Fly Fishing the Toccoa River. David Cannon L.

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.