The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing - by Marc Fryt (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A one-of-a-kind guide that reveals the accessibility, affordability, community, and unique adventures that urban waters offer.

While city dwellers often turn to hiking, biking, or simply enjoying a local park as healthy pastimes that don't come with high costs or distant travel, one rewarding pursuit remains largely untapped in urban environments: fly fishing. For over a thousand years, fly fishing has been more than a method of harvesting food; it's a source of immense joy, a pathway to understanding nature intimately, and a tradition that connects us to water and wildlife. But why should this enriching experience be confined to remote waters and rural landscapes? Why can't we cast a line right in the heart of our cities?

This book shatters the stigmas and preconceptions--elitism, exclusivity, and notions of purity--that have kept fly fishing from thriving in urban settings, revealing how the sport is truly accessible to all. It introduces angling knowledge within the unique ecosystems that cities offer, ecosystems that have evolved dramatically over the past 150 years. More than just a how-to, The Guide to Urban Fly-Fishing provides the tools, resources, and diverse stories to help us discover the vibrant community and joy of urban fly fishing. It's also about joining a broader ecological movement that's redefining how we live, relate, and recreate in our cities.

This book answers both the why and how questions of urban fly fishing. Why fish in your city? Because of the accessibility, affordability, community, and unique adventures that urban waters offer. A fishing rod transforms city landscapes into engaging playgrounds, turning anglers from mere observers into active participants. Why fly fishing in particular? This method of fishing is highly versatile and effective for the diverse ecosystems found in urban areas. This book serves as the first comprehensive urban guide for those new to fly fishing in general, as well as for anglers who have yet to explore urban waters. It's filled with practical insights, tips, and uplifting stories from experienced urban anglers from several cities, including Los Angeles, Denver, Minneapolis, Boston, New York City, and Columbus. It provides readers with the resources and inspiration to explore their city's waters, overcome challenges, and discover personal rewards and a sense of community.

Review Quotes

"A genuinely exciting book about getting on the water in the cities where most of us live. Thoughtful, thorough, and full of ideas to inspire you to get out of the office and into the game."
--David Coggins, author of The Optimist and The Believer

"Some thirty years ago, I wrote about the joys of fishing on New York's East River. Urban anglers turned out to be as fascinating as the wilderness fly fishers of Vermont or Montana. There's no better way to truly see a city than when you're carrying a 6-weight rod through its urban canyons. In this remarkable book, Marc Fryt ventures deep into that world, recognizing both the urgent need to preserve and expand nearby nature and the joy to be found there."
--Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods and Fly-Fishing for Sharks

"Marc Fryt's The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing is an important and inspiring read. It brilliantly connects city dwellers with the vital waters in their own backyards, sparking a powerful appreciation and a fierce commitment to clean water advocacy. The book underscores the importance of protecting these vital resources by beautifully illustrating how engaging with our local waters, even in urban settings, can make us happier, healthier, and more at peace. It's a practical blueprint for anyone looking to discover, enjoy, and care for the healthy waters that every community deserves. Marc's book has also really helped me level up my skills."
--Marc Yaggi, chief executive officer, Waterkeeper Alliance

"The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing is a powerful reminder that great fishing can be found right outside your back door. It offers a thoughtful blend of fishing fundamentals--covering gear, fish behavior, and reading water--while also diving deeper into the history of urban angling, local regulations, water quality, and the importance of community. I appreciate the clear layout, inclusive content, and its recognition of many wonderful fishing organizations. This guide truly reflects the accessibility, diversity, and connection that define what fly fishing should be."
--Heather Hodson, founder, iFishiBelong, United Women on the Fly, and Fly Fish Instruct

"Marc Fryt understands that the 'outdoors' isn't always some pristine wilderness . . . it's more likely a municipal park, public beach, or a river beneath a freeway."
--Ross Purnell, editor and publisher, Fly Fisherman magazine

"Equal parts instruction manual, fishing journal, philosophic treatise, and elegy to urban wilderness, The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing is to the modern city dweller what Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler was to the 'contemplative man' of the seventeenth century. . . . Marc Fryt has created a sort of bible for the inner-city fly fisher."
--Kirk Lombard, author of The Sea Forager's Guide to the Northern California Coast

"Marc Fryt knows that you don't have to launch a wilderness expedition to experience wildness. You can experience fly-fishing adventure in the heart of the city. This book will tell you all you need to know to get started. But it's more than a how-to guide. It's an eloquent celebration of the great fishing that can be found just a few blocks away."
--Matthew L. Miller, author of Fishing Through the Apocalypse

"Marc Fryt's book is an amazing resource for new and experienced fly fishers who want to explore waters closer to home. It provides instruction on how to fish any body of water in or near urban areas. The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing will be one of my top three book recommendations for students taking the fly-fishing course at Penn State."
--George Daniel, two-time US National Fly Fishing Champion; director, Joe Humphreys Fly Fishing Program at Penn State

"In an era marked by a growing loneliness epidemic and a widening disconnect from the natural world, The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing offers a clear pathway back to nature and each other, right in our own backyards. It challenges the outdated notion that fly fishing requires remote mountain streams, expensive gear, or exclusivity, instead celebrating the accessibility and vibrancy of inner-city waters accompanied by a deep sense of community. Urban fly fishing offers tangible mental, emotional, physical, and social benefits close to home. This book is a refreshing reminder that fly fishing is not only for everyone, but for everywhere."
--Lindsay Kocka, founder and facilitator, Wade Well: Fly Fishing and Functional Mobility

"Before reading The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing, clear your mind of any preconceptions about mountain streams and dry flies. Marc Fryt's thoroughly researched and fun-to-read guide to inner-city angling is miles away from A River Runs Through It. Instead, Fryt's book brings fly fishing to millions of city dwellers. A passionate angler and talented writer, Fryt not only shows us how to fish our downtown waterways but also illuminates why big-city waters are worth saving."
--Ric Burnley, editor, Kayak Angler

"The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing lowers the barriers to the sport, making it accessible to all, regardless of age, ability, race, class, or gender. Like all good guides, Marc Fryt, rather than handing you a line with a hooked fish, provides you with the tools you need and directs you toward waters that you can explore, experience, and discover on your own. Fryt fosters a new and rich relationship with our urban waters and the world around us."
--Dr. Greg Gordon, professor of environmental studies and science, Gonzaga University; editor, Rewilding the Urban Frontier

"Grab your rod and fly box. If you don't live close to a city, then also pack a bag and plan a trip to one close by. After reading The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing, you will be ready to run out the door to explore the local city pond or the river that runs through downtown. Marc shares fantastic insights, tips, and advice on how to approach these different bodies of water, along with stories from anglers across the country. Every city has a community out there and The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing shows you to how to get started on this journey and find yours."
--Katie Johnstone, fly-fishing guide; cofounder, Ohio Women on the Fly

About the Author

Marc Fryt, a US Army veteran, discovered fly fishing as a way to decompress and explore mountain rivers and streams during his military service as a helicopter pilot and operations officer. After leaving the service and moving to Columbus, Ohio, he took up urban fly fishing with the encouragement of local anglers and mentors. He is now an urban fly-fishing guide in Spokane, Washington State's second-largest city. He brings years of writing and photography experience, having been published in numerous fishing and hunting magazines such as The Drake, Flyfish Journal, Backcountry Journal, Fly Culture, Covers, Project Upland, Kayak Angler, and American Fly Fishing. He is skilled in researching complex, technical information and distilling abstract ideas into content that readers can easily understand. For this book, he has pulled together diverse voices among urban anglers from various cities, consulted experts in multiple fields, and conducted research into scientific studies and textbooks. He is passionate about helping readers learn the skills of urban fly fishing so they can experience the same joy.