Customer Reviews

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Angler's Companion

5 star:		(5)
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Up front I have to say that I have had the author guide me on three separate occasions. On one of those trips, he taught my wife how to fly fish in the Smokies and she caught some nice trout on dry flies. So he doesn't just write about fishing - he really fishes. If you are looking for a guide book that will tell you precisely where to fish and gives away all the prime spots; this isn't it. The author tells you where the streams are and how to get to them. He tells the equipment you need and some techniques. If you already know a little bit about trout fishing this is a perfect guide book. It has enough information but it isn't a kiss-and-tell book. Having read the other available books on the GSMNP, I can say this is the best of it's kind. If you want to really get the inside scoop hire Ian as a guide for a few days. He is a great guy and this is a great book!

A tribute to concise writing, Ian's book imparts exactly the amount of information needed to plan and fish the Smokies. I'm a dedicated fly fisher from Northern California who travels to Tennessee each Spring, and while there are other guide books describing the park, Ian's is the best at capturing the flavor of each stream and river.

What shines through all the information is Rutter's obvious love for these streams, rivers, and typically smallish trout. Indeed, he's widely regarded as a leading expert on the Brook Trout of the park, and even helps the scientific teams gather data about the range and recovery of the native Brook trout.

Adding a love of fly fishing to that level of knowledge - and wrapping it up in a direct, friendly writing style - and you've got a winner. Thumbs up.

Ian did a great job of presenting the information on the park and identifying great placed to fish for trout. A highly recommended reading.

Ian and his wife Charity have guided me several times in the Smokies. They are the real deal - guides that spend their time in the water, this week, no matter what time of the year it is. There are lots of books out there about fishing in the GSMNP - but the one I find most helpful is Ian's. Yes, it's not very long, but don't let that fool you. I own other books with more pages but much of those pages are spent in the author's self indulgent memories of 30 years ago and arcane appendices. Some of the authors make me wonder when was the last time they actually fished instead of writing. Not what I am after. Ian breaks down each major system and stream and lets you know the crucial info. if you have any other questions after reading, call them or reach out to them on the web. They respond and let you know what they think about the trip you're planning, regardless if they will be guiding you or not. Buy the book, you won't regret it.

This book is full of very specific information about Smoky Mountain trout fishing. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to fish the area.