One of my favorite books to have read this past fall was Pheasant Tail Simplicity with Yvon Chouinard, Craig Mathews, and Mauro Mazzo teaming up again for this Patagonia published paperback tome featuring stories, techniques, and fly tying recipes and instruction.  

The book is beautifully photographed and includes a series of QR codes that takes readers to short videos to demonstrate techniques or give fly tying step by step tutorials.



From the Patagonia website...

Together, these anglers have nearly 200 years of fly-fishing experience. They've tried—and refined—it all and share their knowledge here, demonstrating how you can catch fish—anywhere, any time—with just one type of fly.

Angling aficionados and authors Chouinard, Mathews, and Mazzo come together again, this time to reveal the many wonders of the pheasant tail fly. In Simple Fly Fishing (Patagonia; 2014, 2018), they made the case for replacing unnecessary gear with knowledge and technique. Now, after years of additional experience, they offer the next step: the feather that can be used to tie flies from nymphs and dry flies to emergers, soft hackles, and beetles. Pheasant Tail Simplicity, conceived as an advanced follow-up to Simple Fly Fishing, explores the techniques required to tie and present these flies to trout and anadromous and saltwater species. More than just a guide, it challenges the norm that thousands of fly patterns are necessary to catch fish successfully.

Pheasant Tail Simplicity includes step-by-step illustrated instructions for tying 18 flies, along with materials lists and tips on how to use them. In concise text, with QR codes that link to how-to videos, this colorful book distills fly fishing to its core: one primary fly-tying material, a handful of techniques, and a mindset that prioritizes knowledge, craft, and creativity over all else.

Order your copy of Pheasant Tail Simplicity on the Patagonia website or pick one up at your local book store or fly shop.  Now through January 1, 2026, this book is 40% off online, which is a steal for $15.

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