I first came across the name "Bob Sheedy" about 12 years ago, back when the Internet was young and had hardly come of age. At the time, I was learning how to use computers and technology to promote my custom rod building business and Bob Sheedy was promoting his "Master Angler" program.

After more than a decade, both Bob and I are still around - and after the odd electronic communication over the past 12 years, I had the opportunity to meet him in Grande Prairie recently at the Canadian Fly Fishing Championships.

Bob Sheedy has a well deserved reputation for knowing a thing or two about "stillwater" or lake fly fishing. He's been doing it for 50 years. Some folk have one years experience fifty times over - but Bob is one of those that truly does have 50 years experience of learning, making notes, testing experiences, and being able to draw conclusions. So when he put a couple of books in my hand when we met in Grande Praire, and asked me to read them, I was quite excited.

I'll tell you what: I wish I had read at the very least Lake Fly Fishing Strategies before I arrived in Grande Prairie to participate in the Canadian Fly Fishing Championships of 2007 when all the venues were lakes/stillwaters. But it was not until after I arrived home that I had the chance to read this wonderful book full of information and the experiences and knowledge of Sheedy. While perusing the book, I recognized many of my own mistakes that I had made in fly fishing the northern Alberta lakes for Rainbow Trout.

Perhaps merely reading Bob's book on Lake Fly Fishing Strategies prior to the event might not have helped me net more fish - but at least now I know some of what I had done wrong. Like... understanding better about techniques for setting the hook when fishing deeper stillwaters. No, it's not the same as when fishing my favorite rivers and streams where often the fish set the hook themselves. Especially when using full sink lines and drifting with the wind in a watercraft.

While many fly fishing instructional books often have an element of "dryness" about them, Bob interjects a lot of good humour into his writing along with some interesting and funny analogies to explain what the ideas he is trying to communicate to the reader. So not only is Lake Fly Fishing Strategies chalk full of information, it's also an "easy read" but one that I'll be going back to time and time again I'm sure as my own "stillwater" experiences and opportunities grow. Even though an easy read, this book is one that both the pro and novice will gain from having open on their desk the night before a date on any lake to meet "Shamu," - or any species of fish, really.

Sheedy provides the novice with abundant information on how to select and choose fly fishing gear for fishing lakes and stillwaters, and how to determine what is the best for their own pocketbook. He minces no words and anyone that is interested in casting out flies to fish on lakes will come away with a very good idea of what they need to procure in order to experience the joys of fly fishing on lakes.

Next, Bob also extensively covers the pros and cons of a variety of watercraft - but even if you only have access to one, you'll learn how to use that particular watercraft and consider HOW to use it in order to get the most out of your lake fly fishing opportunities. Then, an extensive section on how to locate fish in lakes. Lakes are often the waters that many fly anglers shy away from and of course, understandably so. Most fly fishing knowledge is based around wading in rivers - but this book will help you expand your knowledge - if you're camping with your family on some lake, you'll have some strategies to use to enjoy the trip even though initially you might have preferred a location on some river. And of course, Bob is quite right: Fish generally grow bigger in lakes - and that's a hoot to catch some really big ones out of a lake that you often won't get in rivers and streams. On a fly rod.

The next section of the book discusses what fish, primarily trout species (but likely correct for almost any species of fish that live and thrive in lakes) eat. And the environments that fish food grow in, how they grow, their life cycles, and what you need to do to induce fish to eat your immitations of that food. Much of this is not that much different than understanding what fish in rivers eat - but with more information about the specifics of lake cycles, depths of food, and what to try to figure out as soon as you are on a lake as to what might be working best.

There is a "companion" CD that is also available to the book containing video. I have not seen the CD, but throughout the book, there are references to specific video files on the CD that are relevant to the subject that is being discussed. A great idea!

I'm not prepared to give up all my travelling past lakes on my way to my favorite rivers that I fly fish. But as Bob points out, many fly anglers do indeed pass lakes and drive miles.. hours.. even days and weeks - to get to rivers in order to fly fish. On the other hand, I'm now less inclined to by pass all the lakes because I simply don't feel confident of having the same enjoyment when fly fishing. With Bob Sheedy's excellent book, I'lll be more open to expanding all of my fly fishing experiences and of course - becoming a better fly angler.

If you've ever passed a few lakes yourself on the way to the river, and wondered if you could enjoy some stillwater fly fishing, I'd highly recommend Bob Sheedy's Lake Fly Fishing Strategies to you. Fish in lakes do grow larger than fish in rivers.

Book is availabe here.

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