To catch fish, you need to know where to fish.
Steve visited every location discussed and discovered Maryland provides a startling array of trout fishing opportunities, ranging from some surprising locations on the Eastern Shore all the way to the wild and roiling rivers of Garrett County in the western mountains. This book covers 100% of the stocked trout water in Maryland along with the better known wild trout streams. For each, Steve provides a description, directions and an itemized list of access points. However, knowing anglers judge water by "how it looks," he includes at least one picture (551 total) for each location, allowing you to make an informed judgment before burning the gas to visit any particular spot.
Given the availability of GPS technology on devices ranging from cell phones to car navigation systems, Steve includes 902 GPS coordinates to describe the stream boundaries as well as every known access point. Plug these into your navigation system for custom directions or into the Google(TM) satellite view for a bird's-eye perspective of the water and the surrounding terrain.
Add your own favorite wild streams using the methodological approach described in the chapter on "Blue Lining." Finally, Steve's chapter on "Stocked Trout Behavior" contains lessons learned from a number scientific studies. Understanding the movement dynamics of freshly stocked fish allows you to position yourself to maximize your catch!
Reviewed and checked by members of the Potomac-Patuxent and Northern Virginia Chapters of Trout Unlimited, Potomac Valley Fly Fishers, and the Annapolis Chapter of the Free State Fly Fishers.
Feedback included:
"Likely to be regarded as the 'Bible' for trout fishing"
"Your work is well prepared, it is impressive"
About the Author: Steve is an avid, hard-core, terminally addicted fisherman. He was ruined for life when his father introduced him to the sport at the age of 7 while living in Norway as a result of military duty. Chasing trout on mountain streams left an enduring imprint and drive to find new water... something that tortures Steve to this day.
Of course, this was preordained since Steve's father was fishing in a local bass tournament on the morning Steve was born. His father claims to have had permission to go, but Steve's mother does not remember the actual facts matching that story. The point that he won a nice Shakespeare reel did nothing to mitigate the trouble he was in upon his return.
