The Frugal Fly Fisherman by Patrick Straub is a title that I would love just from the cover. But, in getting into the merits of the work, it is bit long on theory and short on content. It recommends saving money where possible with brands such as Redington, but at the same time recommending you invest as much as you can afford in a quality rod. This doesn’t seem to help the newbie angler with actual recommendations. I understand the concept of not promoting brands over concepts, but it still leaves the angler with the dilemma of “what to buy?”
I liked the quotes, particularly of Norman Maclean from A River Runs Through It, such as, “My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things–trout as well as eternal salvation–come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy.”
From mentions of silk lines and split cane to Gore-tex and carbon-fibers, the book covers it all. There is certainly an art to getting the most for your dollar. The reccomendations to avoid The 5-Weight Shootout and lists and focusing on disk drag versus click and prawl, among others are well on point. As well as the fact that tying your own flies and making do it yourself trips will save money in the long run, but it doesn’t overcome the standard advice of 5-weight rods for everything and what flies are most effective, which misses the mark of a died in the wool frugal fisherman who benefits from other’s experiences.
