Welcome to Volume 6 of “The Book Shelf”, a Big Sky Anglers original blog series. If you’ve followed along with The Bookshelf series, you know we’ve spent a good bit of time digging into the classics, the dog-eared, time-tested volumes that have shaped how many of us think about fly fishing. This go-round, however, is a bit of a departure. Instead of looking back, we’re looking squarely at the present.

Volume 6 is all about current titles, fresh ink, modern voices, and ideas that are actively shaping the way we fish today. And while these books may not yet carry the patina of age, I’ve got a feeling a few of them are well on their way to earning a permanent spot on the shelf.

In particular, we’ve been diving into a handful of titles from Swing The Fly Press, a group that’s doing some seriously thoughtful and beautiful work centered around Spey casting and the swung fly. These aren’t just books you read once and set aside. They’re the kind you come back to, dog-ear, and keep within arm’s reach of the tying bench or truck seat.

Swing The Fly Press Books

Our friends at Swing the Fly (STF) Magazine have carved out a well-deserved reputation for creating informative, thought provoking, and artistically beautiful content – both digital and printed – celebrating their passion for Spey casting, and fishing the swung fly. 

I was introduced to STF through Steven Bird and his delightful book Trout Spey & The Art of the Swing.  That book inspired me to invite Steve to present at one of our Trout Spey gatherings.  He and I ended up having quite a few mutual friends, and shared quite a few great stories and glasses of single malt that weekend.  Since then, Steve and I have exchanged many enjoyable emails and even a few flies via snail mail.  As the rabbit hole opened, I dove deeper into the Swing the Fly archives, and found more books.  Man, I love books.

That’s why it is exciting news that we now carry four awesome books from Swing the Fly Press here at BSA.

Here’s a quick review of all four, with links in case you’re feeling inspired.

Trout Spey & The Art of the Swing by Steven Bird 

We’ve been sharing this book with friends, customers, and fellow Trout Spey Nerds since we got a hold of our first copies back in 2022.  It’s an absolute dandy, with a great mix of angling knowledge, inspiring photography, and beautiful/fishy fly patterns, all tied together by Steven Bird’s literary prose, which seems to flows just like a perfect swing run.

Steve brings together perspectives formed on his home waters of the upper Columbia River with shared experiences collected over a lifetime hanging out with other fishy fellows from across the country.  An introduction to the concept of Trout Spey, penned in classic Steve Bird style complete with historical references, is followed by a straight forward summary of basic tackle necessities.  From there, the book flows into The Art of The Swing, with a fine discussion of presentation tactics and seasonal considerations.  Of particular note is Steve’s discussion of hatches, and the Spey methods and flies which may be used to take fish during times when many of us trade our two-handed rods and swung flies for other methods. 

Then come the fly patterns.  Simply spectacular stuff, from traditional north country spiders all the way to what might be the classiest looking egg pattern I’ve ever seen.  There is inspiration galore here for every tier of flies.  While there is a little bit of “how-to” in this section, the recipes and photos will better serve tiers with the ability to interpret and construct a fly without the benefit of definitive step by step instructions.   Isn’t that half the fun though?

What else can I say.  This is a great book, especially if you love tying and fishing classy, buggy wet flies.  It’s an artistic book, about an artistic fishing subject, and Steve Bird was just the right person to write it.

Anchor Centric Spey Casting: Theory, Methodology & Practice by Zack Williams

Little Book… Big Content.   

Zack Williams, founder of Swing the Fly, has produced a simple masterpiece describing his methodology for teaching Spey casting, which he refers to as Anchor Centric Spey Casting.  At 5.5” x 8.5” and with 76 pages, including 2 black and white photos and 36 informative, hand-drawn sketches, the only other Spey casting book that packed this much knowledge between small covers was the 4.5” x 4.5” classic by Jim Vincent and Simon Gawesworth that used to come inside the box when you bought a RIO Spey line 20 or so years ago.

In Zack’s own words,

“Around I think 2014-ish, I began to develop concepts on spey casting and instruction that I felt were different from much of what was and is being taught. Namely, rather than focus on body mechanics (arms do this, hands do that, etc.), I shifted and focused my entire casting methodology on working backwards from understanding what the line needed to do and then how to use your hand-eye coordination to do it. The goal here was to have the knowledge necessary to be able to cast using your own body and style rather than mimicking someone else’s… My own casting methodology has always been aimed at simplifying -- removing what's not necessary from my thoughts. This book includes literally everything I consider critical in the spey cast, whether a casual angler or hoping to go to Spey O' Rama. ”

As a Spey casting instructor myself, I believe that there is always room in the tool box for a fresh approach, and indeed, here one is, explained clearly and concisely by the author.    One of the great challenges in casting and in casting instruction is that every person is shaped differently, with different physical gifts, which influences how a person is able to move and cast.  While it may take a bit longer to simply “get fishing” via the Anchor-centric path than by focusing on body mechanics alone, I believe that in the long run an understanding of how the cast actually works will take you farther than simply knowing how to move your arms in a way that usually sends the line out. 

Hopefully we can all agree that the goal is to become a skilled, effective Spey caster, regardless of physical height, strength, or casting style.  The author observed that every great Spey caster has mastered the ability to consistently place, form, and direct the anchor.  And, as such, he hypothesizes, “if you make a good anchor, you will make a good Spey cast.”

The evidence and methodology supporting this hypothesis is what makes up the balance of the book.  It ties every element of a successful Spey cast back to the anchor by defining what a good anchor is, and breaking down not only how to make one for yourself, but also how to self-diagnose issues in your casting,  how to adjust to accommodate different types and lengths of Spey lines, how to best deal with challenging casting conditions, and even how to achieve your own max distances.

Easier to get then a casting lesson from Zack himself, and handy to carry along to your favorite swing run or casting practice spot, I’d put this book on my short list of must have Spey casting information sources.

Fishing the Swung Fly – The 2024 STF Anthology Collection

Fishing the Swung Fly is the first of the “new style” of anthology books that STF put out.  The format is a collection of essays or articles from various authors all with one central unifying theme.  In this case, fishing the swung fly.  Each selection is a stand alone piece, but, like your favorite prog rock album, the whole is indeed greater than the sum of the parts.  Contributors come from across the wide world of the swung fly – PNW steelhead, Atlantic Salmon, the Great Lakes tribs, and the ever growing realm of trout Spey -  creating an interesting mix of topics and tactics that beg the reader to cross pollinate their own angling and tying.

The table of contents and authors should get your mind headed in the right direction.

Presentation For The Win! Dec Hogan

The Adventure Begins Marty Howard

The Efficient Angler Zack Williams

Non-Typical Lies Rick Kustich

Pursuing Big Atlantic Salmon Topher Browne

Meeting Hatches With Wingless Wetflies Steven Bird

Catching Predatory Trout Travis Bradford

The Waking Fly Joseph Rossano

The Case For Swinging Flies From A Boat Kevin Feenstra

Activating the Fly Rick Kustich

A Few Swings Off The Beaten Path Thomas Woelfe

Presentation Nuances Zack Williams

Don’t Bogart That Run Kait Sampsel

When It All Goes Right Daniel Ritz

Vibes Petey Laphroaig

These anthology books are really impressive and professional, with a hard cover and outstanding color imagery and print quality.  And, both the 2024 and 2025 anthologies check three important boxes for me when it comes to deciding if a book is truly worth owning.

1) Did reading it bring me joy. Yes. 

2) Did the contents teach me something new, make me think in a new way, and/or inspire me to explore a topic in more detail. Yes.

3) Can I see myself re-reading the book multiple times or referring back to it in the future as an information source. Yes.

Crafting the Swung Fly - The 2025 STF Anthology Collection

Crafting the Swung Fly is the 2025 anthology book from STF.  The format is a collection of essays or articles from various authors all with one central unifying theme.  In this case, tying flies intended to be fished on the swing.  Each selection is a stand alone piece, but, like your favorite prog rock album, the whole is indeed greater than the sum of the parts.  Contributors come from across the wide world of the swung fly – PNW steelhead, Atlantic Salmon, the Great Lakes tribs, and the ever growing realm of trout Spey -  creating an interesting mix of topics and tactics that beg the reader to cross pollinate their own angling and tying.

The table of contents and authors should get your mind headed in the right direction.

They Like Flies! - Dec Hogan

Constructing An Effective Swung Fly - Adrian Cortes

Practical Fly Design Elements - Rick Kustich

Regional Style - Steven Bird

Dry Lines and Sinking Flies - Steve Szeliga

Outside The Box Trout Streamers - Travis Bradford

The Ferrari - Armando Quazzo

Marabou Matukas - Dan Gates

The Case For Sculpins - Kevin Feenstra

Belly Button Lint - Greg Senyo

Daydreamers - Thomas Woelfe

Small Steelhead Flies - John Alevras

Innovation At The Vice - Luke Probasco

What Is The Point - Daniel Ritz

Confidence - Joseph Rossano

These anthology books are really impressive and professional, with a hard cover and outstanding color imagery and print quality.  And, both the 2024 and 2025 anthologies check three important boxes for me when it comes to deciding if a book is truly worth owning.

1) Did reading it bring me joy. Yes. 

2) Did the contents teach me something new, make me think in a new way, and/or inspire me to explore a topic in more detail. Yes.

3) Can I see myself re-reading the book multiple times or referring back to it in the future as an information source. Yes.