Author: Malcolm Knopp and Robert Cormier, illustrated by Rober Cormier, Froward by Gary LaFontaine

Publisher/Date: Lyons Press, 1997

Format/Condition: New oversized softcover in fine condition. 366 pages, profusely illustrated with b/w line drawings and 4 pages of color plates.

Description: Mayflies will do for the angler’s understanding of mayfly life cycles, feeding habits, and behavior what Gary LaFontaine’s Caddisflies did for caddisflies. It leaps over the old reliable compendia on mayflies to include all the new information that anglers and professional entomologists have discovered in the past ten years. Mayflies is so thorough and so accurate that it will stand as the modern blueprint for anglers trying to master this diverse, prolific family of aquatic insects.

The crisp, concise text backed by an amazing body of research, the painstakingly accurate illustrations, and the flawlessly tied flies manage to make the vast compendium of information in this volume accessible. Those who read and study this book are going to be more effective when they hit their favorite streams next season.

In addition to the detailed coverage of North American mayflies, the most effective patterns for imitating these insects are provided. The volume also includes scientific and common names of mayflies, hatch charts for most of North America, a mayfly identification key, a glossary of entomological terms, and a taxonomic index.