Treasure Under the Tree

It almost seems like cheating to gain so much experience by reading a single book. In addition to having fished extensively within the borders of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for more than half a century, Jim Casada has spent countless hours astream with many of the finest fly-fishermen who have ever fished the Smokies. Plus, he has studied everything that has ever been written about sporting pursuit in the same cold, tumbling waters. And in his new book, Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: An Insider's Guide to A Pursuit of Passion, Jim holds nothing back.

I received a copy of Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a Christmas gift from my family, and I've been soaking in its contents ever since. Most guidebooks and where-to articles (including many that I have written) are largely reporting projects or come from quick looks at places. Rarely does anyone pour such a wealth of experience and love for a place, its resources and its history into a single volume.

The book, which is 440 pages long and includes seven very useful appendices, accomplishes the rare double duty of being highly practical and immensely pleasurable to read. I could say much more, but I need to get to work on my own fish stories so I can get back to my Christmas present!