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Jim Casada's Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: An Insider's Guide to A Pursuit of Passion

A new book is out on fly fishing in the Smoky Mountains. My interest was piqued when I heard the author was Jim Casada, the well-known Southern author, editor and outdoorsman. I’ve enjoyed several of the projects Mr. Casada has worked on, most of them related in some way to the Smokies or Southern Highlands. I just can’t get enough of the Smokies, and no matter how much I love the West, the streams of Southern Appalachia will always be my home water. Although I already own just about every book that speaks to the fishing up there, I had asked Jacqulyn to get me this one for my upcoming birthday even before Jim emailed yesterday. I enjoyed a short conversation with him (very short – yesterday was a mess at work…), and he sent me a press release for the new book which you’ll find quoted below. I haven’t read the book yet, but based on my previous experiences with Mr. Casada’s work, I believe you’ll find it worth every penny. At first glance, it looks to be much more than just your simple destination guide. Jim Casada possesses an impressive knowledge, not just of the fishing, but of the history, ecology and culture of the Smokies, and he has included more than a little taste of these in the book. Can’t wait to get mine…

Award-winning outdoor writer Jim Casada, a native of the Great Smokies who has written or edited more than 40 books, has just published what he describes as “my book of a lifetime.” The work, Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: An Insider’s Guide to a Pursuit of Passion, appears as the nation’s most popular park celebrates its 75th anniversary. Its 448 pages feature separate chapters covering every major stream in the Park, and feeder creeks are covered as well. The book also incorporates a great deal of natural and human history into these chapters, looks at tactics and techniques, visits “Seasons of the Smokies,” discusses equipment, and addresses safety issues of concern to the angler.

Other features include dozens of graphs which show changes in stream elevation in comparison with length. These graphs (there is one for all the Park’s major creeks and rivers) also show waypoints of note along streams such as backcountry campsites, trail crossings, and feeder creeks. There are scores of photos, including many of historical significance as well as modern color ones; graphs showing monthly variations in temperature and precipitation; information on guides and outfitters; a removable folding map of trails and backcountry campsites; and an extensive annotated bibliography.
“My intention,” says Casada, “was to provide fisherman, whether newcomers to these storied streams or veterans who have fished them for years, with a truly comprehensive guide to the hundreds of miles of trout-holding water found within Park boundaries in North Carolina and Tennessee. The Park provides the finest fishing for wild trout east of the Rockies, and it has provided me an incredible measure of pleasure over all but the earliest years of my life.”

The work has drawn extensive pre-publication praise. Nationally renowned fly-fishing author Nick Lyons, who wrote a Foreword to the book, says: “This is a book anyone who knows or plans to visit the Smokies will cherish, but also a book that anyone who takes pleasure in fine writing about the outdoor world and especially fly fishing will admire greatly. I do.” Sam Venable, a long-time student of the Smokies and columnist for the Knoxville News-Sentinel, comments that “a detailed how-to book like this can only come from someone who has ‘been there, done that’ and knows how to put those experiences on paper. If your passion is trout of the Southern highlands, this book will prove as indispensable as a favorite rod and wading boots.”

Guides and outfitters have also been enthusiastic about the work. Bryson City, N. C.’s Steve Claxton says that “along with significant information for the inquisitive angler, Jim Casada offers an abundance of historical material on Park streams. The book is full of details on streams, the heritage of the highlands, and insight on the legendary figures who waded these beloved streams.” Byron Begley, the owner of Little River Outfitters in Townsend, TN, says: “I am fascinated by this book and will be from now on. This is the complete book about fly fishing in the Smokies. It is obvious that Jim Casada knows more about Park streams, the area’s history and heritage, and our sport than anyone I know. It is a masterpiece.”

The book is available both as a softbound paperback and a hardback with a dust jacket. These sell for $24.95 and $37.50 respectively, with postage and handling being $5. Signed and inscribed copies of the book are available from Jim Casada, 1250 Yorkdale Drive, Rock Hill, SC 29730; through www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com; or by calling 803-329-4354.

Take care,
Nathan

Just in case you haven’t checked his blog in awhile, my friend Reed Curry over at the Contemplative Angler is releasing a book this fall. The book is entitled The New Scientific Angling: Trout and Ultraviolet Vision. Reed posted a couple of articles on his blog awhile back that first explored this idea. Personally, I think it has the potential to really change the way people think about tying flies. In fact, I think it’s the coolest idea in fly tying that I’ve seen since taking up the sport. If nothing else it’ll provide me with just one more excuse on a tough day: “Well, I probably would have caught several nice trout, but I haven’t been able to locate those Bolivian scarlet titmouse feathers with the proper UV characteristics, either that or the weather’s got ‘em holed up somewhere.”

A new online fishing magazine was released recently which I’ve enjoyed: Fish Can’t Read. The folks over at Chiwulff and Singlebarbed have all been involved. I highly recommend you take a look. These online magazines with the flipbook format seem to really be catching on lately. There are two others that I’m aware of: Catch and This is Fly. Of the three, Fish Can’t Read and Catch are more along what I like. This is Fly is pretty cool, and I probably would have liked it if I’d been into fly fishing as a teenager, but the style is just a bit over the top for me now. I don’t know how long the flipbook format will persist, but something like this is likely the future of fly fishing periodicals. I’m surprised the paper magazines haven’t caught on. Also, this is just my opinion mind you, but I think making the magazines freely accessible is the way to go as well. People will probably cease paying for magazines whether online or not just due to the fact that so much information is out there freely available. I know I have. I’ve got a single straggling subscription left that I’m strongly considering doing away with. It’s really just a waste of money and a waste of storage space to store the old magazines (which I never can bring myself to throw away). If you publish good work, you can probably get enough revenue to support it through advertising.

I’m still working on my Glacier photos. The truth is I’ve really struggled finding time to work on the website here or work on photography or go fishing or even take a walk in the woods. I can’t even put my finger on the problem. “Things” just seem busy lately. I know the job’s been more stressful. Heck, I don’t know. But I do know this: something’s got to give. It has become abundantly clear to everyone around me that I need to be in the outdoors. If I’m not, things get rather ugly rather quickly. Still, I have played around with my photos a bit. Lately I’ve become interested in black and white and “sort of” black and white photos. One thing I discovered about myself on the Glacier trip: I really enjoy working with photography. I still need lots of work to be anywhere close to good, but I do honestly enjoy it. Anyone who reads the site knows I’ve sort of been into photography for awhile, but usually I’m too involved in the fishing to concentrate on it. Glacier offered a chance to focus. I got up at daylight nearly every day of the trip for photos, and several evenings found me waiting for just the right light at some photogenic spot. I’ve GOT to start updating the photoblog more often. Here’s another of my better shots:

Swiftcurrent Lake and Many Glacier Valley in the early morning.

I recently read a wonderful little book of essays on fine art photography by Brooks Jensen entitled Letting Go of the Camera. Jensen publishes the magazine LensWork, one of the best out there. Check out the book if you’re the least interested in fine art photography or even just the life of a fine art photographer.

Take care,
Nathan

Some weekends start with a dull groan. Some start with a bang. And some start with 500,000 lbs of liquid oxygen and hydrogen igniting in a fantastic, internal-organ-shaking, controlled explosion.

Bet my Friday night was a bit more ‘moving’ than yours was, huh?

At 11:57:38, my family and I watched the space shuttle take off from Kennedy Space Center. We were about as close as you can get without dodging smoke clouds, debris and terrified animals – so close that, once it cleared the pad, we felt the launch as much as heard/saw it. An incredible experience I’ll always cherish, as I got to share it with my youngest two kidlets – my son yelling “YEAH! GO!GO!GO!” was the highlight for me. After the excitement wore off and I was driving home, serenaded by the sounds of EVERYONE in the van snoring, I realized the entire evening only had one small drawback for me – I knew I had to get up at 0430 the next morning. See, I finally got invited to go fishing…

As most of you know, we moved to Satellite Beach, Florida, about a month or so ago. Since that time I’ve battled mortgage agents and banking figures for the privilege of giving them money every month for the next 15-30 years, and engaged in a ferocious war against boxes stacked throughout my house. Thankfully we defeated the mediocrity and ambivalence of the banking and mortgage community (why on Earth they fight so hard to restrict my ability to give them all my money I’ll never know), and have the cardboard menace on the run now – we’ve conquered and laid claim to all lands but the garage. I plan on storming the last stronghold of the hated enemy when things cool down.

Just before we actually moved in, the master builder for the community came by to do our walk through. Bill Segall, a 58 year old guy with a mountain of experience in the construction arts, has one of those faces you know is about to break into a grin at any moment. Engaging and entertaining, with little eyes smiling out from behind small, wire rimmed glasses, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t instantly like him. At one point in the walk through, Bill made a comment about fish possibly lurking in the pond right behind my house (a pond I cannot get to/fish in, by the way), and we struck up a conversation about fishing.

Bill’s been freshwater fishing Florida’s canals and backwaters for decades and told me the one thing I was dying to hear; “I love going fishing but can’t seem to find anybody that wants to go with me.” I think Angie’s ‘Oh my God, here we go’ exasperation rumbled the walls.. (more…)

Tonight I took my first look at the photos I took in Glacier. I’m not happy with most of them (as usual), but I sort of liked this one in black and white. I took it from the observation deck at Many Glacier Hotel after a thunderstorm had passed. Although the fishing didn’t pan out like we’d hoped, it’s difficult to argue with the scenery. Almost makes not catching fish worth it. Almost.

Many Glacier Valley after a summer thunderstorm.

Take care,
Nathan