Generic fishing books can only get you so far on your journey. If you intend to improve your form in relation to salmon fishing, then you need resources specific to this type of fish. This is why we’ve created a list of several of the best books on the topic; there’s no end of resources out there, meaning it can be difficult to find a good fit to your reading style, preferences, etc. If you want to see the best the community currently offers, then you need look no further than the below list.
Top 11 Salmon Fishing Books
Great Lakes Salmon and Trout Fishing: Essential Tactics and Seasonal Strategies, By Dan Keating Et Al
The reviews of this book are positive, and for good reason — Keating et al cover a lot of vital information, gathered over countless years of salmon fishing between them. Great Lakes Salmon and Fishing discusses the most up to date techniques (at the time of publishing), the most effective methods of fishing, how to read currents, and so much more.
The Salmon Sisters: Feasting, Fishing, and Living in Alaska: A Cookbook with 50 Recipes, By Emma Teal Laukitis Et Al
Don’t let the title of this book fool you, although there’s recipes included in the content, it offers more than a means to cook a good meal. The 208 pages of this book, written by two Alaskan fisherwomen, is a unique way of learning more about salmon fishing; not only does it give you local and cultural insight, but it details how you can cook with your latest catch. This might not be the best book for learning baiting, etc but it’ll help you hone your craft as a salmon fisher in general.
Float-Fishing for Salmon & Steelhead, By Terry J. Wiest
We move onto a smaller read now, at only 72 pages in length. Wiest provides a concise discussion on salmon fishing, using his 30 plus years as a fisher to give you the best information in the latest techniques of the hobby. Given the length of the title, this has been regarded as better for those just starting out, though this book will also act as a good refresher for experienced anglers too.
King Salmon: A Guide to Salmon Fishing in California, By Gregg Goddard
This 2010 released book may be ten years old, but that doesn’t stop it being popular with readers. This Goddern written title is said to be as entertaining as it is educational, giving invaluable insight into more than just basic fishing information — there’s also chapters on care and safety while fishing, how to cook your catch, and regulations specific to the different areas in California. Despite being a location specific book, the information within can be adapted to suit your current location.
Atlantic Salmon Flies & Fishing, By Joseph D. Bates
Having been written in the early 1990s, this is far from a contemporary guide to salmon fishing. Nevertheless, while this is a dated book, the information within is still invaluable to those within the community. What is more, while it might not have the latest techniques or updated information, it does provide a classic look at the sport from a different point in time.
Great Lakes Steelhead, Salmon & Trout: Essential Techniques for Fly Fishing the Tributaries, By Karl Weixlmann
Some of the books on this list are seasonal dependent, in that they might work in summer but not in winter — this is where Weixlmann’s book differs. This title is written for salmon fishing success all year round. Furthermore, the information within its pages, which cover the basics of baiting, species, tackle, etc, also includes illustrations to help aid you. This is a thoroughly detailed resource, yet it only consists of 180 pages, and so it’s a quick but concise guide for all fishers.
Salmon Fishing: A Practical Guide, By Hugh Falkus
From the 00s back to the 1980s now, with Falkus Salmon Fishing: A Practical Guide. Given the date of publication, this isn’t the most up to date means of learning about salmon fishing. However, while it lacks contemporary techniques, it’s a good foundation to build your knowledge upon, coming from a seasoned fisher. Unlike some of the above titles, this is a much larger book at 400 plus pages long, meaning it’s not one to take out on the water with you. Nevertheless, it’s information can differently be applied to real life scenarios.
Steelhead & Salmon Drift-Fishing Secrets, By Timothy Kusherets
If you want to know about the biology of salmon, the physics involved in fishing, and other such more scientific insights, then this Kusherets’ title is one for your collection. Published in 2004, it’s a more dated take on fishing, however, it has a lot of information that’s still up to date, and will help improve your skills as a fisher. Moreover, at only 100 pages long exactly, it’s a quick read.
Fishing the Salmon River, By Spidey Rybaak
We move from the early 00s to a more recently published book, with this title having been released in 2018. As a result, this is a contemporary guide to salmon fishing, and one that comes from an experienced fisher who has fished the Salmon River in its entirety. Granted, this is a location specific book, yet the information within can be adapted to different locations, as topics covered include tackle, techniques, and so on.
Great Lakes Salmon and Trout Fishing: The Complete Troller’s Guide, By Dan Keating Et Al
The reception to this book has been mostly positive, with readers regarding this as a book that even the most seasoned fisher can still learn from. Given Keating’s experience as a fisher, it’s understandable; Keating has been a troller for over 20 years, with an average of 17 fish per charter. Even if that doesn’t mean much to you, it demonstrates that his experience is invaluable for those wanting to improve their skill set in salmon fishing, and fishing in general.
Steelhead & Salmon Drift Fishing, By Bill Herzog
To finish this concise guide of salmon books, we bring to you a title by Bill Herzog. This book has received a lot of praise from both seasoned and novice fishers alike, which is impressive considering that the book is under 50 pages long. Despite its extremely short length, this 2016 release title covers knotting and lines, checklist for your gear, how to read the water and its currents, and so much more. This is a little pamphlet of information, yet it crams a lot in, and all in a concise, accessible way.
Conclusion
Your experience in fishing, be that salmon or other, shouldn’t hold you back from learning more about the subject. The above collection of publications, coming from a range of experienced authors from around the world, delivers easy to read insights into how to improve your skills, while also detailing how to remain safe while doing so. What is more, some of them go beyond fishing and look at how to serve you catches, meaning you can take your hobby to the next level.