I had heard about an angler named Ray Johnson who had entered the media spotlight by catching some incredibly large browns from Flaming Gorge throughtout the decade of the 70's and into the early 80's. His book, Big Trout! Catch and Release 20 LB. Trout, came out in 1980 and chronicled his adventures during the peak of the trophy brown trout fishery on this amazing body of water.

The book has been out of print for years but can still be found in some used book circles. It is an interesting read and I have been fortunate to befriend a few of the anglers who fished Flaming Gorge in that era and were mentioned in it.

I won't be reviewing that book but another that I think is truly the best book I have ever read on the subject of trophy trout. In 2002, Bernie Taylor published, Big Trout, How and Where to Target Trophies. The foreword is by John Randolph, the publisher of Fly Fisherman magazine.

It is truly full of insightful information that will improve most anglers ability to tackle and be successful at targeting trophy trout. With some great photos of large trout from variuos fisheries around the world, the illustrations by Ian Forbes help bring the whole book together as an excellent presentation about how to pursue the largest of these salmonides.

His chapter, Determine a Trout's Rhythm, covers light changes and the lunar cycles that illuminated the subject to a degree I had not previously considered . In the same chapter, he covers barometric pressure and its effect with interesting observations.

Though a lot of the book is pointed toward fly fishing, it has a wealth of information on the habits of trout, knot tying, and where to locate big trout waters with a great list of some of the best trophy trout fisheries in the world.

To me personally, this book is a great read and I still go back to refresh some of my insights from time to time. One thing is certain, Bernie Taylor truly loves the pursuit of trophy trout and that was evident throughout the book.

Rick