November 2, 2009 - ROCK HILL, S.C. Oct. 30, 2009 - Jim Casada, one of America's premier outdoor writers, who has fly fished the storied trout streams of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park since age 9, has captured this life-long experience and love of the Park in his latest book, Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - An Insider's Guide to a Pursuit of Passion.

Casada, who has waded the hundreds of miles of wild trout water in the nation's most-visited national park, said he wrote the book to help celebrate the Park's 75th Anniversary and considers it to be his masterpiece.

"I long ago lost a corner of my soul to the streams of the Great Smokies and the lure and lore of this lovely country captivates me as much today as it did 50 years ago when I was a boy.

"The length of the book, 448 pages in 52 chapters, gives some indication of the depth, background research and first-hand knowledge which went into writing it. My intent was to provide a definitive treatment of fly fishing in the Smokies, buttressed by side trails into the region's rich history and plenty of personal anecdotes."

Byron Begley, proprietor of Little River Outfitters, perhaps the best-known fly shop on the Tennessee side of the Park, praises Jim Casada's work. "I am absolutely fascinated by this book and will be from now on. This is the complete book about fly fishing in the Smokies. It is obvious that Jim knows more about the Park's streams, the area's history and heritage, and our sport than anyone I have met. It is a masterpiece."

Casada's father once commented that thanks to fishing, Jim had enjoyed "a marvelously misspent life." Casada, who grew up within walking distance of the Park in the small Smokies' town of Bryson City, N. C., devoted virtually every summer day of his adolescence to fishing nearby Park streams, and in adulthood his love affair with the Park expanded to include repeated excursions into the backcountry.

His angling experiences have brought him in contact with many of the region's famed fly tyers, guides, and all sorts of endearing characters. As a trained historian and retired university professor, Casada also has particular interest in the area's rich history and enduring traditions.

Jim Casada is a widely published author whose work has appeared in virtually all the major national and regional outdoor magazines. He has written more than 4,000 magazine features as well as having written or edited more than 40 books. Fly fishing for trout has been a significant focus of his work, which includes two previous books in the field, the award-winning Modern Fly Fishing and Beginner's Guide to Fly Fishing, along with articles for magazines such as Trout, Eastern Fly Fishing, Fly Fisherman, North American Fisherman, Salmon-Trout-Steelhead, and many others.

Past president of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, Casada is the recipient of more that 150 regional or national awards for his writing and photography, and was honored by the Federation of Fly Fishermen with a Lifetime Membership and its Arnold Gingrich Memorial Award for contributions to the literature of fly fishing, and has been recognized by the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association with its most prestigious service award. He has taught fly fishing in the University of Tennessee's Smoky Mountain Field School for more than 20 years and has led dozens of angling trips to Montana, Wyoming, and other destinations.

Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: An Insider's Guide to a Pursuit of Passion, is available in both paperbound and hardback formats. The 448-page book contains 52 chapters covering every major Park stream as well as equipment, tactics and techniques, safety issues, "Seasons of the Smokies," recipes for trout, and an extensive annotated bibliography. It includes dozens of stream graphs as well as ones covering average rainfall and temperatures on a month-by-month basis; scores of photos; a removable map showing Park trails, designated frontcountry and backcountry campsites, and other features. The hardbound version sells for $37.50 and the paperbound one for $24.95. Postage and handling is $5. Copies can be ordered using PayPal by visiting www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com, where those interested in learning more can check out a link providing the book's Table of Contents along with selections from several portions of the book. Those wishing to pay by check or money order can order by writing High Country Press, 1250 Yorkdale Dr., Rock Hill, SC 29730-7638. The author will gladly fill requests for signed or inscribed copies.

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