I was an average surf caster,until I bought an old copy of John Holden's book Long Distance Casting. I studied that method, but couldn't get the hang of it. Then came Ron Arra and Curt Garfield's Ultimate Guide to Surfcasting. One can make the analogy between the Wright brothers airplane and a modern aircraft with the Holden book and the Arra-Garfield product.Ron Arra goes into great detail about position, form,and posture,all necessary to achieve significantly greater casting distance.He also recommends rods and reels which I have found to be the best one can obtain. Aside from these considerations, the book is as easy as it is enjoyable to read. The Ultimate Guide to Surfcasting
Hopefully, Ron Arra will write another book with more competent guidance. He is a great surfcaster and fisherman, but there are problems with this disappointing book. The main shortcoming is dreadful illustration -- the pictures reproduced on cheap paper are photographed from the wrong perspective with the wrong lighting. The drawings are sparse. You simply cannot see the fishing rod and line position that are the subjects and purpose of the illustrations. Because the book is billed as "Complete Instructions for Longer Casting..." you would expect an A-B-C guide to surfcasting. Other useful information may be ferreted out of what reads more like edited taped interviews of fishing advice and yarns illustrating how to fish. That is not all bad -- you may learn a few tricks as you re-read this opposite-of-a-textbook. If one looks beyond the sparse drawings and bad pictures, one can garner some good tips that may come in handy. Two things learned from reading the book over and over, trying to absorb the wisdom therein: you can cast very far if you know what you are doing, and the Eastern Seaboard has some great surf fishing. I am in in the Pacific Northwest where surf fishing mostly results in tasty perch. I was hoping I might find some wisdom that would reveal there are bigger fish that prey on those perch in that very same surf. This is an East Coast book that needs serious revision. This is a little weird as Lamiglas in Western Washington State makes a terrific line of Ron Arra rods. They need to buy him a Washington fishing license and finance a few months of surf fishing research. I believe there is a hidden fishery that Ron Arra could uncover.
Reading the reviews before I received the book, I had plans of returning it unopened. Well curiosity got to me and I opened it and read quickly through it. #1 the print and pictures are too small. #2 the pictures are in black and white . #3..the book appears to be written in the 1950's. Read all the reviews here..and you'll know what you are getting!....The only plus thing is the reduction in the price..I would say the 12.00 price from amazon saves this purchase from being a total disaster. Don't get expressed shipping since it will make the total purchase price 23.00 which is too much for this book..
The Ultimate Guide to Surfcasting is a WINNER!It is very informative and covers all aspects of surfcasting and much more! The illustrations and step-by-step photographs are extremely helpful and the Tips chapter is priceless. I also find the Stan Gibbs: Still the Master, Tune Up for More Distance, Taking Care of Your Gear and Yourself chapters good read and refreshing!This is probably one of the best fishing books I've read in a long time and I highly recommend it for those who thinks know it all! Thank you Ron Arra and Curt Garfield for their dedication and knowledge sharing.CONGRATULATIONS and GOOD FISHING!Alberto Knieaka: "Crazy" Alberto
I am always searching for something, anything that will allow me to improve my techniques when it comes to fishing, I found it with this book. This book helped me to understand and build stronger casting techniques and now I feel a lot more comfortable surfcasting. I also had a lot of questions on what gear to use and this book includes a section with excellent examples of gear choices and how to set them and a real eye opener on how to tune your reels to keep their performance smooth.The knowlege that Ron Arra has shared in this book will definitely increase your confidence and distance in the surf. Thank you Ron Arra and Curt Garfield for taking the time to introduce this great piece of work into the sportsmans world!
Ron Arra and Curt Garfield have teamed up to put everything you need to know about surfcasting in to this short and tightly written book. It has improved my ability to reach out and connect with striped bass and blue fish. I bought my copy last winter and will be buying two more as stocking stuffers for my sons. Both like to fish, but never have tried surf fishing. I'm a contributing editor for Nor'east Saltwater Magazine and read just about everything published on saltwater fishing on the east coast of the US. This book is outstanding! The first five chapters alone are worth the price of admission.Bob Creeden, Athens, NY
As an avid surfcaster, this is a very informative book for both the novice and seasoned veteran, especially if you are interested in improving your overall casting distance. The illustrations detail different methods of attaining distance to where you can reach the fish. The book also tells you about how to set up your gear for this type of casting and how to maintain it so that it is working properly. I found it to be easy reading not technical to the point where it slowed you down, and with the soft cover version, you can take it down to the beach while you pratice, to make sure that you are doing everything in proper order so that you can get the distance you desire. Overall I felt this book to be outstanding and a must for every surf fishermans library.
The Ultimate Guide to Surfcasting contains chapters on techniques, equipment, rigging, fly casting for distance, proper presentation of lures and baits, a chapter on Stan Gibbs and "Starting youngsters off right" just to name a few. Mr. Arra covered all the bases with this one. I couldn't recommend this book more!!!Every surfcaster should read this book due to its great information on many important aspects that are needed be a better fisherman. The Ultimate Guide to Surfcasting is bound to be an instant classic. - Fly Fishing - Surfcasting - Fishing'
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