Digital media is phenomenal. Even for an activity as niche as fly fishing, there are streaming videos, eBooks, and a cornucopia of online options. The information is dynamic, engaging, and relevant. But a day will come when the power is out and the devices aren’t charged. Alternatively, you might want something that is a little more timeless… or simply quieter.

Thankfully, there is a rich literary heritage within fly fishing. The landscape of the sport would be unrecognizable without the works or Izaak Walton, Norman Maclean, and John Gierach. Generations of anglers have learned of far-off destinations, followed fly tying instructions, and daydreamed of rising trout through the pages of a book. Books are not only educational and entertaining; their ideas and the tangible items themselves connect us.

Even with all the digital resources out there, every fly fisher should consider curating their own analog angling library.