Fly fishing literature is often deeply reflective, metaphoric, and riddled with fishing stories from anglers searching for deeper meaning. While this style of writing has created many masterpieces, it can leave new anglers wondering what fly fishing is all about. Recently, Steven Weinberg, artist and author, set out to change this with his latest work, The Fly Fishing Book: An Artful Guide to Angling. When we got a glimpse of this incredible book, blending fly-fishing history, how-to, and illustrations, we had to know more. Follow along as we sit down with Steven Weinberg, and dive into his work, career, and passion for fly fishing in this cover reveal of The Fly Fishing Book.
Flylords: Who are you, where are you from, and when did you start fly fishing?
Hi! I’m Steven Weinberg. I live in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. I’ve been fishing since I was casting worms off a dock as a kid, but my life as a fly angler really got going twelve years ago. That’s when my wife and I moved up from Brooklyn to open our spot, The Spruceton Inn: a Catskills Bed & Bar. We’re right on a quiet little creek filled with brookies and browns. When it’s on, or seems anywhere close to it, I’m fishing every day.
When I’m not on the creek or helping run the inn, I’m an artist, and I write and illustrate books. My art’s featured everywhere from the Smithsonian to my neighbor West Kill Brewing’s Brookie and Kaaterskill beer cans, to fishing lodges like Heidarvatn and The South Fork Lodge. I’ve written and/or illustrated over 15 books for kids that have won awards and been on best books lists by folks like the NY Times. The Fly Fishing Book: An Artful Guide to Angling is my first book for adults, and my first foray into the wide world of angling writing. I couldn’t be more excited!
Flylords: Can you tell us a little bit about your journey into art?
I love being outside, and I love painting. For a lot of folks, those two things would cancel each other out, but I guess I just like making things difficult. I studied art in college and was the student who insisted on doing stuff like an independent study, spent time cross-country skiing, and painting watercolor landscapes on the coast of Maine, all in January. (Pro-tip, a bit of vodka added to water is a good anti-freeze! Though it dulls the colors a bit.)
From college through my early thirties, I definitely felt pulled in many directions artistically. But when I moved up to the Catskills, something clicked. I was surrounded by mountains too stunning not to paint. And a creek I could fish as much as humanly possible. So that’s what I paint now, or spend time scouting out, looking for future things to paint.
Flylords: How has fly fishing inspired your artwork?
On a technical level, watercolor painting is really similar to fly fishing.
You need to mix your colors. (Choose your fly.) Read the painting’s surface and how the paint will mix. (Read the water and currents.) Load up the brush just the right way and paint. (Cast.) And then, you know, constantly make tiny adjustments that come together but don’t ruin every other step. (Mend.) And then repeat… sound familiar?
But on a wider level, what I love about fly fishing is that it’s given me endless subject matter. Every time I paint a fish or a creek, I know it’s also the story of a day, or a whole trip, or just one perfect cast. And then when I share it with the fly fishing community, it means so much that they all get that too! I can’t say enough times how lucky I feel to be working as an artist in this world.
Flylords: How would you describe your style as an artist?
Stubborn?
Haha, by that I mean I try to do a lot. In The Fly Fishing Book, I’m combining two of my artistic mindsets: the more cartoony-diagramy-drawing side of my brain and the fine arts one. I’m a firm believer that they’re not mutually exclusive. In other words, I firmly believe a book can (and should!) have paintings inspired by Winslow Homer and Édouard Manet with doodles inspired by The Curtis Creek Manifesto and Bill Watterson. Why not?
Flylords: What impact has the rich history of the Catskills had on your angling and art journey?
I feel so lucky to be part of it!
My angling mentor (who I feature in my book) is now-retired guide Judd Weisberg. He learned from the one and only Art Flick (author of The Streamside Guide), who used to live just down the road from me and also owned a small inn. From Mr. Flick, it’s not a huge leap to Theodore Gordon, and then I mean, that’s American Fly Fishing right there. That’s not to say check out my pedigree so much as that’s how it is, fly fishing in the Catskills. I am not alone as someone who learned from someone brilliant, who learned from someone brilliant, and so on.
What this taught me is it’s our job to pass this along. Because that’s kinda the knock on fly fishing sometimes, right? The gatekeepers are snobs. There’s too much to learn! It’s too complicated! And, I mean, haha, occasionally, and yes, and yes.
But also, it’s just about putting a fly in the water and being outside. We want people to share this with us! Then, the next thing we know, they’re suddenly really concerned about stuff like conservation, or they’re helping fund institutions like The Catskill Fly Fishing Museum, or they’re simply a happier person because they’ve found a way to quiet down their mind. To me, these are all very good things.
Flylords: Your new book, The Fly Fishing Book: An Artful Guide to Angling, combines angling tips with incredible artwork. What inspired you to create this incredible book?
First off, THANK YOU!
The history above is for sure, but also the time at my inn. I’m not a guide (though I love guides—thank you for everything you’ve taught me over the years!), but a lot of guests end up asking me about fly fishing. You know, they’re on vacation in the birthplace of American fly fishing, and they’re curious—and intimidated.
My job has been to explain the basics. Make it seem like the fun time it is. And then get them on the water. A lot of the book is an illustrated version of the onboarding talk I’ve given hundreds or maybe even thousands of times.
So that was one part. The other, as funny as this sounds, is kids’ books. I’ve learned from my kids’ books experiences (especially with my most recent What Is Color?) that I love to break down complicated things into manageable, funny steps. The perk about writing for grown-ups in The Fly Fishing Book is that I get to go a little deeper and use some bigger words. (I did think the other perk was that I was going to be able to drop F bombs every other sentence, but my editor not-so-subtly suggested that might turn off some adult readers. What the f*ck!?)
Flylords: We noticed the cover and a lot of your artwork features brook trout. What significance does the brookie have to you?
Oh man, the brookie is everything to me about fly fishing.
Blue-lining the highest of the high Catskill tribs on days where I caught brookie after brookie after brookie is where I think I learned how to do this. And it’s pretty much how I look at every stream now, from Idaho to Iceland, just scaled differently. So… What do they say? You never forget your first? Also, how can you beat those colors? Especially now in October. I’m having a hard time staying in my studio to write this because I desperately want to check out their fall patterns.
Flylords: Over the years, your artwork has appeared in some incredible places, like Thomas McGuane’s The Longest Silence. What does it mean to now have your own fly fishing book, complete with your artwork and writing?
It’s a real honor. Truly just that.
One of the strengths of the fly fishing community is that there are so many folks with so much to share. And we’re also so damn friendly. Tom Rosenbauer, Joan Wulff, David Coggins… you know these are not people who need to email back an artist in the Catskills with the audacity of saying he was going to make an illustrated guide to fly fishing, but they all did!
Even McGuane let me put in his drink of choice at the end of the book. (Vernors Ginger Ale!) I’ll always treasure the non-blurb he gave me when I sent him an advanced copy a few months ago. He replied, “I’ve stopped blurbs even for people who deserve them. When you’re 85, you’ll understand.”
Flylords: When will the book hit the shelves, and where can people find it?
Excellent question!
You can pre-order it here. It publishes May 5th and will be available anywhere books are sold—especially in fly shops! Oh, what’s that? You own a fly shop or outdoors store, or know someone who does?? I’ve done in-person live painting events everywhere from the brewery down the road to the Filson’s flagship store in Manhattan, and I would LOVE to sign books and paint brookies in your shop! You can reach me via my website, stevenweinbergstudio.com. I also have original art and prints available there as well.
Flylords: Is there anything we didn’t touch on that you’d like to?
For anything else, please hit me up on Instagram at @steven_draws. That’s where I post new paintings and let folks know where I’ll be doing book/painting events in 2026.
Thanks! Great article!