Customer Reviews

Flyfisher's Guide to Utah

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am surprised at the numerous positive reviews of this book because I have found it to be very lacking. On the whole, the information included is very general, glosses over details, is not always accurate, and in some cases is clearly second-hand information. At the least the book is a good list of streams worth fishing and maybe the maps in the book will get you there, maybe they will get you within 5 miles of it.

The book is thick, so one would expect it to be full of detailed maps, but that's not exactly the case. There are many close-up maps which are often (but not always) accurate in their depictions of the watercourses and access roads. However, these maps are not very detailed. Often missing are important roads, notable tributaries, and in some cases: the presence of one or more fishable bodies of water. Take a look at the Payson Lakes/Salt Creek map for one such example. Lots and lots of white space, but wait...where are Maple Lake and Peteetneet Creek? Sometimes you get there and it turns out that the roads are all right (though they usually have different names than on these maps), but the distances are all wrong. On one notable occasion, the directions given in the book had me "drive 3 miles then turn" onto another forest road. Turns out it was actually 13 miles. Whoops!

In perhaps the majority of the entries, anywhere from 50%-100% of the text doesn't discuss the streams themselves, how to fish them, where to fish them, or what to expect, but rather the people who fish them, the history of that region, a personal story from the author that may or may not be related to flyfishing. I think there's really no excuse for this. A fishing guide should stick to fishing, and there's always something that can be said for any given body of water. There are many streams listed here that, if you were to remove the driving directions and historical notes, there would be no comments at all.

A sizable minority of the inclusions in the book aren't places the author has actually fished, but rather based off information he got from fly shops, maps, locals and the like. Now, Utah has a lot of streams and it's probably impossible for one man to fish them all in his life, much less become an expert on all of them, but, that's the kind of person I want writing my flyfisher's guides. Experts! To be fair, there are a good number of streams and lakes in here with specific information on how to fish them, where to fish them and what to expect when you get there. But the majority of the entries aren't like that. I'd say 20% of the entries have good specific details, 40% are half-and-half: very basic info you can get from any map mixed with miscellaneous historical facts, and 20% are are the entries based on second-hand information.

My biggest complaint is that some of the entries are clearly toned down due to a very present "flyfisher's lips syndrome." One such example in this book is the Boulder Mountain Region, for which the author gives several pages of information on what kinds of lakes may have large brook trout, but never once specifies which lakes have the good fishing and which are full of four-inch fish. Hey, I can read about brook trout without a guidebook. I bought the guidebook for some concrete information on which lakes to catch them out of. Many, many small streams treated in this guide are given misleading, often downplayed, one-paragraph glosses. I can name a number of streams that the author discounts as merely "brushy pocket water" but which are actually high quality fishing where I've caught large fish. Again, no excuse for this. If you're going to write a guidebook on where to flyfish in Utah, you've got to be prepared to be straight with your reader, using more information than what I could figure out myself from looking at a topographic map and the Utah Game and Fish stocking schedules. I can't stand all the hedging in this book.

I have seen much better flyfisher's guide books with more detailed maps, more relevant information and for much harder states to find good flyfishing than Utah. Utah really has a lot of good flyfishing opportunities and it's a pity this book doesn't do them justice. You'll have about as much luck with the "pick a blue squiggly line on a map, drive to it and fish" method as you'll have from trying to use the info in this book to select a fishing destination.

This is the best informational guide ever! If you are a Fly Angler wanting solid, reliable information this is the book to have in your gear bag. Those of you new to the great sport of Fly Fishing, this is the book to read, study and assist in planning your next trip. Well done James.

This is the great Utah fly fishing reference (currently updated 2007) book. It has a lot of information on the streams and lakes in the state, like GPS locations, Fly Hatch Charts, Maps, Fish ID pictures and locations positions in DeLorme's Utah Gazetteer. It has a lot of other information in specific regions on larger cities, such as Lodging, Campgrounds, Restaurants, Vets, Hospitals, Fly Shops, Auto Rentals and Repairs, and the Chamber of Commerce. There is a huge section on the Green River. A great Resource and a MUST have for the fly fisherman/women who want to fish Utah.

This book has it all. It actually gives useful information in an easy to understand format. I have been a fly fisher for several years and this is by far the best book I have seen on fly fishing in Utah. The book tells me how to get there, when to go and what flies to use when I arrive. Several people have told me this is their fly fishing 'Bible'. Entertaining stories and excerpts about Utah add flavor for when you are not fishing (heaven forbid).

My husband loves to fly fish. This book seemed like the perfect fit when Father's Day came along. He loves to sit down and fish through this book. He has learned so much and says that the book takes you through every stream and lake in Utah. He's ready to grab his pole and get fishing.

Coming from California on a fall vacation, the book was very helpful for planning where to start fly fishing in Utah . It was also very informative in the types of flys that are consistent in the various areas and what to start with. Upon arrival in Heber City, we still checked in with the local fly shop to get the most current information as the book gives you the most collective information to start with however conditions are constantly changing.

Highly recommended for planning you trip!

Lived in Utah 20 years but never knew where a lot of these places were or at least how to access them. Highly recommended for anyone getting started fishing in Utah or who has just moved here.

James Demoux's Flyfisher's Guide To Utah is a complete and exhaustive reference on Utah's lakes, rivers, and fish. This 595 page compendium is enhanced with more than 150 detailed lake and reviewer maps showing access, boat launches, public lands, campsites, and areas of special interest, in addition to hatch charts, stream facts, and recommended flies. An ideal planning resource for fishing trips ranging from day-trips to extended vacations, the Flyfisher's Guide To Utah offers a wealth of practical information and recommendations on accommodations, campgrounds, listings for fly shops, restaurants, even car repairs and rentals, hospitals, and airports. If you are looking for the perfect angler's holiday somewhere in the vast and diverse landscape of Utah, then begin by browsing through the pages of James Demoux's Flyfisher's Guide To Utah!