Book Review: GT – A Flyfisher’s Guide to Giant Trevally by Peter McLeod

Let’s start by calling it like it is. There’s no shortage of mediocre fly fishing books out there, and more often than not, new titles mirror books that have already been written. Unfortunately, books that take on a new subject and do so well are few and far between. Fortunately for all of us, the new book GT: A Flyfisher’s Guide to Giant Trevally, by Peter McLeod, breaks the mold of mediocrity and sets a high standard for what a fly fishing book ought to be.

Peter McLeod is a well-traveled angler who has fished over 60 locations and 20 countries, many of which multiple times. Over the course of his travels, McLeod acquired an obsession with giant trevally, and it is clear that his obsession has led to expertise. And this expertise is what makes his new book a resource that is jam-packed with informative content about every conceivable aspect of GTs.

GT: A Flyfisher’s Guide to Giant Trevally is a treasure chest of information about giant trevally. While there is much still to learn about many of our most prized saltwater species, from giant trevally to tarpon, McLeod shows us in the book that he is on the forefront of what is out there when it comes to this fish. And McLeod leaves no topic untouched. From the distribution of the specie to the history of fly fishing for giant trevally, including the dates destinations were explored to new locations on the horizon to evolution of the pursuit, this book as it all.

With some topics, McLeod recognizes his limitations and relies on experts, including marine biologists, to tackle such subjects as the biology of giant trevally. And because of this recognition, the book reaches the highest level possible. For example, biological aspects of the fish examine the broad, such as color and behavior, to the minute, such as the characteristics of the teeth of the specie. When it comes to the destinations where GTs can be fish for, McLeod gives a nod to other expert anglers who have a reputation at those destinations by having them write about those locations. For example, Jako Lucas, Keith Rose-Innes, and Gerhard Laubscher take on areas of the Seychelles, while Tim Pask writes about Christmas Island and Mike Hennessy details giant trevally fly fishing in Hawaii.

From the diet of the fish to tides to gear, GT: A Flyfisher’s Guide to Giant Trevally is an in-depth, comprehensive contribution to the pursuit that fills a void. Did you know cycling shorts are a critical piece of gear on the flats? Such attention to every plausible aspect of fly fishing for giant trevally is covered in this book. Not only is GT: A Flyfisher’s Guide to Giant Trevallythe first book on the subject, it will remain unparalleled and the resource for decades to come.

GT: A Flyfisher’s Guide to Giant Trevallyis 224 pages and is rich with outstanding images. The book is available now in hardback. To check out more about GT: A Flyfisher’s Guide to Giant Trevally, please click here.

– Tim Harden

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