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  Fly Fishing Canada - From Coast To Coast To Coast. Edited by Robert H. Jones. Johnson Gorman Publishers. Blue Ribbon Books. $49.95 Cdn. $44.95 US. With its vast landscape, countless rivers, streams and lakes - and coastlines on the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic - Canada is a country that seems designed for fishermen. It is largely still wild land and it is possible to find places where nobody has fished - ever - before.
Describing all of the fishing opportunities in a country as large and diverse as Canada is pretty much impossible. But somebody had to try, eventually, and who better than the Outdoor Writers of Canada, which has representatives in every province. Fly Fishing Canada is a collective work, featuring more than 70 chapters and dozens of beautiful pictures by 33 different outdoor writers and photographers. You can read about fishing for lake trout, Arctic char, steelhead, whitefish, brook trout, shad, bass and dozens of other species. There are chapters on prairie pothole fishing, steelhead rivers and big lakes. There is a chapter on fishing for crappies. And one on urban trout fishing. If it swims in Canadian waters - and it will take a fly - you can pretty much expect to read about it here. There’s a great section on selected fly patterns, with good color plates, and an inspiring collection of pictures of fly fishing across Canada. Some of the contributions by writers in this collection are weak, which is perhaps to be expected, given that this was a volunteer project, with the profits going to the Outdoor Writers of Canada and Fly Fishing Canada. Had the writers been paid for their work, the editor would have been able to demand a consistent high quality. As it was, Mr. Jones apparently had to settle for some articles that skimmed over subjects which deserve greater detail. A few writers just tell fishing stories, without giving essential information on where, how and when to fish for a species. That problem notwithstanding, most of the writers clearly threw themselves into the project, providing valuable and insightful contributions that will help you get ready to fish for a wide array of species. The best chapters describe techniques, offer tips on patterns and provide broad geographic references. Want to learn how to catch whitefish on dry flies in Ontario lakes? Gord Ellis provides all the basic information you need in four precise pages. Want to know what an Ouananiche is, and how to catch one? George Gruenfeld’s essay is a perfect place to start. Despite the weaknesses that come from having such a large number of contributors, the overall result is a remarkable collection of information, that spans a remarkable country. Fly Fishing Canada - From Coast To Coast To Coast is a great idea, and a tremendous effort.
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Even in the more heavily populated southern regions, there are still many places left to explore and many, many waters where you will find yourself entirely alone on the water - except for loons, moose and an array of fish species.
