With so many of us locked down by the coronavirus, I thought it good idea to look at some reading material. And in this case a blast from the past.
Today’s post is on Fishing the Flats, penned by Mark Sosin and Lefty Kreh in 1983. Published by Nick Lyons Books, it was distributed by Winchester Press, with an introduction by Frank Woolner and Henry Lyman. All illustrations are black & white. And it is 160 pages long.
I purchased a hardbound copy about the time of its release and eventually had it signed by both authors. This book was well ahead its time, however, and I doubt it was a commercial success. But I believe this book may still available in paperback. And you may find a hardbound copy from a sporting book dealer. Either way it is worth a read.
Fishing the Flats covers all types of gear including plug, spin and fly. So we get a nice cross-section of angling techniques. Now as you would expect, given the books age, the gear depicted is dated, offering us a look back at time when tackle was less sophisticated. For instance there are pictures of vintage fly reels such as an early direct-drive Seamaster, a Valentine, and a Garcia Diplomat. But there is still plenty of useful information on these pages on a wide variety of subjects.
You’ll find a good chapter on understanding tides and more specifically how they affect fish on a flat. Believe me every flat’s angler needs to know this stuff. There is also help finding fish in shallow water and a good read on how to spot fish including how to scan and recognizing signs. In addition the authors discuss how to 
approach a flat correctly and how to pole a boat. And last but no least, they offer advise on how to hook and land fish on a flat. So all in all while this book is long in the tooth it still has merit. I think you’ll enjoy it.
