Most fly fishers and fly tiers seem to develop an interest in building a library, at least a small one, which will serve as a reference source as well as a place in which to escape when the fishing or the weather isn't cooperating.

With the proliferation of books in the market place over the past ten years is isn't hard to invest a substantial sum of money to build a library of current works. There is an axiom which holds that the more shelf space available in the home the more books will appear on them over a period of time. Many fly fishers and tiers also increase their libraries by purchasing books from a bygone era for collection and investment purposes. This also gives them a way to expand their base of knowledge with which to provide a better understanding of today's angling and tying.

Several years ago a fellow angler and tier told me about a store in Ann Arbor, Michigan that had a good assortment of both new and used fly fishing and fly tying books. Among the used book offerings were some which could be classified as rare collectibles. Because of a tight time schedule it was close to a year before I finally made the 50 mile trip to visit this emporium of fly fishing literature.

The store was located across the street from the University of Michigan campus in a building that was over 100 years old. The interior of the store sported well-worn wooden plank floors that creaked when I trod upon them adding to the atmosphere of a repository of old and rare books. I wasn't disappointed in what I found. The shop housed at least 400 books on fly fishing and tying--the mix of new and used books was quite amazing. Some titles were familiar to me whereas others I had never seen before.

In addition to the books there were several classic Atlantic salmon flies mounted under glass domes on a few shelves behind the counter which hinted that the. owner possesed more than a passing interest in fly fishing.

Since my visit to the store in early 1991, the proprietor, Kevin Sheets has since decided to close the shop in order to devote more time to reading, research and bibliographic work. Fortunately, he still maintains his dedication to making available fly fishing, tying and rare Americana books and maps through a mail-order catalogue. Kevin obtains these books by purchasing estate libraries and from other dealers. Although his emphasis is on literature he does include a good number of "how to" books.

The oldest title he has ever sold was a first edition of Charles Cotten's The Complete Angler (1676) which went for $1000.00. The highest priced book he had in stock was The American Angler which sold for $6500.00. During a recent interview with Kevin he mentioned that there were over 500 editions of The Complete Angler published.

Kevin continues to obtain old and rare books on a regular basis. Atlantic salmon books tend to sell much quicker than books on trout or other fishing interests. He advises those who receive his catalogue not to delay in contacting him for a particular book. He can advise you on how difficult a particular title may be to locate as well as its price range. He also provides a search service.