Fisherman Mark Spitzer takes readers on an action-packed investigation of the most fierce and fearsome freshwater grotesques of the American West ever to inspire both hatred and fascination. Through the lenses of history, folklore, biology, ecology, and politics, Beautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West depicts the environmental destruction plaguing the most maligned creatures in our midst while subtly interweaving Spitzer's experiences of personal tragedy and self-discovery. Join Spitzer as he noodles for flathead catfish in Oklahoma, snags paddlefish in Missouri, trotline- and electro-fishes American eels in Arkansas, studies razorback suckers in Arizona, bounty hunts for pikeminnows in Washington State, attends a burbot festival in Utah, stirs up Asian carp in Kansas, and breaks the state record for the largest yellow bullhead ever caught in Nebraska. By examining freakish links in a vital chain and working with specialists in the field, Spitzer portrays a planet in environmental crisis and dispels the illusion that our actions don't result in long-term, toxic consequences. Spitzer offers models for fisheries and provides other sources of hope in this informative epic of redemption that ultimately celebrates the wild and resilient beauty and remaining possibilities of the American West. Watch a book trailer. Visit the Where in the West is Mark Spitzer? blog series for additional reading and a look at more photographs not included in the book.

In this book the Author conveys his opinions on issues close to his heart. Such as the over predation of fisheries by cormorants and otters and the lack of terrestrial tv angling programmes. The book calls upon Wilson's personal angling experiences, recollections and techniques gathered from his ventures at home and abroad.

Essential Fly Fishing - an all-colour handbook - presents the fundamentals of this great sport quickly and effectively. Proven teaching techniques and bright, helpful colour illustrations will enable new fly fishers to: find fish in streams, lakes, and salt water; select and assemble proper, balanced tackle; cast a fly line with authority - with rhythm, not strength; recognise and learn to simulate natural fish foods; learn techniques that really work; tie effective knots that have maximum strength; and begin the endlessly interesting process of tying your own flies. This book concisely explains fishing ethics, offers helpful safety precautions, and defines basic angling terms. The chapter on fly-rod fish describes the unique sport that many species - from trout to whitefish - offer fly fishers. Essential Fly Fishing is a crisp, helpful, superbly illustrated primer of the highest rank.

An intensely private and shy man, Hoover the person was largely unknown to the American public. In this extensively researched biography devoted to the angling side of Hoover, author Hal Elliott Wert examines the often overlooked life of our thirty-first president. In a presidency plagued by the Depression, in a time when the country was poised between the agrarian society of the past and the advent of a modern professional class, Herbert Hoover faced numerous challenges. A thinker and a doer who shaped the way we live today, Hoover found relief from the stresses of his professional life in his pastime, fishing. Herbert Hoover fished near his hometown of West Branch, Iowa, as a boy and then moved to Oregon, where he fished the Rogue, Willamette, McKenzie, and Columbia rivers. As a young man, he attended Stanford and fished and camped throughout the West during breaks. He fished and spent time in the outdoors throughout his life and especially in his years as president. He founded Cave Man Camp at Bohemian Grove north of San Francisco, a yearly getaway for powerful Republicans, and Camp Rapidan in Virginia while he was in the White House. In addition to freshwater fishing, Hoover enjoyed fishing the salt. On trips to Florida later in his life, he stalked bonefish and fished for permit and the larger species, such as sailfish.

Finalist, New Brunswick Book Award for Non-FictionFrom the first sentence, "I come from a long line of river people," to the last, "Bad luck to kill a moose bird," Wayne Curtis signals that this book occupies the territory of a classic, a lyrical memoir of a river and those who submit to its call.New Brunswick's Miramichi River is one of the most entrancing salmon rivers in the world. In Fishing the High Country, Curtis has created what can only be described as a river masterpiece, a lyrical record of time and place, of those who are drawn to its side and those who cast their lines into its waters.Drawing on his experience of life along the river -- as a boy, as a young man, and as a river guide among guides, Wayne Curtis crafts the compelling memoir of this place, a high country where he spins his tales, casts his flies, and fishes the river and woods for his stories. The Miramichi vibrates in Curtis's bones. His cast of characters are earthy, whimsical, and wise. His eye for the telling detail and his rooted understanding of lives lived humbly will captivate readers with its near mystical blend of the mysteries of fly fishing and the affections of the heart.

(back cover):
Being able to tie your own flies gives an added dimension to the already absorbing hobby of fly fishing. This foolproof book is a complete guide to making 50 versatile flies for trout and salmon fishing.
Each featured fly includes close-up shots and an explanation of its component parts, from threads and yarns to beads, tinsels, and feathers. A full-page photograph is also presented.
Clear instructions allow you to master the core techniques quickly, and detailed photographs take you through every stage of the process, from dubbing the body to fixing the hook.
Learn how to make sturdy dry flies, wet flies, bugs, nymphs, hairwings, and streamers. Each entry indicates where the fly should sit in the water, and which fish it is best used to catch.
PETER GATHERCOLE is one of Britain's leading fly dressers, and he is also a popular photographer and writer of articles and books on game fishing.. His work has appeared in "Trout and Salmon "and many other magazines, and his previous books include "The Sotheby's Guide to Fly Fishing for Trout, Catch That Fish, "and the hugely successful "The Fly Tying Bible."

The Shenandoah Valley is famous for its role in Civil War history and for its great natural beauty. But there is something else: it is a tremendous place to fish. "Fishing the Shenandoah Valley: An Angler's Guide" is the latest stop in author M. W. Smith's continuing tour of the Commonwealth's great fishing spots.

Surveying the entire Shenandoah River drainage system, including the Allegheny Mountains to the west, Smith looks in depth at these remarkably diverse waters. The book takes you by county through many of the region's stocked trout streams, as well as the wild trout streams of Shenandoah National Park, with advice for both spinning and fly-fishing. The area's largest impoundments, Lakes Frederick and Shenandoah, are thoroughly covered, from access points and contact information to the best techniques for landing largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and catfish. The book also devotes an entire chapter to the Shenandoah River, and includes more than just sound advice on catching smallmouth bass - you also get details on float trips, including tips on the river's rapids, as well as adjustments for winter and spring fishing.

As with all of M. W. Smith's fishing guides, "Fishing the Shenandoah Valley "takes your complete fishing trip into account, answering questions about guide services, tackle shops, campsites - as well as providing detailed descriptions of the various species, so you know what you're catching, not simply how to catch it. There's always more to fishing than just getting a line wet.

Originally published in 1950, this book presents a comprehensive anthropological discussion of fishing written by the renowned British ethnographer and zoologist James Hornell (1865-1949). The text begins with an account of methods and tools used in fishing, before moving on to the processes of fishing in different parts of the world, including, but not limited to, India, Sri Lanka, the Far East and Polynesia. Numerous illustrative figures and a bibliography are also incorporated. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in anthropology, ethnography and the history of fishing.

Championed as one of the gentlest and most calming of field sports, angling has had its notable votaries throughout its history, from Isaak Walton to Horatio Nelson. In this charming book on the pleasures of fly fishing, the eminent chemist Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829) adds his name to the list. He assigns his often poetic arguments to an imaginary cast of four friends, some of whom adore the sport while others question its morality as they embark on a series of angling trips. As their conversations progress, the friends discuss entomology and biology, the finer techniques of landing trout, and the use of peacock feathers and yellow monkey fur in the making of artificial flies. Originally published in 1828, Davy's book offers a glimpse of the sportsman behind the chemist and remains both accessible and instructive for modern enthusiasts.

Learn the switch cast, single spey, double spey, snake roll, snap T, and devon switch, and now the skagit cast The efficient way for anglers to catch fish--including trout, striped bass, salmon, and steelhead--on big, moving waters

No other cast is more graceful, or more fun to learn, than the spey cast. Champion spey caster Simon Gawesworth teaches the casts, some of which he developed himself, all of which he has mastered as an angler and instructor. Revised and updated to include the latest trends, this new edition has a completely new chapter on skagit casting, a remarkably easy way to lift the largest flies and lines with the fastest sinking tips from the water--this cast is ideal for tight backcasting situations.