# Carl Richards



## flyfishinchristian (Oct 5, 2006)

Another article I read this past week was on the back page of Fly Fisherman magazine. It was about Carl Richards who I did not know very much about.

I see there was a post here on the forum when he passed away last year (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140512&highlight=Carl+Richards).

I am very glad I read this article because it explained how Richards and Doug Swisher met up in Michigan and the spoke of the many hours of research he poured into creating the best flies possible (the no-hackle fly being the most discussed in the article). I didn't realize they did most of their research right here in Michigan and finally published the information inthe book "Selective Trout" after Joe Brooks convinced them that the no-hackle fly was a breakthrough.

Again, this is another good article worth picking up and reading, especially for Fly Fishing Michiganders. I don't think the article is available online, but Fly Fisherman is the biggest fly fishing magazine out there and should be easy to find.


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## Dave (Mar 31, 2000)

I took my first fly tying class from him back in the late 60's at the Grand Rapids WMCA.I really learned a lot for him. He was a Dentist and used the scientific names of all the bugs we tied, so most of the time we didn't what bug he was talking about. If I remember right they did a lot of research on the Rogue and Muskegon River North of Grand Rapids. I think that his office was on 4 mile road just East of Alpine about where Wall-Greens. I still refer to his books from time to time. He will be missed.


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## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

Selective Trout (along with Hatches I & II) are two of the fly tying bibles when talking entymology. Great resources for your desk. If you don't have them on your bench put them on your Christmas list.


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## Pork Chop (Jan 21, 2003)

Dave said:


> I took my first fly tying class from him back in the late 60's at the Grand Rapids WMCA.I really learned a lot for him. He was a Dentist and used the scientific names of all the bugs we tied, so most of the time we didn't what bug he was talking about. If I remember right they did a lot of research on the Rogue and Muskegon River North of Grand Rapids. .


Carl actually wrote and self published a book/booklet on the hatches of the Muskegon River. In the first edition, he hand pasted the pictures of the bugs he discussed,

He used to fish the stretch of the Muskegon in front of my house quite often. I can't say I was a friend of his, but I did very much admire his knowledge.


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## Black Ghost (Jul 3, 2002)

I bought the Richards & Swisher book - Selective Trout in a Madison Avenue - NYC book store in probably 1976 when I was working in the city. For $ 5.95 which I still have not knowing what a classic FF book I had bought. Then I was transferred from NYC to South Bend, IN in 1979 and started fishing Michigan rivers. I met Mr. Richards up on the PM while steelheading in the early 1980s. The book remains a great reference today mine has a copy right of 1971 so I guess its the first printing of it.



BG


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