Jeremy Paxman has created the perfect literary catch for fellow angling enthusiasts in this rich and varied anthology. Ten thoroughly entertaining themed chapters include 'Ones That Got Away', 'Ones That Didn�t Get Away' and 'Fish That Bit Back'. Each is introduced by Paxman�s own sharp, humorous observations and features both contemporary and historical writing about fishing in prose and verse, covering everything from tench tickling to piranha attacks. Some pieces are well known favourites, others are obscure, every one is a delight. 'A superb compilation because it roams from carp to cod, trout to tarpon and does not regurgitate the same old clippings. Paxman has clearly read widely and wisely in putting this together ... probably the definitive anthology of angling writing.' Keith Elliott, Independent on Sunday.
Beyond his life as an English professor, book publisher, and writer, Lyons has always had a "secret fishing life", explored in this collection of wise, gentle, and witty essays. Illustrations.
Kreh, the Johnny Cash of fly-fishing writers ("Baltimore Sun"), takes his readers on an angling journey through the last half-century. He relates tales of fishing expeditions with Fidel Castro as well as solo battles with some of the most elusive fish in the world. 10 color photos.
Early in the blue-black morning, a father and son slip out of the house with their fishing poles and a can of worms. But this is no ordinary fishing trip. With their lines and bobbers, they cast high into the air to catch the breeze, the sky, the sun, and best of all -- some wonderful memories. In her first picture book, Sharon Creech, author of the Newbery Medal winner Walk Two Moons, teams up with Caldecott Honor artist Chris Raschka to create a beautifully lyrical and richly imagined tale about the powerful bond between a father and son.
The sport of angling has many lessons to teach. Whether we visit the neighborhood pond, the bubbling brook, or the open seas, the message of the waters is the same: Be prepared, be patient, and enjoy the moment. This book examines nine timeless principles based on the art of angling. Vtilizing the words of renownes fishermen, writers and philosophers, each principle is examines in light of its application to fishing and, more importantly, its application to life. Book jacket.
"I love to fish. When I cannot fish, I think about fishing. I tie flies and read books about fishing. I correspond with fishermen all over the country. Most of my close friends are fishing partners. I cannot imagine not fishing. I would not be me if I did not fish". So writes William Tapply in the Introduction to this fascinating book. Tapply learned to love fishing on the muddy banks of nearby ponds and creeks, where bluegills and horned pout ate the worms that he dangled beneath a bobber, and later he became, inevitably, addicted to fly fishing. In the half century of his fly-fishing life, he has traveled to storied waters and fished passionately for large and exotic species -- though he has never lost his love for the simplicity of just fishin' his home waters. "A Fly-Fishing Life" is mostly autobiographical and anecdotal; it's about people and places, fish and insects, success and failure, growing up and growing old.
From the highly acclaimed author of Ninety-two in the Shade and Cloudbursts comes a collection of alternately playful and exquisite essays—including seven collected here for the first time—borne of a lifetime spent fishing. "Thomas McGuane writes about fishing better than anyone else in the history of mankind." —Jim Harrison, New York Times bestselling author of Legends of the Fall The forty extraordinary pieces in The Longest Silence take the reader from the tarpon of Florida to the salmon of Iceland, from the bonefish of Mexico to the trout of Montana. They introduce characters as varied as a highly literate Canadian frontiersman and a devoutly Mormon river guide and address issues ranging from the esoteric art of tying flies to the enduring philosophy of a seventeenth-century angler to the trials of the aging fisherman. Both reverent and hilarious by turns, and infused with a deep experience of wildlife and the outdoors, The Longest Silence sets the heart pounding for a glimpse of moving water and demonstrates what dedication to sport reveals about life.
Life at the End of the Rod: Tales of a Fisherman is the lifelong journey of Robert Veltidi as he grows into a man. The outdoors was an important part of his upbringing, and he transported that love of the outdoors into his way of life. This book begins with his earliest recollection of fishing, takes us through a time of self-discovery and exploration, then to a rebirth of his love of fishing. Then the author leaps back into fishing as a means of relaxation and camaraderie between him and his father and brothers. Later on, after the death of his father, his son joins the group, along with a host of friends of all the Veltidi boys. Each story is the tale of one time that the author feels either fishing has affected his life or that he affected somebody else's life by fishing. "My Fishing Beginnings" is the author's first recollections of his fishing life. It introduces you to the boy that he was and later the man he would become. Like the prologue, "My Fishing Beginnings," gives you the background information about the people in the rest of the stories. "The Home Pond" is a tribute to the author's grandparents. They played a huge role in his early childhood. Although the story takes place on one brief day, it depicts life in a rural area in the early 1950s. "Huck Grows Up" takes place over two summers and tells of the fishing adventures of the author when he was first given his independence and allowed to go out fishing and into town on his own. It was a turning point in his life when childhood dreams change and his life takes a new direction. "The Norma K" is the author's first experience into ocean fishing. It's interesting because the story is divided into three sub-chapters: "The Norma K," "The Norma K II," and "The Norman K III." All three were party boats out of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, that the author fished on in various times in his life, first with his father, then with his wife, and finally with his son. All three experiences were surprisingly similar in some ways and subtlety different in others. "The Norma K" is the last story of the author as a child and it finishes up with him as an adult. The remaining stories depict the author as an adult or as near to one as he can be while still having as much fun as he can while fishing. "My Turn" is the first story the author ever wrote. It came after the death of his father, and it was part of the grieving process the author went through. The story tells of the changing of the guard when the son becomes the leader, and mentor, and fulfills one of his father's lifelong dreams with surprising results. "Fixing a Roof" is a whimsical tale of grown men deciding to play hooky for the day and go fishing. This is where you meet Alan, the author's brother, and are introduced to one of Alan's friends. "Lake Ontario" is an ongoing process; it started in 1987 when the author's father died and chronicled the first eight years of an ongoing trip that continues even to today. In this tale you become more acquainted with Doug, the author's son, and he becomes a vital part of the rest of the saga. "New Jersey Trout" is the exploration into new waters and the discovery of a whole new fishery. Along the way, the author meets new friends and bonds closely with his son. "Tiger Muskies" is the start of something new; the author has stepped up and bought a bigger boat. The small lake fishing and wading by the edge of the streams has been replaced by fishing for trophy sport fish. It is also the second story written by the author. "Thoughts on Retirement" is a reflective essay that was written one afternoon in August when the author was sitting down in his shed by the lake and was a little scared of what the future would bring. For the first time in fifty years the author was free of any obligations. "Shark Fishing at Montau
What happens when the oceans are emptied of all their fish? What happens when three hundred years of human knowledge and expertise disappear before the onslaught of the technology-driven world? The Doryman’s Reflection is simply the most accurate and eloquent account of what transpired in the New England fisheries over the past half century, as told by the people who lived it, including author Paul Molyneaux. Fishermen survive as relics, the last hunter-gatherers among us. Their boats, crammed with ropes and nets, carry the mystique of a nearly forgotten world ruled by the elements. Now an accomplished writer, Molyneaux as a young man journeyed to Maine with no experience and a dream of working on a boat. This is the story of his apprenticeship with Bernard Raynes, one of Maine’s last independent commercial fishermen. The Doryman’s Reflection speaks to those who want to know what really happened, and what will happen, on our oceans. Part coming-of-age memoir, part biography, it is a very personal account of what families in this dying but important industry face each day. Molyneaux shares his own history as a young man seeking the fisherman’s life in Maine and Alaska. Originally published in 2005, it has been thoroughly updated to cover the events of the past ten years. Told through the life of the colorful and engaging Bernard Raynes, The Doryman’s Reflection is alive and real and powerful—far from a dry, pedantic treatise on the economics of commercial fishing.
