This is not a ‘how to’ book, it is about the authors own philosophy of fishing. Bob Wyatt quotes from a number of other authors and there is an impressive bibliography at the back of the book. This book is a discussion of various aspects of the sport; I particularly enjoyed the chapter on flies and the primacy of presentation over the faithful imitation of the natural.
It is not necessary to agree with all his ideas in order to enjoy the book. I found it well written with plenty of the personal anecdotes that have shaped his style of fishing.

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[I]"The fish and I were both stunned and disbelieving to find ourselves connected by a line." William Humphrey in "The Armchair Angler"[/I]

I recently purchased this book; not read all of it yet! But, what I've read so far, I've enjoyed!

It is certainly popular, whether it fits the Trout Bum style I don't know I've avoided all those.

I do have the Wyatt book, which, I personally found profoundly irritating.

For me it is the best trout fishing book in recent years.

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“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

I too enjoyed the book and found it informative and entertaining. Wyatts DHE is both easy to tie and was my go-to fly for smaller faster rivers last year.

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All good things come by grace, grace comes by art and art does not come easy.
Norman Maclean

illuminating book, one of the best bits of fishing advice available without pandering to premisconception or tradition.

I must buy this book. I've met Bob in NZ a couple of times. A nice guy by all accounts. I'm sure it will be a good read..

Cheers
JJ

I share the majority view of really enjoying this book, it's insight into so-called "selective trout", the general fishing advice, and the philosophy and stories in it. Agree that his DHE is an excellent fly, I had a great day with it on the River Piddle last year.

If we are going to be critical, just occasionally Bob can seem a little harsh on those of us who have no choice other than to fish for stocked trout a lot of the time - I hope he knows how lucky he has been with the amount of access he's had to great wild trout fishing in Canada, Scotland, Ireland and NZ for many years.

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"In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria." - German proverb
JH based near Southampton

I don't see what is wrong in choosing to fish for stocked trout.

I have had the book for a couple of years and didn't really get it on first read but having read it again on a snowy week in the Lake District over Easter, I have changed my mind. It's a good mix of narrative and theory and some really good fly tying tips, particularly his theory on artificals largely being mistaken for emergers rather than duns.

My only criticisms are that some of the text is very badly edited and a theory advanced at the top of the page is repeated verabtim further down the same page, without reason. That said, this is a minor quibble for what is a very good book.