Hacks! Another word for tips, tricks or shortcuts to make life less stressful. Whether you are a new or experienced angler, this book has plenty of them to make you a calmer, happier angler. It is a collection of articles I wrote in the New Fly Guy column for Southern Trout Magazine between 2012 and 2018. Each article focused on a pain point associated with what is supposed to be the serene sport of fly fishing - in particular, fly fishing for trout.

Don’t be put off by the name of the column and believe this is only a book on fly fishing for beginners. Since I intended to educate both the newbie and those with plenty of mileage, the book is very different from the typical. Instead of starting with the boring subjects of how to pick a rod, how to pick a reel, etc., I go right to the heart of the matter - the things no one else is going to tell you. The first half of the book focuses on ideas to reduce frustration - those tips and tricks for using your gear, reducing anxiety, and finding fish that will keep you from throwing your fly rod in the trash.

Dive into this fly fishing book and learn how to save money on fly fishing gear, how to find trout (I include an entire section on the behavior of stocked trout), and all the weird, small things even experienced fly fishers may not know. Heck, I also discuss gear you can buy at the Dollar Store for fly fishing!

Yeah, I cover fly fishing gear selection to include fly fishing accessories and fly fishing basics. No book on fly fishing can leave that out. However, I push those topics to the back and add plenty of Easter egg tips in those chapters as well. In a sense, this fly fishing book could be a book on fly fishing for dummies since I use clear language and provide detailed explanations.