Ralph Cutter has done something not a lot of other people have - he's spent an awful lot of time underwater observing the insects and other creatures trout like to eat. A lot of us pay attention on the water to the various foodstuffs available to our quarry, picking up rocks to see what's there, keeping an eye out for anything hatching and similar. While it certainly helps, it doesn't really give the full picture. We don't see how what we are looking at out of the water actually looks when it's down under the water. Fish Food helps to shed some light on the watery underworld.

Fish Food is split into two parts. The first, entitled "Know Your Ingredients", starts off with some basic information about insects, and goes on to describe some of the common features of juvenile and adult bugs. There is a chapter on taxonomy, how living things are classified and grouped. Like all the material in the book which is a little more technical, Ralph puts this across in a very approachable way that anyone should be able to grasp. In this chapter there is also a quick guide to pronouncing Latin, so at your next piscatorial gathering you can correctly pronounce "chironomid" rather than just saying "midge" or "buzzer". Whether you choose to do so or not is left entirely to you…

The remainder of the first part covers a few different topics. There is a chapter on keeping insects in tanks for closer observation, something I can say from my own experience is fascinating, if you're that way inclined. There are discussions on how trout perceive flies, in terms of colour and size. There is a quick chapter on how trout can survive in some unexpected places, and then a chapter called "All That Glitters" which is one of the most interesting in the book. I won't say what it describes, but suffice to say it forms the cornerstone of what Ralph has observed and the approach he takes to fishing.

The second part of the book is "The Menu" and describes about 30 different types of insects, fish and animals that find their unfortunate way inside trout. It's hard to think of something which isn't covered. The insectivorous chapters talk about mayflies, caddis, toebiters/hellgrammites, midges, water boatmen, butterflies, craneflies, stoneflies, damselflies, hoppers, ants and more. All I can think that are missing are dragonflies (mentioned in passing) and beetles in general. There are chapters on baitfish, leeches, scuds, frogs and crayfish. Some of the chapters are quite short, but always interesting.

Although Fish Food does focus on North American critters, and probably mainly Western US ones at that, I imagine most of what is under discussion would apply equally wherever trout are to be found. I live in New Zealand, and with the possible exception of scuds and threadfin shad, I can relate most of what I've gleaned from the book to things which are found here.

What sets Fish Food apart from other similar books is that Ralph is describing things in their natural environment (aside from unlucky exceptions like mice), under the water. This leads to some fascinating insights into the behaviour and appearance of both the insects we try to imitate and the fish we try to catch. A lot of books can show us nymphs in glasses or lined up neatly in a row, along with descriptions of them, but few can really share with us what's going on down there.

Fish Food is not the book for you if you want a list of flies and tying recipes to imitate all the creatures described. Ralph seems to use mainly one nymph, the Birds Nest, and makes it work in a wide variety of circumstances. It is described in one chapter, along with some other flies he uses. The book does have a lot of valuable advice on presentation, fishing techniques and the appearance of flies from a fish's eye view. After reading the book you may look askance at some of your midge and snail flies; thoughtfully hold that heavily weighted stonefly nymph on your palm and reconsider trying to get that damsel pattern to swim enticingly.

Ralph writes in a very friendly and approachable way, with a lot of humour, but never annoying. One chapter in particular had me laughing out loud. He doesn't shy away from using more technical terms where appropriate, but always in a non-intimidating way. He never diverges too far from what is under discussion, and has a down-to-earth and practical approach. For a book which at its heart is a technical discourse on what fish eat, it's quite a page turner.

Fish Food is largely a compilation of columns from the California Fly Fisher magazine. It seems like some of the material at the beginning and the end could be new. If, like me, you have never set eyes on California Fly Fisher then this won't bother you at all. If you have all the issues and have read the columns already, then this book does collect things together all in one place. As this is a compilation there are a few things which are repeated, sometimes quite often. They will stand out to you after a while, but they are at least things worth knowing. Ralph does acknowledge this in the preface. One of the benefits of this being a collection of separate articles is that you can dip into the book anywhere to read a chapter or two, without feeling like you're missing something.

Most of the 39 chapters have at least one colour photo accompanying the text. The photos are almost invariably very clear. There are also a lot of nice black and white illustrations throughout the book, drawn by Lisa Cutter, Ralph's wife. Fish Food is a very well put together book. The paper is good quality and glossy, and the photos and illustrations are nicely reproduced. It has a pretty good index.

Ralph and Lisa Cutter have also put together an excellent DVD called "Bugs of the Underworld" which really brings to life what is discussed in the book. You can read Eric's review of it here.

Fish Food will make you reconsider what you thought you knew about the things you're trying to get trout to eat, and in some cases how you go about it. Ralph has a unique perspective on both of these topics, and isn't bound by tradition. I haven't come across another book quite like it. It's one of my favourite fishing books.

Reviewed by Jo Meder
Nov 07

Book details, as reviewed:
Fish Food
Published in 2005 by Stackpole Books
ISBN 0-8117-3219-3
RRP $19.95 USD