Book Review: “Caddisflies – A Guide to Eastern Species for Anglers and other Naturalists”

After posting about one of my favorite caddis fly patterns, I decided there’s no better way to follow it up then a book review of an excellent book.

 “Caddisflies – A Guide to Eastern Species for Anglers and other Naturalists” is written by Thomas Ames Jr

And If there’s one thing I can say about this book, or to just simply sum up in one word- it would be “YESSSSS!”

For some of us the idea of expanding our knowledge is so great that it trumps everything else in the world, and this book is one of those must have in your library.

I’ve heard once or twice when I recommended this book to someone “wait..what? but isn’t that too much information?  maybe it’s a little bit overkill? How could somebody write such a huge book about something as little as caddisflies?”

and then… They opened it up 😍

and they immediately change their minds!

I guess in a sense, yes; if you were going to try to memorize everything in this book you are going to have a really hard time, but that is not what books like these are about. (not to say I haven’t made two pots of coffee and tried to cram all the information in this book into my brain in one sitting over and over ) 😂 but in reality The Most valuable books your library to me, are reference books.

Books that you can hop up off your bench and grab when you have a question, when you just want to know something else, when your tying something halfway through you have a “ah, ha! “Moment and feel the need to run to that bookshelf the flip through the book that you know has the answer that you need!

Oh that bookworm in me just can’t help herself!

Almost all of us fish caddisflies, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t but I’m sure there may be a few people out there.

If you are one of those who have been avoiding it you may want to start, there are many days I have caught nothing unless it was on a Caddis pattern.

On top of an amazing wealth of information on such a little insect that we know so little about, this book also comes packed with pages full of patterns.

I hope you take a look at this book if you happen to run across it, because you will not be sorry once you have added it to your collection.