50
BEST TAILWATERS TO FLY FISH
NEWEST STONEFLY PRESS RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A detailed look at North
America’s 56 best fly-fishing tailwater destinations by Terry and Wendy Gunn is
the newest title by fly-fishing book publisher Stonefly Press. The 272-page, 4-color softcover book is
the work of the guides and outfitters with “boots in the water” on each of the
respective tailgaters.
“We named it 50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish, but
after compiling everything, there was just no way to eliminate any, so we wound
up with 56 chapters on individual rivers throughout the United States and
Canada,” said co-author Terry Gunn.
The concept of
the book is best summed up by fly-fishing icon Lefty Kreh in his foreword: “Tailwaters are the salvation of fly
fishing for trout. These are the streams or rivers exiting from dams with the
flow dependent on the amount of water released. They furnish a constant supply
of clear, cold water necessary for trout and their food.
“Many trout fishermen believe all major
rivers are located in the West.
But some of the finest are in the East, created when the Tennessee
Valley Authority dammed so many southern rivers to furnish the region’s power
during late-1920s and Depression era 1930s. Some of these tailwaters are among
the best trout rivers anywhere in this country and within easy driving distance
of thousands of anglers.”
According
to the Gunns, the book’s chapters are divided first by region, and then from
south to north within each region to accommodate travel and road trips. In addition to detailed contour maps of
each tailwater, which include local roads and river access points, there are
suggestions for gear, regulations, fly patterns, seasonal hatches, and wading
areas. The book also includes
contact information for local fly shops, outfitters, and lodges, along with
suggested best bars, restaurants, hotels, campgrounds, and emergency medical
services.
“We
feel fortunate that so many good friends and well-known outfitters – folks like
Pat Dorsey, Craig Mathews, John & Amy Hazel, Tim Linehan, Mike Mercer, Mike
Lawson, Lefty, and so many others – contributed to the book. We all agreed that there is no other
one like it in the field, which made it an even greater responsibility to take
on. And we couldn’t be happier
with the final product!” said Wendy Gunn.
50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish is the go-to
tailwater bible for fly-fishing enthusiasts. It is priced at $34.95 and available from flyfishing shops,
book dealers, or directly from Stonefly Press (Go to http://stoneflypress.com
for more detail.)
Book: 50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish
Authors: Terry & Wendy Gunn
Foreword: Lefty Kreh
Publisher: Stonefly Press, Bloomington, IN
Pages: 272 pp.
Photos: Over 200 4-color
Maps: 56 4-color, contour maps
Price: $34.95
Available: October 2013
Chapters: 56 chapters drafted by guides and shop owners who know the waters
best
Quote: Nothing like this has ever
been published and serious trout fishermen will find this one of the most useful
books ever. – Lefty Kreh
STONEFLY PRESS
Stonefly Press, founded in 2011, is the
publisher of fly fishing books, guides and maps, including An Introduction to Fly Fishing
for Trout (Williams/McPhail) and The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp (Deeter). Stonefly Press publishes in both print
and digital formats for fly-fishing devotees across the globe and actively
partners with both authors and customers to provide guided fly-fishing
excursions and retreats. Their mission is to advance the work of authors and
increase the quality and sustainability of wild fisheries for future
generations.
AUTHORS
Terry Gunn, a full time
guide since 1983, and his wife Wendy started Lees Ferry Anglers Fly Shop and
Guide Service on the Colorado River tailwater below Glen Canyon Dam (Lake
Powell) in 1989. They acquired Cliff Dwellers Lodge in 2001. They are the
longtime co-hosts of the TV program, Fly Fish Television Magazine. To schedule an interview, phone (800)
962-9755.
Here's what other's had to say about the book...
I have known and fished with Terry and Wendy
Gunn for more than 30 years, in both saltwater and freshwater. In their home
Arizona waters and some faraway places like Baja California. They both are
classic fly anglers and demonstrate their profound knowledge on the water and
on these pages you are about to read. I would feel pleased and privileged to
fish with them both, anywhere in this world.
Besides
the information they personally provide, there are chapters they gleamed from
some of the best of the best, John Hazel, Mike Mercer, Mike Lawson, Tim
Linehan, Pat Dorsey, Craig Mathews, Dave Brown, and a foreword by my old
friend, the inimitable Lefty Kreh.
You
will enjoy and learn from 50 Best Tailwaters
to Fly Fish.
-
Stu Apte, IGFA
Hall of Famer, author of Of Winds and Tides
"Let's get one thing
straight: Fly fishing in America's Lower 48 would not exist as it does today,
were it not for tailwater dams.
Most of the trophy fish photos, and many of the most technically-creative
methods anglers now rely upon were created under a spillway somewhere. Nobody, but nobody, is more dialed on
the nuances of tailwater fishing than are Terry and Wendy Gunn. And nobody is more connected to others
who understand the best places and methods involved in effective tailwater
fishing than the Gunns. I know
this because the Gunns have done more to teach me about technical tailwater fly
fishing than anyone. If you want
to play big-league ball and catch large trout, this book will be key. It's the most comprehensive
'where-to' with some 'how-to' I've ever seen. I'm genuinely grateful that they made it happen."
-
Kirk Deeter,
editor of TROUT magazine, editor-at-large for Field&Stream, and author of The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp
Tailwater trout fishing is a
very important component in the North America fly fishing scene. Just looking
back at my best fishing this summer, all my destinations were tailwaters; the
Beaverhead in Montana, the Taylor in Colorado, the West Branch of the Delaware
in New York and the Deschutes River in Oregon. Terry and Wendy Gunn have now
cataloged the best tailwaters with appropriate information that will enhance
every reader’s fly fishing experience. 50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish may never
leave my tackle bag.
-
Brian O’Keefe,
Cofounder, Catch magazine
If I were planning a dream
trip to fish the Bighorn River or other tailwaters, I'd first buy this book.
"Tailwaters" has the best information you can find on 56 world-class
streams that can make your fly-fishing dreams come true. It's a foundational guidebook to
adventure and fulfillment for anyone who enjoys the very best experiences in
our sport. The hatches information alone is worth the price of the book.
-
John Randolph,
Publisher Emeritus, Fly Fisherman magazine
Not many people realize that
today most of the best trout fisheries in the lower 48 states are tailwaters,
or influenced by dam release. They
all have some common elements, but just knowing how to fish one doesn’t
guarantee success on another. Wendy
and Terry Gunn have identified the best tailwaters in North America and
distilled each fishery into a succinct and helpful guide with no fluff—just
good solid info. The maps of each
river are alone worth the price of admission. If you don’t know much about
tailwaters and you like to catch trout you must have this book. If you think you’re an experienced
tailwater angler you’ll be sorry if you don’t get a copy.
-
Tom Rosenbauer,
Marketing Director, The Orvis Company, author of The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide
Boom...Morgan
