Trout Foods & Flies For
Livingston's Spring Creeks

March 1, 2022

Second Print & Completely Revised Edition is released!!

Since December 2021, I've been working very hard to get things together for the second print. Now it's aesthetically satisfying - book format, bound, color printing, and enhanced photos. The contents are doubled!! - filled with the previous and NEW materials. Flies and insects are still the main topic of the book however, more reading materials have been added, including some of my guiding and technical aspects.

As 2020 marked the 10th guide season, I introduced my own self-published book, the first edition, with pride and confidence.

There are a couple of reasons and background stories for the development of this project. There may be a few books that help spring creek anglers, regarding techniques and likely situations. There have been many articles discussing certain certain seasons or hatches. However, there's NONE, within my knowledge, that focuses and discusses all the insects = trout food sources = in the spring creeks. One technique book or a magazine article may discuss PMD hatches but there are other mayflies in the creeks. How about midges? How about aquatic organisms? Then, when are they available? How do they look like? Some experienced anglers who visit particular periods of the year repeatedly would know what to expect and which flies to use. However, I have guided all levels of anglers and there are many other anglers with various individual levels who come to fish the creeks any time of the year. "What's hatching?" and "what flies are working?" must be the two most common sentences spoken after greeting words. Besides I've been working for my clients at creeks, I've been trying to be helpful and informative at my blogs, online articles, and YouTube (tying instructions and how to use those flies). And I've been photographing and posting those pictures.

Then I suddenly realized I have accumulated so many numbers of informative and unique pictures of insects that have been collected by kick-seines, air-screens, and stomach-pumps. Based on those I have been developing truly imitative and effective flies. One media is not simply enough or capable to summarize. This was the formation of the book project.

In early summer of 2019, before my guide season really kicked off, I was frantically working on the web service to make a photo book. For what? I just wanted to see where it would go. It looked OK. I came up with the first ever compilation of all: insects-flies-materials all in one media. I ordered a dozen copies with my own cost and gifted to some people I work with on creeks. Knowing each other and working together, I knew they wouldn't flatter but give me their honest opinions and critiques. Their reviews were very positive and encouraging. One of them told me "someone should have done this long time ago".

This book will never meant to be "revealing secrets" sort of. Words and pictures are based on stream observations that others may come up with also if they spend on creeks for countless hours. The book discusses some techniques, tips, and information other than insects or flies. But this is not a "how-to-fish" book either. At spring creeks, each day can offer a different situation and call for various techniques. How to figure out the situations and to get trout are totally up to anglers. I recommend every one to visit creeks as many as time allows. And ideally with a "teaching guide" who specializes in spring creeks and can explain situations and techniques.

Above being said, this is NOT an Entomology book per se. This book does NOT deal with Latin names = scientific names or classifications. It's meant to be practical, filled with words spoken by spring creek anglers and guides.

Again, this is the first ever compilation of insects-flies-materials all in one place that no other books or authors have done. It means a lot to me. Then scoping back my picture folders, I realized 2020 marks my 10th guide season and I spent so many days on spring creeks. Indeed this can be the summary of my decade of guiding.

Each copy will be autographed and dated.

I only printed limited number of copies.

If it sells and I feel demands, I may consider the next batch. But either way, I know I won't make billions. I just sincerely hope this book will help all levels of anglers on spring creeks.

Faithfully Yours,

Satoshi Yamamoto, Montana Outfitter & Guide

Online Store

Special Order

Theme was to align flies by the group or characteristics (duns, emerger, caddis, terrestrials, and so forth). Then I mounted them as in the fly box with cork strips.

This was a custom order based on one customer's request. Depending on the number of flies, the mat opening for the flies, on the right, will be different. Also this customer wanted the list of fly names in the matching fashion on the left (lid side). Also potentially inserted can be a photo (yours or mine), a drawing, a map, and so forth.

I was thinking of this, as I did with the Past Master's Treasure, but as a near future project. Then a request came in from a customer. I pondered the idea a while and worked on it. As I discussed the ideas and requests with the customer, I found it very doable and became confident that it would turn out very well.

Yes, the hardcover boxed edition with the fly patterns from the book (your choice of patterns and numbers) mounted inside, is available by a made-to-order basis.

Lead time: One month. Longer during the summer months in which I'm busy guiding.
Fly patterns: Any flies from the second edition.
Fly sizes: For this project, even midge patterns which are typically size 20 and smaller, I prefer to tie size 16 or larger so it will show better and the ease of mounting.
Number of flies: Your choice & request, which will interact with price, mat cutting, and potentially lead time.
Base price: $200 including shipping (within USA. Extra charge for the international shipping). Up to 10 flies.
Each additional flies beyond 10 patterns will be from $5 to $10 per fly. This is because I will spend more time and concentration than the commercial tying. Besides, tying one single trout fly and moving to the next single fly are very time consuming, really.