Customer Reviews

Arizona Trout : A Fly Fishing Guide

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Here is the best tip that I can give anyone for fly fishing Arizona, ready? Buy it! Try buying it right here you won't find it in the shops yet. Get your credit card out, and type me a message right now telling me "thank you" so you don't have to hold yourself up e-mailing adam while you are getting ready to explore all the wonderful opportunities that are exposed in this book. I am absolutely impressed! In 1999, no less than three books on Arizona Fly Fishing have been released for the public. This book is a MUST HAVE for any fly fisher in the state of Arizona. If you have to buy one book, this is it. It is my favorite, did I say that? For those of you visiting the state, this resource is definitely one that puts you in touch with more information than most of the locals. Mr Johnson is obviously a very keen Arizona explorer with a fly rod. In a nutshell, you will not find any careless meanderings, no miss marked maps, just a Christopher Columbus of fly fishing here in our state. Gee's this guy has been around. The answers are there for questions that are very close to my heart. I will not go into detail about this book other than I TOLD YOU SO! Do you want Arizona Trout???

The first thing I did after reading this book was simple: I picked two or three of Rex Johnson's favorite streams, none of which I'd ever before read of or heard about, and I tried them myself. Results? Excellent! One stream (to remain anonymous) was about the best experience in trout-fishing I've ever had. Now I've adopted it as my own "secret" stream. I only wish Arizona Trout book were longer, and with better maps.

Most people in AZ live in Phoenix, many are from somewhere else, and most haven't found out about the trout streams in the White Mountains. Rex Johnson has, and his book is an invitation to come see for yourself, that you can catch real wild trout in this hottest and most arid of states, even if you live in Phoenix and come from the midwest. You just have to be open to new things. Get it?

Seldom have I read a book so authoritative. Rex Johnson Jr. knows Arizona's streams and lakes like no one else. He tells you what stream reaches have trout, and what species of trout are present there. It is mostly his own fishing experience, which means he has been to almost every trout stream in Arizona -- no small feat!

This book will tell you where the trout are, but it won't waste your time re-teaching you how to fly fish. It assumes you already know how. (How I hate all the books that have to include a fly-fishing primer. Soon you have hundreds of primers.)

The author's writing style is easy, flowing, and concise. Seldom will you read an author who has such a good command of the English language. A real pleasure to read. I've never met Mr. Johnson, but I feel like we'd be friends if I did meet him. He is very engaging, and has a wry wit.

The one small negative is the quality of the maps. They are more than sufficient to show the streams, trails, and roads, but the author frequently references place names known to him but not shown on the maps. For persons unfamiliar with an area, this means you must resort to better maps to find out where he is talking about. (Amato Publications' editors should have taken care of this.) You will need a good set of topographic maps, or access to Google Maps to locate yourself at times. But this is a small negative in comparison to the towering work the author has performed in putting together such a complete guide to Arizona's trout fishing waters.

Well-written. This book is 12 years old and some of the streams have changed because of development, forest fires, etc., but it is still the most readable and comprehensive guide for the state of Arizona out there. It is clear that Rex Johnson, Jr. has ACTUALLY BEEN to most of the over 300 streams he refers to, has FISHED them, and has CAUGHT TROUT in them, as well. One of my favorite "secret" fishing holes is actually on the cover -- the Blue River Box.

Book has some info, but not much in the way of specifics. A general travel book,not really a fishing book. Very disappointed.