Other Books by Chris Santella
Fifty Favorite Fly-Fishing Tales
Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die
Fifty Places to Go Birding Before You Die
Fifty Places to Hike Before You Die
Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die
Fifty More Places to Play Golf Before You Die
Fifty More Places to Fly Fish Before You Die
Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die
Visit http://www.abramsbooks.com/santella
For my parents, who encouraged me to follow my dreams,
and for my wife, Deidre, who continues to do so.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Santella, Chris.
Fifty places to fly fish before you die : fly-fishing experts share the worlds greatest destinations / Chris Santella with selected photographs by R. Valentine Atkinson ; foreword by Mike Fitzgerald, Jr.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-58479-356-2
1. Fly Fishing. I. Title.
SH456.S24 2004
799.124dc22 2003070367
Text copyright 2004 Chris Santella
All photographs R. Valentine Atkinson, except the following: : photographs Brian OKeefe
Permissions appear on
: Green River, Utah
Published in 2004 by
Stewart, Tabori & Chang
An imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.
Publisher has exercised every effort to identify and properly credit the rights holders for each of the images contained herein. Please contact Publisher if you have additional or amended permission information (http://www.abramsbooks.com/permission_guidelines.html).
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Contents
THE DESTINATIONS
RECOMMENDED BY LEON GORMAN
RECOMMENDED BY TAMMY CORB
RECOMMENDED BY ERNEST SCHWIEBERT
RECOMMENDED BY CRAIG DERBY
RECOMMENDED BY R. VALENTINE ATKINSON
RECOMMENDED BY BILLY PATE
RECOMMENDED BY BRIAN OKEEFE
RECOMMENDED BY PAT PENDERGAST
RECOMMENDED BY TONY HAYES
RECOMMENDED BY LANI WALLER
RECOMMENDED BY SHANE KOHLBECK AND MIKE MERCER
RECOMMENDED BY JOHN EUSTICE
RECOMMENDED BY JOSEPH DANIEL
RECOMMENDED BY JOHN ECKLUND
RECOMMENDED BY PERK PERKINS
RECOMMENDED BY SIMON GAWESWORTH
RECOMMENDED BY SANDY MORET
RECOMMENDED BY MIKE FITZGERALD, SR. AND MIKE FITZGERALD, JR.
RECOMMENDED BY LORI-ANN MURPHY
RECOMMENDED BY BRYCE TEDFORD
RECOMMENDED BY LANCE AND RANDALL KAUFMANN
RECOMMENDED BY JAMES R. BABB
RECOMMENDED BY SONNY MAHAN
RECOMMENDED BY BUCKY OWEN
RECOMMENDED BY BUCKY BURROWS
RECOMMENDED BY DUANE DAHLGREN
RECOMMENDED BY CATHY BECK
RECOMMENDED BY ROBERT M. LINSENMAN
RECOMMENDED BY JEFF VERMILLION
RECOMMENDED BY BARRY BECK
RECOMMENDED BY GEORGE ANDERSON
RECOMMENDED BY PAUL WEAMER
RECOMMENDED BY CHRIS DAUGHTERS
RECOMMENDED BY STEVE PROBASCO
RECOMMENDED BY MIKE FITZGERALD, SR.
RECOMMENDED BY FRANK MOORE
RECOMMENDED BY MARK BACHMANN
RECOMMENDED BY ED SHENK
RECOMMENDED BY PAUL GUERNSEY
RECOMMENDED BY GUIDO RAHR
RECOMMENDED BY TARQUIN MILLINGTON-DRAKE
RECOMMENDED BY RNI BALDURSSON
RECOMMENDED BY JOE CODD
RECOMMENDED BY JAMES PROSEK
RECOMMENDED BY BRET CARLSON
RECOMMENDED BY DAVID D. PERKINS
RECOMMENDED BY HARRY MURRAY
RECOMMENDED BY DAN CALLAGHAN
RECOMMENDED BY CRAIG MATHEWS
RECOMMENDED BY LARRY DAHLBERG
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book would not have been possible without the generous assistance of the expert anglers who shared their time and experience to help bring these fifty great fishing locales to life. To these men and women, I offer the most heartfelt thanks. I would especially like to thank Dan Callaghan, Nick Lyons, and Lefty Kreh, who offered encouragement and made many introductions on my behalf. I also wish to acknowledge the fine efforts of my agent, Stephanie Kip Rostan, my editor, Jennifer Lang, designer Paul Wagner, and copyeditor Don Kennison, who helped bring the book to fruition. Ive had the good fortune over the last twenty-five years to make many fine fishing friends who have furthered my horizons, in terms of both angling experiences and a greater appreciation of life. This list includes Howard Kyser, Peter Marra, Ken Matsumoto, Jeff Sang, Joe Runyon, Mark Harrison, Peter Gyerko, Tim Purvis, Jack Ramsey, and Geoff Roach. I look forward to many more days on the river with these friends and friends to come. Finally, I want to extend a special thanks to my wife, Deidre, and my daughter, Cassidy, whove humored my absence on far too many occasions so I could pursue my favorite pastime.
FOREWORD
Someone once said that trout swim only in beautiful places. The same certainly holds for Atlantic salmon, steelhead, bonefish, and myriad other species fly fishermen pursue around the globe. What makes an angling destination great goes beyond the size of the fish or the numbers landed. Every fly-fishing expedition provides wonderful experiences. Prior to departure there is the excitement of the planning, the anticipation, and the accumulation of way more tackle and gear than any single person could possibly need.
A great fishing destination arouses all the senses. One celebrates the spectacular scenery, the local culture, the camaraderie among fishing friends, and the opportunity to spend time in the great outdoors. To me, the joy of fishing the worlds great resources comes from the memories generated on each trip. Its spending time with close friends and meeting new ones. Its the epic battles and fish tales, many of which of course get exaggerated with time. Its having the opportunity to introduce your spouse or child to a river or destination you love. Its fishing with your father and grandfather, and cherishing those moments streamside for years to come. Such memories and great times induce me to keep my bags packed in anticipation of my next fly-fishing journey.
Chris Santella has compiled a list of some of the great fly-fishing locales this world has to offer in Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die. He has consulted with many experts and seasoned professionals to provide accurate descriptions of each venue, while capturing the essence of each destination and the attributes that make every one special. I hope that you have the opportunity to fish some of the great waters he has featured. Each is remarkable in its own way.
There are many excellent fly-fishing opportunities for the intrepid traveling angler. In exchange for these lifetime experiences and memories, we have a responsibility to respect, protect, and, if necessary, restore these irreplaceable and invaluable fisheries so that they can be shared with future generations. Let this be your year to spend more time enjoying the great outdoors and to make the effort to introduce someone new to the wonderful sport of fly fishing.
MIKE FITZGERALD, JR.
FRONTIERS INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
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