Fly-fishing is the fastest-growing form of recreational fishing in North America. Each year more than ten million people participate at all levels of the sport, drawn by its blend of contemporary sophistication and age-old technique.Through the centuries fly-fishing has developed its own language: hundreds of terms, expressions and phrases - shorthand, slang and formal definitions alike - convey this intricate sport to its devotees. Some are technical or scientific, some are emotional, political, illogical; some have come down to us from Old England, some were coined in a skiff last year. Understanding this language not only opens up modern fly-fishing but also reveals its unique historic roots. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fly-Fishing is the first comprehensive reference to fly-fishing terminology. In more than 500 carefully illustrated entries, Silvio Calabi thoroughly details the language and history of angling, tackle and accessories; casting and tying; hooking and landing; and much more.The book will also serve as a complete guide to the ever-expanding array of equipment available. While fly-fishing is still the same one-on-one game it has been for centuries - a game that is often played out in chest waders on freestone streams around the world, from New England to Alaska and New Zealand to Patagonia - improved technology continues to be an important part of the sport. Cane has been replaced as the rod material of choice by graphite fiber, and leaders and lines are no longer gut and silk. Today's waders deliver performance unknown even fifteen years ago.As the strength and durability of tackle has improved, the sport has expanded dramatically beyond the trout stream. Fly-tying is no longer a way to economize on the cost of flies; it is an end unto itself, with its own significant advances in materials, tools and techniques. Vintage fly tackle is an expression of art and craftsmanship even more refined than furniture-making.Silvio Calabi's landmark book will be an essential reference for all fly-fishing enthusiasts. Illustrated with scores of color photos and how-to line drawings, it is the ultimate compendium of fact, lore, history, tackle and techniques, and will undoubtedly be an angler's constant companion. Read Less