Fly-fishing in all its forms is the fastes-growing participatory field sport in the world. Whether you’re hoping to catch trout, tigerfish, yellowfish or queenfish, there is little to match the sheer joy of fishing with a fly rod. Whether you’re standing waist-deep in a raging river estuary fishing the saltwater, or wading slowly into the calm waters of an inland lake, the thrill of casting a perfect line is unmatched. Africa is one of the world’s most exciting fly-fishing destinations. Dedicated fly-fishers can be found casting their lines all over the continent – in steaming tropical rivers, in the vast lakes of the Great Rift Valley, in mountain streams, on golden beaches and in turbulent estuaries. Africa offers everything from well-fished and managed rivers and dams of South Africa and Kenya, to relatively unexposed and unknown destinations like the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia and the coastline of Madagascar. This completely revised, updated and full-colour edition of the African Fly-Fishing Handbook covers all aspects of fly-fishing on the African continent, and includes chapters on when and where to fly-fish in Africa, how to get started and what equipment to buy, casting and retrieving techniques, tactics and strategies, fresh- and saltwater fish, yellowfish, fish food forms and winning fly patterns. The most comprehensive book of its kind, it will be indispensable to both seasoned fly-fishers and those just starting out.

Fly-fishing is a multifaceted sport that will absorb you in its reality, taking you to places of exceptional beauty, to explore and to revel in the solitude. It is so often spoken of as an art form, while fly-tying, inextricably linked to fly-fishing, is in its own right a form of artistry. South African Fishing Flies is a celebration of this artistry – the innovation, the talents of the originators and their vision of imagination, masters of the craft – and of all the fly-tyers of South Africa. It is not an exhaustive reference to all South African flies, but is rather an anthology of those that by virtue of their innovation in design, materials used and tying techniques have helped shape and, in some cases, change the thinking on fly-tying in this country. It is also a visual celebration of these flies, the waters we fish, an introduction to some of the individuals in our fly-fishing community, and creators of South African flies.