A VISUAL LESSON IN FLY-FISHING.

Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Staff Writer

He is as big a name as there is in fly-fishing, but unlike many of his colleagues, author-instructor Mel Krieger hasn't lost enthusiasm, sincerity or compassion for sharing his fire with the uninitiated.

Like a friendly uncle with a nasal voice, Krieger details in an engaging manner what the newcomer will need to know about the sport in his video, "Beginnings: An Introduction to Flyfishing" (Krieger Enterprises; $29.95). More can be learned from the 68-minute tape than from some books.

He rattles off his "secrets": Work the edges, areas where fish hold between cover and the feeding grounds. In streams, look for the eye of the current and then cast your fly at the top of that V, where the fast water touches the pools. In lakes, search for inlets and outlets, and the point where shallows give way to deeper water - another edge.

With arms and hands constantly raised in gesture and emphasis, he pleads with viewers not to forget the edges.

And never does he mention a brand of rod, reel or line. His agenda is not steered by any manufacturer. Prices of rods range from "a good dinner to a good automobile," but he simply recommends any 8-1/2- to 9-foot rod that balances with the weight of a No. 6 fly line.

Krieger rarely gets a strike while narrating his lessons, which is great: His ego is in check.

The San Francisco angler with the signature floppy fishing cap encourages tyros not to be intimidated. Go alone, without a guide or mentor, and discover the art of fly-fishing on your own. But remember, the graybeard notes, "The real truth is that much of the time you do not catch fish; sometimes the fish wins." Our rating: 4 stars

One of the youngest, most successful professionals on the bass angling circuit, Kevin VanDam, has made a successful transition to book author. With help from outdoors writer Louie Stout, he chronicles his winning ways in "Kevin VanDam's Bass Strategies" (KVD Publications; $14.95).

Readers should benefit from such concise, well-written chapters as "The Cold Front Curse," "Make the Most of Muddy Water" and "Solutions for Heavily Fished Lakes," which offers sound advice for any angler who has tried to score at overpressured Southland bass grounds such as Castaic Lake.

Fish during midweek, when the targets aren't as spooked by motor noises, the splash of lures and other disturbances, the Kalamazoo, Mich., pro advises. And don't avoid those popular "community holes"; watch other anglers more closely and present the lure from a different angle or just use a lure most people avoid.

A series of break-out tips ("If there's one time when I pay close attention to the moon phase, it's during the spring spawn"; "Line is affected by temperature changes") complement the 24 chapters that make up the 234-page paperback.

All too often in similar guidebooks, the graphics and photographs are yawners, but here most of the art is beneficial, even the microscope photos of damaged fishing lines. Our rating: 3 stars

Although its very essence is geared to the commercial market, one would hope that a buyer's guide would at least be cogent and balanced.

That is not the case with "The Fishing Sourcebook" (Globe Pequot Press; $18.95) by Michigan freelancer Steven A. Griffin.

His descriptions of everything from lures to reels to fish finders read like they are straight out of a company press release. He doesn't offer reviews of the product, just its features. Readers can pick up a brochure for that.

We want a decisive thumbs up or down. Instead, we're not entirely sure Griffin has even used the products he details.

The author attempts to convince the reader of his expertise with a sprinkling of advice-filled fishing stories he has penned, but even they appear to be regurgitated articles - printed perhaps as afterthoughts - that are oddly stacked upon one another with little bearing on the issue at hand. And the quality of many photographs in the 240-page paperback is too poor to be of any use. Our rating: 1 star

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Photo (color) Mel Krieger's introductory video, right, is an excellent catch for fledgling fly-fishers. Tom Mendoza / Daily News