In a world of fly fishing literature where peolpe obsess over the number of joints in a mayfly nymph's tarsus, this book stands head and shoulders abouve the crowds. Why? Because it actually presents useful, relevant, and easy to use information on the basics of aquatic insects that are important as trout food. Dave Hughes presents excellent summaries of the life stages of all these insects from nymph or larva through pupa, dun, and spinner. He presents the very best patterns in the most useful sizes and colors. This is GREAT for those of us who'd rather spend time off the water filling up fly boxes with simple to tie, reliable patterns than tying knots in hackle barbs to mimic every little joint of a midge's toes. Using Hughes's book, it's easy to very quickly get a handle on the most important patterns to have to cover 95% of the hatches you'll experience on the water. I bought this book many years ago, but I still use it as a reference since it is truly timeless. Best of all, Hughes has a relaxed, entertaiing writing style that makes it a pleasure to read. This boko is an excellent addition to anyone's angling library!