Striped bass, or simply “stripers,” are a premier saltwater sportfish that can grow to over 50 pounds and swim in giant schools that will churn the surface of the water to a froth as they feed on baitfish, creating heart-pumping, fast-paced fly fishing. Originally native to coastal Atlantic States and eastern Canada, they have also been introduced to the Pacific as well as many inland reservoirs and the rivers that flow into them, making stripers arguably the most accessible and popular saltwater species in North America. In this comprehensive guide, author John L. Field describes their behavior, foods they eat, the best flies and methods to imitate those foods, and where today’s angler stands the best chance of catching a trophy fish. Top guides, creative fly tiers, and marine biologists contribute their experience and expertise to this book.

John L. Field (fieldflyfishing.com) is a writer, photographer, and FFI (Fly Fishers International) Master Casting Instructor. He has decades of experience fly fishing the waters of the Florida Keys and Florida’s east coast and has spent hundreds of days fly fishing for striped bass in the Northeast from shore and from boats. He has written for Fly Fisherman magazine, In-Fisherman, North American Fisherman, Chevy Outdoors, and Canadian Sportfishing, among other publications. John is a popular presenter and casting demonstrator at fly-fishing shows and clubs. FFI awarded him the Jay Gammel Award for Fly Casting Instruction in 2019. John has served as president of the American Casting Association and president of the New York Chapter of Trout Unlimited and is the author of Fly-Casting Finesse and ACA’s Beginner’s Guide to Fly Casting. He lives in Weston, Connecticut.