Susan Thrasher - Thrashers Fly Fishing Guide

Praise for Thrashers Fly Fishing Guide

No matter where you are in your evolution as a fly fisher, Susans passion for her daily life as a teacher and guide gives a sense of your having been there with her, even as she leads you to ever-more-enjoyable stages of this lifetime sport.

Joan Wulff, founder, Wulff School of Fly Fishing

This fly fishing guide is a brilliant escape from the stuffy tutorials often found in the fishing world. Told through real-life stories, the authors passion and love of bringing new anglers into the fold is overshadowed only by her true dedication to the sport itself. This is a literary gem bound to become a pillar in todays fly fishing landscape.

Jen Ripple, editor, Dun Magazine

This book is enjoyable for the angler and adventurer alike. It is packed with information that is easy to learn and understand. Within the adventures, Susan conveys the camaraderie of fellow fisherman and the bond of women learning a male-dominated sport. She has the ability to make you feel that you were with her on the adventure. Her depth of knowledge and her concern for her fellow fishermen is evident in each story. This is a great book that you will likely read over and over.

Sheila Hassan, director, Wulff School of Fly Fishing

If fly fishing has had you curious but baffled, Susans stories will unlock its mysteries. As an astute fly fishing guide, she shares her on-land and rowing-water tales that compel you to read and learn! From the cast to the fish, youll want this book as a keeper!

Lori-Ann Murphy, cofounder, Reel Women

Once one takes a fly rod into their hands and casts into the moving streams, and makes that cast that lifts and presents a beautiful fly into the open mouth of a fishboom! You are hooked forever. And Susan is the one to teach you. Not only is she talented, smart, and beautifuloh! and magicalshe can teach us to fish. My sister, Becky, and I have seen her river, had a cup of tea with her, and viewed the vintage trailers she used for guests. Now my only job left is to fish with her.

Maurrie Sussman, founder and president, Sisters on the Fly

Thrashers Fly Fishing Guide: An Essential Handbook for All Skill Levels

Susan Thrasher

Copyright 2020 by Susan Thrasher

All rights reserved

Published by Menasha Ridge Press

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Printed in the United States of America

First edition

Project editor: Kate Johnson

Cover design: Scott McGrew

Text design: Annie Long

Interior photos: Susan Thrasher except where noted on page

Proofreader: Rebecca Henderson

Indexer: Rich Carlson

Front cover photo by Susan Thrasher

Back cover photo: Rocksweeper/Shutterstock

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Thrasher, Susan, 1962 author.

Title: Thrashers fly fishing guide : an essential handbook for all skill levels / Susan Thrasher.

Other titles: Fly fishing guide

Description: Birmingham, AL : Menasha Ridge Press, [2019] | Summary: Fly fishing is a wonderful and thrilling way to catch fishand it isnt as complicated as you might think. More and more people are casting fly rods and catching trout, bluegill, sailfish, and more. You can count yourself among them. It just takes the right equipment, a little bit of know-how, and some practice. If youve never tried because you heard its too hard, then you are missing out! Ignore the doubters and the naysayers. Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019035886 (print) | LCCN 2019035887 (ebook) | ISBN 9781634042444 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781634042451 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Fly fishing. | Fly fishing for womenUnited States.

Classification: LCC SH456 .T54 2019 (print) | LCC SH456 (ebook) | DDC 799.12/4082dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019035886

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019035887

Visit menasharidge.com for a complete listing of our books and for ordering information. Contact us at our website, at facebook.com/menasharidge, or at twitter.com/menasharidge with questions or comments. To find out more about who we are and what were doing, visit blog.menasharidge.com.

P ERFECT

On a day like today

Everything else fades away

And the river washes me clean.

The sun on my skin

Warms my soul deep within

As I take in the beautiful scene.

When Im almost enlightened,

The line comes tight and

A bright silver fish clears the water.

She darts and she dashes,

Dives, twists and splashes,

Then I reach with my net... and Ive caught her!

On a day like today

Everything else fades away

As I put that fish back in the stream

With a whisper of thanks

To the fish and the banks

For helping me live the dream.

Paul Grindlay

THE AUTHOR WITH A RAINBOW TROUT CAUGHT USING THE EUROPE AN NYMPHING TECHNIQUE (SEE ) Photographed by Leann Koleas

Table of Contents

Foreword

The great charm of fly fishing is that we are always learning; no matter how long we have been at it, we are constantly making some fresh discovery, picking up some new wrinkle.

Theodore Gordon

I N HIS ESSAY Starting Out, the celebrated author and fly fisher Dana Storrs Lamb tells us that whatever priceless item from the beautiful bundle of a fishing trip especially delights ones heart, the greatest of all is starting out, since therein is the entire treasure of what may be to come. Beginnings, or starting out, whether experienced by novice or veteran, are quite often among lifes most exciting moments, especially when one has a guide like Susan Thrasher leading the way, which she does so well in this book.

We are fortunate Susan discovered her passion for fly fishing on an outing with her father on Tennessees South Holston River, where, in her words, her casting that first day was awful. But nothing could deter her: smitten with the great joy she felt in fishing with the long rod on that first outing, she readily became a convert.

For many years Susan braided her passion for a life on the water with a successful career as an engineer while learning all she could about the intricacies of fly fishing. Eventually, in the spirit of Izaak Waltons The Compleat Angler, she saw a need to set aside business in favor of her growing passion for going a-fishing. Fortunately, her plan included taking us along.

So, after hearing Susan deliver an extremely well-organized and informative presentation on fly fishing at a meeting of the Northern Kentucky Fly Fishers (NKFF), I introduced myself and suggested she consider writing a book. Luckily for all of us, she thought the idea intriguing. The next morning, over coffee and doughnuts, along with NKFFs Tim Guilfoile, we met with Richard Hunt, president of AdventureKEEN, and he readily agreed. And so, Thrashers Fly Fishing Guide was officially hatched.