I enjoyed this book. I read it to learn how to be a more successful dry fly fisherman, and I did learn a great deal even though I have been fly fishing for a long time. The surprise was how enjoyable this learning experience was for me. Nate combines instructional text describing what to do and why, then he shows what he means by providing on-the-river video, and he typically follows that up with an excerpt from a blog full of insight, humor, irony and all the other things that make us love this sport.
If you are interested in how to become a more skilled fly fisher overall, I highly recommend Nate Brumley’s book, Addicted to the Rise: A Dry Fly Book. This is not a book that condemns or looks down on other types of fly fishing; it is simply a book on how to make you better at dry fly fishing.
“If you’ve ever read Nate’s Dry Fly Innovations fishing blog you might think he’s the typical fisherman who embellishes his reports. After all, how could one guy catch that many fish….day after day? Having the good fortune to fish with Nate a few times I can tell you he is a dry-fly fishing machine! Certainly his realistic fly patterns make a difference, but they aren’t the secret.
In his book “Addicted To The Rise” Nate shares how he does it. And after reading his book I now have the confidence to stick with a dry fly when I used to turn to the dark-side and drift a nymph.
I first met Nate Brumley about eight years ago at a fly-fishing show when I started dabbling in fly tying. I greatly admired all the beautiful flies by his company, Dry Fly Innovations. Still do. All the flies they offer are dry flies. Only dries. I enjoy fly fishing with dries, and I do so at every opportunity I get. But, what about when you don’t see any action on top?
“The first time that I fished after reading Addicted to the Rise I thought about approach and stealth that Nate emphasized. I stopped short of the river and watched very closely. Along my bank was some slow deep water that could likely hold some fish. I found a way to drop my bug into that slow edge, still standing 10 feet from the river and “sonamabeech” if I didn’t catch a big trout before getting my boots wet!
“Brum’s dry flies should probably be outlawed. Trout don’t stand a chance with his realistic patterns. But the flies alone are only half of the equation. Addicted to the Rise is a celebration of dry fly fishing and a powerful how-to guide written by a self-taught trout master.
Clear and crucial guidance — is delivered to the reader accompanied by actual fishing diary entries and video footage that bring these important concepts to life — covers the key elements a dry fly fisherman needs to master to elevate his/her game.
The book is great. Like many, I’ve believed that most of the time fish are feeding under the surface, so a nymph or other wet fly would be more productive. Your book has changed my thinking. This summer I will spend more time dry fly fishing, as this what I enjoy the most. I plan to tie some of your patterns to use this year. Thanks.
“I feel this took decades off my learning curve and I’m incredibly excited and feel so much more confident with Dry Fly Fishing now, both moving and still water. You are also helping my family, because my Dad relies on me to be his “guide” because he doesn’t have the patience/time to learn all this stuff, but I LOVE absorbing the information and putting into practice.
“After years of experience as fly fishers, authors, and photographers, we tend to think we’ve seen and/or done it all. In fact, we approached this book with that attitude until we dug into it. Let us warn you in no uncertain terms, if you really delve into Addicted to the Rise’s pages and associated DVD, it will hit-you-between-your-eyes just like it did us. Never in the many years we’ve reviewed other author’s books have we been so impressed with the precepts of dry fly fishing Nate Brumley brings to the fore within this book.
This is not just a book with long-known ideas rewritten by another author, Addicted to the Rise is a new adventure and a compete education in dry fly trout fishing. The last chapter, “Brum’s Top 12 Flies,” is worth the price of the book alone. Brumley not only reviews his “top 12” patterns, but he explains why each pattern made his “list”and backs up those reasons with real log-book entries of real fishing trips where the fly earned its stripes.
Dry Fly Innovations is a family-owned dry fly fishing business that has built a colossal archive of knowledge. The combination of their books, videos, blogs, and live and Zoom presentations represents the largest body of dry fly information in one place.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call or send us an email.
