reviews

Fly Waters Near and Far

By Scott Richmond

Fly Waters Near and Far by Barry and Cathy Beck. Published by Stackpole Books. 304 pages in an 11.5 by 10.5 hardcover format. 433 color photographs. $60. Available at many fly shops and online (google title and author).

here are plenty of good books about the technical aspects of fly fishing--entomology references, tomes on tackle and tactics, guide books, compendiums of fly patterns.

But sometimes you just want to look at pretty pictures and fantasize about going somewhere far from home.

That's what Fly Waters Near and Far is all about. This book by Barry and Cathy Beck is a collection of fly fishing photos from around the world. Unlike most books of this ilk, the Beck's have focused on a limited number of destinations.

For example, the chapter on the American West has 85 photos, but they're from just five Montana streams: the Bighorn, Big Hole, and Henry's Fork rivers, DePuy Spring Creek, and the MZ Ranch. Similarly, the Bahamas chapter appears to consist entirely of photos from the Mangrove Cay Club on Andros Island. Other chapters are in a similar vein and include Belize, Christmas Island, Venezuela, Russia, Alaska, and New Zealand. That's okay, and I'm not complaining. It's good to get a thorough view of one location and gain a well-rounded notion of what it's all about.

The photos are all of high quality: well-exposed, perfectly focused, artistically composed and, above all, well-reproduced. The Becks' work often appears in fly magazines and books, and they know their trade. No one will claim that these are stylistically innovative pictures. That's part of knowing your trade--having a clear sense what does and doesn't sell to a wide audience.

This is a fine book to pick up on a cold winter night. Stoke the fire, settle into your easy chair, then leaf through the pages. Imagine yourself in each picture. Go ahead. Fantasize all you want.

Bottom Line: A "fantasy" photo book that focuses on a limited set of destinations. Reviewer Rating: 3

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 12/13/2005.

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