The heritage of fly fishing in the Adirondacks has received little attention compared to the Catskills. A significant portion of what has been written about fly fishing in New York centers around this sister range to the Adirondacks. As the namesake of a style of dry fly, the influence the Catskills have had on fly fishing in the United States is undeniable. Fly fishing in the Adirondacks may be overshadowed by the many other contributions the region has made throughout history in areas such as outdoor recreation, architecture, and the environmental movement. Nevertheless, searching for resources on the history of fly fishing in the Adirondacks leads to few results. The Greats of Adirondack Fly Fishing, by Robert Streeter, begins to change this trend.
The Greats of Adirondack Fly Fishing is the book I was looking for when I decided to learn to tie and fish with Adirondack specific flies. My early searches led to few quality resources that included a couple tutorials for some of Fran Better’s more well known patterns on Youtube, or the occasional pattern included in a general fly tying book. Streeter’s book has proved to be an instrumental resource on Adirondack fly fishing.
In his book, Streeter traces the history of fly fishing from colonial times on through the lives of several notable local figures: William E. Scripture Jr., Ray Bergman, Lee Wulff, Perry Ehlers, Ed Bendl, and Francis Betters. It provides the context missing from many online fly tutorials, giving the reader a glimpse into the lives of these tyers and anglers, and the places they lived and fished. Several patterns and recipes from these greats of Adirondack fly fishing are sprinkled throughout the narrative of the book. Streeter’s storytelling and references make it clear that the Adirondacks have had a greater impact on fly fishing than has previously been written and is deserving of recognition.
The Greats of Adirondack Fly Fishing merges the genres of history and biography in an informative, easy to read narrative. The amount of research and effort Streeter undertook in the process of writing this book is evident in the storied details he provides from interviews and communicating with friends and family of these Adirondack legends. The book is available at several regional and online retailers, but is also available for purchase on the author’s website www.robstreeter.com.
Streeter has also authored an article in Fly Tyer Magazine titled “Great Flies of the Adirondacks.” The article introduces several dry flies, nymphs, and streamers tied by the anglers in his book and includes the recipes. He also has a series of Youtube tutorials tying Adirondack flies that includes many of the flies discussed in his book. Streeter’s book, article, and tutorials are great starting points for anyone interested in exploring the heritage of fly fishing in the Adirondacks. The Greats of Adirondack Fly Fishing is deserving of a place on any Adirondack bookshelf.