Book Review - "Eastern Hatches" by Tom Fuller

[letumgo]

Last year I bought a book called "The Complete Guide to Eastern Hatches - What Flies to Fish, When, and Where", by Tom Fuller (ISBN Number ISBN-13: 978-0-88150-615-0 / Published by The Countryman Press / 2006). I used this book to help prepare myself for the first trip to Roscoe (Catskill region of New York). One of the things that I like about the book, is the way each chapter contains listings for each insect type, along with information useful for a fly tyers (colors/recommended sizes/and patterns). Let me give an example, to illustrate what I like about this book.

Page 11 / Chapter 1 - The May Flies

BLUE-WINGED OLIVE (Family Baetidae; genera Baetis, Diphetor, Acerpenna et al.) - *Note 1*

NYMPH STAGE:
Type: Swimmer
Size: 4 to 10 mm or 3/16" to 3/8", hook size 14 to 20 (*Note 2*)
Color: Varies widely from pale olive to grayish olive, to olive brown to pale brown, brown, and dark brown (
Antennae: Up to twice as long as width of head
Tail: Three fringed, interlocking tails with middle tail shorter than other two
Wingpads: Mahogony to black
Legs: Feeble, olive brown except B. tricaudatus, which has ivory legs
Gills: Small, on abdominal segments 1 thru 7
Patterns: Pheasant Tail Nymph (adapt color to natural) - *Note 3*

DUN STAGE:
Size: 4 to 10 mm or 3/16" to 3/8", hook size 14 to 20
Body Color: Pale to dark olive, gray-olive, brown to dark brown
Wings: Dark to medium to light gray; hind wings tiny
Tails: 2, ranging from gray to olive to brown
Legs: Similar to tails
Patterns: Blue-winged Olive (adapt body color to natural), Blue Quill wet, Blue Dun wet

SPINNER STAGE
Thorax Color: Dark brown, some olive to rusty brown
Abdomen: Trown to dark brown, some paler
Wings: Clear
Tails: Dark dun with some tan to light gray
Legs: Dark dun to gray to grayish brown
Pattern: Rusty Spinner (adapt body color to natural)

Page 40 - Mayfly Hatch Chart
Emergence (All day) - Water temperature 45 degrees F to 70 degrees F (Early spring thru Autum)


Note 1 - Great information for the budding entomologists out there.
Note 2 - Very helpful information about what size the insect is likely to be, and what hook size to use. Much better than scaling from photos.
Note 3 - Useful advice on what pattern could be used to imitate this insect


The book is laid out in chapters for mayflies, caddis, stoneflies, and other insect and forage. Each chapter includes hatch charts, along with time of year and water temperature for each type of insect.

I am not a "bug guy", but as a tyer, I appreciate the information in this book, for creating patterns specific to a certain insect.

The book contains mostly black-and-white photos, but there is a eight page section with color photos for each insect type.

Overall - I found this book to be a very helpful reference. Uniquely designed with a fly tyier in mind.


HIJACK ALERT - I think this would be a perfect insect to imitate at our 2013 Flymph Forum Roscoe gathering. I encourage folks to create patterns based on this description, and then post them here. It may encourage fishing related discussion, for specific insects.

[William Anderson]

Ray, I picked up this book last year as well and agree with your review. A wonderful reference for the week in Roscoe.

Lance and I had the pleasure of sitting near Tom in Danbury. He was one of the most pleasant people I had the pleasure of meeting. Super nice guy, a very talented tier and a well produced book
.

Thanks for posting this selection. It's time to start getting ramped up for Roscoe. Gabs new counseling center opens tomorrow, I'll be able to breathe/regroup.

Thank goodness it's coming to a conclusion/slower pace.

Sigh.....

[letumgo]

William - It is cool, that you met this gentleman.

[redietz]

It's a good book. Just the two photos on the cover should start you to thinking.

[letumgo]

Bob - Agreed. Nice sulfur and imitation.

[Hans Weilenmann]

HIJACK ALERT - I think this would be a perfect insect to imitate at our 2013 Flymph Forum Roscoe gathering. I encourage folks to create patterns based on this description, and then post them here. It may encourage fishing related discussion, for specific insects.

*chuckle*

Here is my BWO dun pattern:



For the nymph the original Sawyer PT nymph is hard to beat.

I will tie up and post a picture of my spinner later.

Cheers,
Hans W

[letumgo]

Thanks Hans. Fishy goodness...

I will see what I can come up with too...

[Ruard]

Hi Ray,

I bought the book and read immediately the chapter of New York .

Here is my BWO-east:



Hook: Hayabusha 390 # 14
Thread: sheer claret
Tail: 2 hairs of a badger
Body: dubbing 50% olive hare and 50% Tan hare.
Thorax: Peacock purple
Hackle: Uppercovert of the wing of a Golden plover


Greeting

[tie2fish]

A lovely fly, Ruard.

[letumgo]

Beautiful fly, Ruard. The tail fibers give the fly a natural grace. Lethal pattern, no doubt about it!