Fly Fishing With Cotton
Fly Fishing With Cotton, is a planned 12-book series for the next generation of young fly fishers. Created by Trey Combs and his son Mark Cotton Combs. This series is based on real-life childhood experiences, these stories are a fun journey for any kid who has ever looked at a river and wanted to learn how to fly fish. Along the way, readers will learn about all aspects of fly fishing, fly tying, river geography, and the importance of taking care of our rivers.
These stories are not technical manuals; rather, think Diary of a Wimpy Kid observations with Homer Price nostalgia. Across the series, you’ll meet a memorable cast of characters that blend three generations of the Combs family with relatable childhood humor.
The Characters
Cotton: A ten-year-old fifth grader from Port Townsend, Washington, who is as quick with a "smart-ass" remark as he is eager to master the "feel" of a bamboo fly rod.
Trey Combs (Walter Vincent Combs III): A famous fly-fishing author and expert who balances his professional status with the patient, sometimes tearful pride of a father passing down a legacy.
Harry Cotton: Cotton's great-grandfather and an "old-school" angler who hates cell phones, hoards fishing magazines, and shares secret gummy clusters with his great-grandson.
Mom: The "food detective" who tries to fuel the family with "Green Power Pancakes" while secretly supporting Cotton's milestones.
Uncle Lenny: A relative who prefers his black Camaro and raiding the fridge to any fishing trip.
Gus Tackleberry: The highly technical fly shop owner and former marine biologist who provides a contrast to Trey’s straightforward style.
Ned Pickett: A gadget-obsessed publisher whose fishing gear looks like it belongs on a spaceship.
Tilly: Gus’s daughter and a formidable angler who makes Cotton’s new gear feel small.
Bob Plumber: The neighborhood rival who brags about easy lure fishing while Cotton struggles to learn to cast in the backyard.
Together, these characters—along with the "kings" of the river like General Horns the bighorn sheep and Spotimus Prime the Oregon Spotted Frog—create a world that is as much about the father-son connection and humor as it is about the art of fly fishing.
A Series Built for Families
Written for the 8-to-12-year-old reader but designed to be shared by the campfire, Fly Fishing With Cotton is the ultimate bridge to the outdoors. Whether a child is already tying their first Woolly Bugger or has never held a fly rod, these stories provide the inspiration and the "how-to" knowledge to start a lifelong passion for the water.
Available Now: Book 1 – Fly Fishing with Cotton: Redsides of the Deschutes
Available Exclusively on Amazon
In the series debut, ten-year-old Cotton trades the rainy streets of Port Townsend for the high desert canyons of Oregon. Armed with a brand-new 5-weight fly rod—a gift from his father, Trey, and his great-grandfather, Harry—Cotton quickly learns that the river is a much tougher teacher than a hula-hoop in the backyard.
While navigating the powerful currents of the Deschutes in a drift boat, Cotton sets his sights on the legendary Redsides:
The Toughest Trout: Redsides are a unique strain of desert rainbow trout known for the bright red stripe down their sides and their incredible fighting spirit.
The Art of the "Sip": Cotton discovers how to tie and fish his own Elk Hair Caddis, a dry fly designed to float on the surface until a hungry Redside rises for a tiny "sip".
The Canyon Challenge: From the red canyon walls of Mack’s Canyon to the slippery "river snot" on the rocks, Cotton must learn to "read the water" and battle the canyon winds to land his first wild fish.
Printed on premium 60lb white paper with 28 color illustrations, The Redside of the Deschutes is a story about the beginning of a lifelong bond between a boy, his father, and the art of the fly.
