Frank Amato Publications The Curtis Creek Manifesto

"The Curtis Creek Manifesto" is probably the number one book available on the basics of fly fishing. The author and illustrator, Sheridan Anderson, created a unique and entertaining guide that will provide everything a person needs to know to get started fly fishing and it's done in a book that is only 48 pages long. It has been considered a classic ever since it was first published in 1978.

About twenty years ago I was just getting into fly fishing and during a fishing trip a friend recommended that I pick up a copy of The Curtis Creek Manifesto while we were visiting a fly shop to pick up a few flies and some tippet.

I didn't think much about it at the time, but over the years I have always found myself coming back to this book for basic information, but more so now just for the enjoyment I get from the illustrations and how the material is presented.

 The Curtis Creek Manifesto isn't for someone who likes a lot of structure and organization because there is no table of contents or an index. All the information is presented as a collection of topics, and to the untrained eye it may seem a little random, but the topics are presented in a sequence that does builds as you go from one topic to the next. As your knowledge of fly fishing increases, you appreciate why the information was presented in the order that it was.

The book only contains two photos, one of the author and one of an individual in the acknowledgements. The entire contents of the book were illustrated by the author, Sheridan Anderson, which was a significant effort considering this was created back in 1978.

I have included a few pages from the book below to give you some examples of the different topics covered and how they are presented.

The general flow of the book is that it focuses on some general do's and don'ts of fly fishing near the start, followed by fishing technique, then into bugs and gear, and then finishes up with casting and some more minor topics. I have generalized this to a degree, but I can assure you that all the important topics relevant to someone new to fly fishing are covered.

Besides covering the typical topics associated with the mechanics of fly fishing, other topics like "The Priorities of the Game" that I share in the picture below are presented. These types of topics are the real gems of The Curtis Creek Manifesto as they are what someone new to the sport needs to learn to be a successful fly fisherman. 

Besides the more deep thought types of topics like I shared above, the book has plenty of the basic information, like the page on hooks and knots shared below.

The other interesting aspect of The Curtis Creek Manifesto is the author, Sheridan Anderson. Sheridan Anderson created this book in the mid 1970's and at the time and was also involved with the rock climbing crowd in Yosemite and in addition to hanging out and fishing with Yvon Chouinard, he also illustrated the two classic rock climbing books, Basic Rockcraft and Advance Rockcraft, written by Royal Robbins.

If you want to learn more about Sheridan Anderson (and it's worth the read) take a look at the link Searching for Sheridan Anderson. 

In summary, if you're someone just getting into fly fishing or someone who would like to know more about fly fishing, I would whole heartily recommend that you pick up a copy of The Curtis Creek Manifesto.

Background

With books in general, I've been reading since I was a small child. I have fished all my life and in the last twenty or so, years focused more on fly fishing and now that I am retired I try and get out and fish locally when I can and also take trips out of state with a special love for the Eastern Sierra's down in California.