--yet. Every angler with a pulse wants to catch big trout, and when your skills begin to match your desires you should delve into the details of big trout behavior. That's when you should read Big Trout. Taylor's book is the best place to get the background you need to reliably catch trophy trout.

Where's the Beef?

Big Trout divides into ten chapters. The real meat is in the first six:

1. Go to Where There Are Big Trout. Taylor explains that the best places to find big trout are in lakes or in rivers where trout migrate from or between lakes. Only a few rivers hold large numbers of big non-migratory trout.
2. Get Into the Mind and Body of Your Prey. Big trout are primarily fish eaters; they don't reach eight or ten pounds on a diet of size 24 midges. Taylor goes into the intricacies of the food chain and how big trout search for their prey--and how you can take advantage of that behavior.
3. Determine the Trout's Rhythm. Big trout don't feed all the time. They chase their prey when it's easiest to get and most available. Determining those times is predictable but complex. Know the right answer and you'll spend your fishing time when it's most likely to yield memorable results.
4. Locate Where Big Trout Hold in the Water Column. You can have the right flies and go fishing at the right times, but if you're in the wrong places you're not going to catch big trout. Taylor explains the best places to find your quarry.
5. Study the Water. This chapter explains some of the behavior of preyfish.
6. North America's Best Big Trout Waters. From Alaska to California, from Oregon to Arkansas, Taylor summarizes the best places--and, more importantly, the best times--to find trophy trout.

The remainder of the book discusses flies, tactics, and tackle. These are useful chapters, but most of the information you could get elsewhere. The reason to buy this book is the first 163 pages. Those pages are heavy going at times. You're going to learn more about zooplankton migration, melatonin, and the pineal gland than you will about some new super-duper fly pattern or big trout anecdote. That's as it should be; if you want to catch big trout on purpose, and not by accident, you need to understand the how and why those fish behave as they do.

Because the information is dense and complex, it would have been nice to have a summary at the end of each chapter. A page or so that repeated the main points and conclusions would have been a helpful addition by the publisher. But if you take the time to make a few notes, you'll have your own summary and learn something useful in the process.

Bottom Line: Some profound insights into big fish behavior; marred by sloppy publishing. Reviewer Rating: 4

Scott Richmond is Westfly's creator and Executive Director. He is the author of eight books on Oregon fly fishing, including Fishing Oregon's Deschutes River (second edition).

Uploaded 09/24/2002.

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