Dave Karczynski

Down the Hatch is a collection of essays from fly angler extraordinaire and accomplished writer Dave Karczynski, and follows this general narrative arc: writer falls in love with fly fishing, gets to travel the world, realizes that travel satisfies the soul only so much, and comes home to his heart in the Midwest. In the first piece, he buys his first fly rod. In a piece near the book’s end, he buys a trout camp. The collection’s narrative span is ten years, and adventure locations include Wisconsin, Michigan, Alaska, Chile, Argentina, India, Labrador, Ontario, and Poland.

Smallmouth bass swim in more streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs than any other gamefish, and exceptional, world-class fishing opportunities for them are found across the country, from the John Day River in Oregon to the Great Lakes, to Maine’s Penobscot. While numerous books have been written on smallmouth, this is the first book to cover the cutting-edge techniques and fly patterns being used by some of the country’s top fly fishing guides. Though most of these flies and techniques have been developed and refined in the rivers and lakes of the Midwest (a hotbed of smallmouth fly fishing) anglers can adapt them for their waters. ·Cutting edge fly patterns for smallmouth, including full color plates and recipes, as well as new techniques for fishing these patterns ·A “tips” section from various guides, both old school and new, including Luke Kavajecz, Kyle Zempel, Austin Adduci, Kip Vieth, and Bart Landwehr ·Covers smallmouth bass essentials including biology, behavior, and where to find trophy bass ·Interviews with Mike Schultz, Lefty Kreh, Chuck Kraft, and Larry Dahlberg

For any angler who wonders: "What's this fly fishing thing all about?" What makes this ground-breaking book different from other entry-level fly fishing texts is that it speaks directly to anglers who are already proficient with conventional fishing tackle--spinning and baitcasting gear. Rather than take a start-from-scratch approach to fly fishing, this book helps anglers translate and transfer their existing knowledge base and skill set as it introduces and reinforces core fly fishing concepts. Covering bluegill, bass, trout, steelhead, salmon, pike, muskie and even carp, each chapter gives the new fly angler all the tools they need for chasing their favorite species with a fly rod. Whether you prefer wading small rivers or fishing big water from a boat, this book is your best gateway to the fascinating world of fly fishing.