10 Best Fishing Books
The best fishing books, ranked by how many expert sources recommend each one, with notes on who they suit, from first-time anglers to readers of fishing stories.
Our take
Fishing books can help you prepare for a first outing, improve a particular skill, or enjoy time beside the water without leaving home. A general manual is useful when equipment and methods still feel unfamiliar. Once you know where and how you want to fish, a focused reference often answers more of your questions. Stories and essays offer something different: the people, places, and obsessions around the sport.
Basic Fishing and Fishing For Dummies give newcomers a broad introduction. The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide is a more specific choice for learning that method, while Complete Book of Fishing Knots, Leaders, and Lines addresses one practical skill. For reading rather than instruction, Trout Bum and The Longest Silence bring humor and reflection. The River Why and A River Runs through It and Other Stories explore lives shaped by fishing. Start with a manual for your next trip, or an essay collection if you want company between outings.
10 books · 7 sources · Last updated
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How to choose from this list
Skip to the full rankingIf you're planning your first outing: Basic Fishing → Fishing For Dummies
If you want to try fly fishing: The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide
If you want help with connections: Complete Book of Fishing Knots, Leaders, and Lines
If you enjoy fishing essays: Trout Bum → The Longest Silence
If you want fiction around the water: The River Why → A River Runs through It and Other Stories → The Old Man and the Sea
The 10 books, ranked
Ranked by how many expert sources name each book. Ties go to the book more people recommend.
A River Runs through It and Other Stories
For readers who want fishing woven into family, work, and landscape. Maclean gives the sport emotional weight that a manual cannot, though the collection also moves beyond the river into logging and firefighting.
What it's about
Norman Maclean's collection draws on life in western Montana, bringing together stories of fly-fishing, logging, and firefighting. Its characters navigate work, landscape, and family relationships in a world shaped by rivers, forests, and mountain communities.
The River Why
For readers who enjoy a comic, searching novel with fishing at its center. Duncan turns an angler's obsession into questions about identity and connection, though the philosophical digressions may frustrate readers seeking a brisk outdoor adventure.
What it's about
Young fly fisherman Gus Orviston leaves his family for a remote Pacific Northwest cabin, intending to devote himself to fishing. His pursuit of steelhead becomes a broader search for identity, connection, and meaning in the natural world.
Trout Bum
For readers who recognize fishing as a way of organizing a life rather than just catching fish. Gierach combines humor with close observation of trout anglers, though the essays assume more interest in the culture than in step-by-step instruction.
What it's about
John Gierach reflects on fly fishing in the Rocky Mountains through essays about trips, companions, trout, and the habits of dedicated anglers. Humor and observations of the natural world turn everyday fishing experiences into a portrait of an absorbing way of life.
The Old Man and the Sea
For readers who want a short, concentrated story about endurance and pride at sea. Hemingway makes the physical struggle carry unusual emotional force, though its spare style offers little of a modern fishing manual's practical detail.
What it's about
Aging Cuban fisherman Santiago hooks a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream and refuses to quit. It is a spare, powerful story about endurance, pride, and what a hard-won victory can cost.
Also recommended by
8 people
Jordan Peterson recommended this bookJordan Peterson
Recommended on Jordan Peterson's website.
Jordan Peterson's recommendation of this book 
Jack Dorsey recommended this bookJack Dorsey
One of Jack Dorsey's answers to "what are the books that had a major influence on you?"
Jack Dorsey's recommendation of this book 
Josh Waitzkin recommended this bookJosh Waitzkin
Josh Waitzkin recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book.
Josh Waitzkin's recommendation of this book 
Phil Keoghan recommended this bookPhil Keoghan
"Every year, I read [this book]. It’s so easy to read, and it has such a strong message." - Phil Keoghan
Phil Keoghan's recommendation of this book 
PewDiePie recommended this bookPewDiePie
"I thought it was fun to read." - PewDiePie
PewDiePie's recommendation of this book 
Lex Fridman recommended this bookLex Fridman
Lex Fridman mentioned this book on Instagram.
Lex Fridman's recommendation of this book +2
More recommendations
- Mark Manson
Mark Manson recommended this book on his website.
- Jack Edwards
"Very fishy option." - Jack Edwards
- Mark Manson
For anglers who want essays that capture both the pleasure and absurdity of their obsession. McGuane brings different waters and fishing experiences into focus, though the reflective pieces are better for savoring than systematic instruction.
What it's about
These essays follow McGuane from Florida tarpon to Montana trout and beyond, tracing a lifetime in fishing. The book mixes travel, lore, technique, and reflection, with plenty of humor about the beautiful madness of anglers.
For complete beginners who want equipment, bait, and first outings explained together. Bourne provides an approachable overview before you specialize, though local waters and target species will still require more specific advice.
What it's about
Wade Bourne introduces fishing through illustrated lessons on equipment, bait, lures, and choosing places to fish. The guide also discusses boats and accessories, fishing safety, and the practical work of cleaning and cooking a catch.
Complete Book of Fishing Knots, Leaders, and Lines
How to Tie The Perfect Knot for Every Fishing Situation
For anglers who want clear visual help with line connections and leaders. Philpott's photographed steps make it useful beside your tackle, though working through fifty knots is less valuable than practicing the few your fishing requires.
What it's about
Lindsey Philpott presents fifty fishing knots through step-by-step instructions and photographs using thick monofilament. The guide ranges from beginner knots to specialized applications, alongside explanations of leaders, line selection, and terminology for different fishing situations.
Fishing For Dummies
For newcomers who want a broad introduction across freshwater and saltwater fishing. The accessible format helps organize unfamiliar equipment and methods, though its wide coverage cannot replace detailed guidance for a particular fishery.
What it's about
Greg Schwipps introduces freshwater and saltwater fishing through guidance on species, locations, timing, and equipment. Illustrated explanations cover casting, bait, rods and tackle, with additional discussions of fishing technology, kayak fishing, and preparing a catch.
The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide
For anglers starting fly fishing who want equipment and presentation explained in one reference. Rosenbauer connects several parts of the method, though casting and reading water become clearer when the book accompanies actual practice.
What it's about
Tom Rosenbauer explains fly fishing through tackle selection, casting, fly patterns, presentation, and techniques for different waters. The illustrated guide covers freshwater and saltwater species, with discussions of equipment care, stream etiquette, and conservation.
For anglers who like short, practical entries they can browse by problem. The manual covers varied settings and techniques, though its many tips provide less sustained explanation than a focused guide to one method.
What it's about
Joe Cermele and Field & Stream contributors present practical fishing skills for streams, ponds, lakes, and open water. The manual combines guidance on gear, bait, and tackle with techniques for locating fish and approaching different species.
Sources
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Comments
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