Customer Reviews

Flyfisher's Guide to Montana

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Other reviews address the poor quality of the writing and textual information in this book. Let me bring up the issue of the next to useless maps that accompany this text. The detail is about the same as those maps the rental car agencies pass out. Forget finding those back roads to the best spots, those roads don't exist on the maps in this book. If you insist on buying this book, also buy some topos and visit local shops so you don't wast time driving down a road to nowhere.

Taking this book to Montana was a complete waste of time. Thomas misses seasonal patterns on some of the major creeks. Some of the map diagrams are misleading in terms of access and, in the case of Yaak River wrong in direction. It diagrams hwy 200 running up the Kootenai instead of hwy 2.

Granted, you will always get better info just going into a Missoula, Bozeman, or Kalispall shop, but I found information in this book just too inconsistent then what the locals know.

I have been venturing to Montana every year for the last ten years to visit friends and family. I always spend at least two weeks traveling the country side with my drift boat looking for great places to fish. This year I happened on Greg's guide while in Ennis, Montana. The book led me to some of the best fishing I have ever experienced in the state. The guide has all of the information needed to plan an entire trip from scratch. It is easy to read and understand. Next year I am planning on going for six weeks!

The level of criticism in these reviews is unbelievable! Seasonal patterns on creeks! poorly illustrated maps! the author is not a resident!--give me a break! Folks, you need to re-read the complimentary 5 star review. No guide book is perfect, but I always admired Thomas' book, and I am the author of an out-of-print Montana guide book, and I was a fishing guide in the state for 15 years. Greg was a Montana resident, and why would you venture on a fishing trip without good maps. His maps are only to orient you to a river's floating sections. And as for his prose, if you want great prose read Mclean's novel. Since the book is a bit out of date regarding superfund clean-ups and updates on the impact of whirling disease, I can understand perhaps choosing a more recent guide book, but for a great guide to the state's waters, I rank Thomas' guide book as an excellent source. By the way, I do not know Mr. Thomas. Since my own book is out of print, I wanted to review the Montana guide books to promote on my website [...]. I have yet to purchase the newer books on the market, but I say you can't go wrong with this book. Negative ranting should be taking with a grain of salt.

Dave Archer

This book is an insult to the great fishery of Montana, Greg Thomas lives in Idaho and has fished very little in Montana! He is trying to be a writer on fly fishing, but should give up and enjoy the sport. His attitude is an insult to the sport