of the private waters, for helping me become a better fly-caster, and for being insanely quick with a net!
Across Georgia’s warm waters, thanks to Kent Edmonds for his assistance at Callaway Gardens and for sharing his knowledge of the Flint, perhaps Georgia’s most unique river. I also appreciate Cody Jones for his help at Barnsley Gardens and on the Savannah River, the knowledge of Mike Floyd and Jeremy Altman, owner of Buckeye Lures. Thanks to Jeff Gillespie and Mark Ellis for pointing me to Bull Sluice Lake and sharing their expertise on the most challenging of freshwater fish, the carp. A special thanks goes to Bill Howle on Clarks Hill Reservoir, Buddy Lail on Lake Varner, Nathan Lewis on Blue Ridge Reservoir, and Mike Sloan on Lake Seminole.
On the coast, I really appreciate the help of Greg Hildreth, Larry Kennedy, and Scott Owens. Also, thanks to Thornton Morris and Paul Puckett for putting us up while on the surreal Cumberland Island.
I am grateful to four great sporting artists—Paul Puckett, Bucky Bowles, Patsy Lewis-Gentry, and the late Tom Landreth (a special thanks to June Landreth)—for allowing their beautiful artwork to appear in this work.
Paul Puckett is to be recognized for specially creating his wonderful pencil sketches of the flies featured for each water.
I would also like to recognize Steve Walburn, editor of American Angler and general manager of the Morris Sporting Group, and O. Victor Miller who have both inspired me through their incredible writing. To Daryl Kirby, who gave me my first column in Georgia Outdoor News, Russ Lumpkin, Nick Carter, and Brad Gill, thanks for teaching me about good story writing. Thanks to Chad McClure, Brian O’Keefe, and Lefty Kreh for being patient in answering each of my thousands of photography questions. And I wouldn’t have had the privilege of working in this great industry if not for the graces of Steve Burch, Mike Rhodes, and one of the greatest outdoor writers in Georgia’s history, Brad Bailey, all of Georgia Outdoor News.
Of course, what would fishing be without the company of good fishing buddies? To Andy Spencer, Matt Anderson, Mark Musselwhite, Ryan Whitelaw, Daniel Brown, and Bear Keeling, thanks for those times on the water and for consistently asking me questions like, “You write magazine articles on this stuff?” and the latest, “You’re writing a book about this?” I greatly value your willingness to keep me humble when I lose a fish, miss a hook-set or, on occasion, fish without even tying on a fly.
I’d especially like to acknowledge Howard Fisher and all of the great people at No Nonsense Guidebooks for allowing me to work on this project, and Brian and Jenny Grossenbacher—authors of Fly Fishing Montana—for introducing me to Howard Fisher. Morenci Clark, Anthony Taylor, Lori Brown, and Howard have been phenomenal to work with and have made this process a great one for me.
Finally, thanks to my wife Stephanie, and Joel and Hilary Mulkey for proofing the drafts of the book, and to Uncle “Foo” (Steve Thulis), my cousin Greg Thulis, and my dad Jay Cannon for getting me interested in fishing. I’m not sure what I’d be doing had I not been introduced to this wonderful world.
The author nymphs a run on a mountain trout stream.
Foreword
By Jimmy Harris
When I met David several years ago, I quickly took a liking to him. He was doing all he could to become a better fly fisherman. David was like a sponge, soaking up every tidbit of information anyone tossed his way. He fished with anyone who would let him tag along, often standing off to the side watching as they successfully worked a run that he or another angler may have just fished with no luck. Always doggedly chasing the desire to know more, he arranged for advanced casting lessons with certified instructors, fished for every species that swims from the mountains to the coast of Georgia, and even traveled out of the country to pursue this passion.
Along the way, he also discovered a love and talent for writing about our sport, our quarry, and those who have been captured by its mystique. True to his nature, he has spent the past few years relentlessly developing this talent and, for that, we should all be grateful. And just as he shadowed more experienced anglers, David has tapped into many of the most respected angling journalists, photographers, editors and publishers to help him hone his craft. Lefty Kreh, James Babb, Brian O’Keefe, and others have all given their personal attention to his professional growth and it is evident in this book.
Most anglers from outside the state undoubtedly associate Georgia with world-class bass fishing. However, Georgians have known for a long time that fishing opportunities here, and particularly fly fishing opportunities, are boundless. From the southernmost reaches of the Appalachian Mountains to the Piedmont and Coastal Plains, we can fish every day of the year. From small rhododendron-choked wild trout streams to huge impoundments where stripers and hybrid bass roam like packs of wolves in search of their next meal, we’ve got it all. Six species of black bass, bream, catfish, and carp swim in our piedmont and coastal plain rivers and farm ponds. Redfish, tarpon, sea trout, and sharks roam the estuaries and surf on the coast. For the fly fishing angler, there isn’t a better state in the country for sheer abundance of opportunity. While more famous fly fishing regions of the country have brief seasons of great fishing interrupted by long months of reading about fishing and tying in preparation for next year, we’re just changing rods and technique for another species.
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