NEW BOOKS

September/October 2004

King of Fish: The Thousand-Year Run of Salmon
David R. Montgomery, Westview Press/Perseus Books ( Cambridge , MA ), (800)255-1514 or (617)252-5200, fax: (617)252-5275, www.perseusbooks.com, 2003, 290 pp., $26, hardcover.
Beluga Days: Tracking a White Whale’s Truths
Nancy Lord, Counterpoint ( New York ), (212)340-8100, fax: (212)340-8115, www.perseusbooks.com, 2004, 242 pp., $25, hardcover.
Heal the Ocean: Solutions for Saving Our Seas
Rod Fujita, New Society Publishers ( British Columbia , Canada ), (800)567-6772 or (250)247-9737, fax: (250)247-7471, www.newsociety.com, 2003, 226 pp., $16.95, softcover.
Our Fragile Coastal Fisheries
Don Phillips, The Tropical Angler (930 E. Inlet Drive, Marco Island, FL 34145), tropangler@cyberisle.com or www.trafford.com, 2004, 245 pp., illustrated, $20, softcover.
       Geologist David Montgomery sees the evolution and near-extinction of the salmon as a story of changing landscapes. In King of Fish he traces the human impacts on salmon over the last thousand years and examines the implications both for salmon recovery efforts and for the more general problem of human impacts on the natural world. Beluga Days is a fascinating look at Alaskan culture. Cook Inlet ’s beluga whales are an isolated and genetically distinct population. With hunters, regulators, environmentalists, researchers, businesspeople and whale lovers, Nancy Lord explores the challenges of protecting these whales and their habitat while respecting centuries-old traditions and accommodating the forces of change. Heal the Ocean features stories that show how people have succeeded in their efforts to reduce human impacts and even restore parts of the ocean. Rod Fujita, a marine ecologist dedicated to protecting ocean ecosystems, first describes the nature of ocean environments and discusses current and emerging threats, then offers workable solutions for protecting and restoring the oceans. Don Phillips spent three years doing research for his third book, Our Fragile Coastal Fisheries, interviewing fishery managers and biologists around the country to provide a balanced perspective on the health of our marine fish populations. He provides an amazing amount of information which helps us understand how inshore fisheries are struggling to survive the effects of overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction.

Saltwater Fly Fishing from Maine to Texas
Don Phillips, ed., Frank Amato Publications ( Portland , OR ), (800)541-9498 or (503)653-8108, fax: (503)653-2766, www.amatobooks.com, 2001, 133 pp., illustrated, $14.95, softcover.
Fly Fishing for Bonefish, Dick Brown
Fly Fishing in Salt Water, Lefty Kreh
The Lyons Press ( Guilford , CT ), (888)249-7568 or (203)458-4500, fax: (800)820-2329 or (203)458-4603, www.globe-pequot.com, 2003, 334/321 pp., illustrated, $19.95 each, softcover.
       Saltwater Fly Fishing from Maine to Texas , edited by Don Phillips, contains a vast amount of information for those interested in this very popular sport. Forty-three destinations on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are featured, each covered by a top professional guide from the area who can best answer questions about the food local species eat, the flies and techniques that are most productive, what tackle to use, what time of year is best for a trip, etc. Fly Fishing for Bonefish, first published in 1993, remains a definitive reference for beginners and experts alike. Dick Brown profiles this elusive fish and dissects the skills needed to catch it: how to find and see bonefish; camouflage techniques the fish adopts; effects of tide, temperature and weather; stripping methods that work best; how to set drag; and more. Plus chapters on fly selection and major bonefishing destinations. And speaking of classics, Lefty Kreh’s indispensable Fly Fishing in Salt Water has been completely updated in this third revised edition. The techniques needed to catch all the major saltwater species are covered in detail, plus how to fish from boats, how to wade the flats, the tackle you’ll need – rods, lines and leaders, flies – and how to use it, how to chum, how to tie the necessary knots, how to make long casts, how to tease sailfish, plus much more from the acknowledged master.

Solomon Starbucks Striper
Roy Rowan, Book Nook Press ( Block Island , RI ), (401)466-2993, fax: (401)466-9936, www.booknookbi.com, 2003, 86 pp., illustrated, $22.95, hardcover.
Fly-Fishing with Trout-tail
K. H. Lucas, Trout-tail LLC ( Grosse Point , MI ), fax: (772)382-8565, www.trout-tail.com, 2002, 40 pp., illustrated, $19.95 plus $1 S/H, hardcover.
Adventures of Snooky Under the Sea
Karen Monaghan and Maureen Monaghan-Faber, Brian J. Publishing (Ambler, PA), www.snookybook.com, 2003, 33 pp., illustrated, $16.95, softcover.
One Lonely Sea Horse, Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers
Starfish: Stars of the Sea, Connie and Peter Roop
Scholastic Inc. ( New York ), (800)770-4662, fax: (800)560-6815, www.scholastic.com, 2000/2002, 28/30 pp., illustrated, $15.95/$3.99, hardcover/softcover.
Pirate Pink and Treasures of the Reef
Jan Day, Pelican Publishing Company ( Gretna , LA), (800)843-1724 or (504)368-1175, fax: (504)368-1195, www.pelicanpub.com, 2003, 32 pp., illustrated, $14.95, hardcover.
       Solomon Starbucks Striper, a story about following your dreams, is for adults as well as children. Inspired by Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Roy Rowan’s fictional fish quits his preppy East Coast school (where he was ostracized because of his coffee-colored stripes) and swims alone -- seeking a higher purpose in life than simply filling his gut while at the same time trying not to be eaten by bigger fish. Digital photography, colorful graphics and cutout images help to introduce children to the outdoors, fly fishing, and conservation in Fly-Fishing with Trout-tail. K. H. Lucas takes young readers on a journey with a boy named Trout-tail and writes about flies, equipment and knots, plus developing a love of the natural world and time spent on the water with others. Snooky the cat accompanies his family on a fishing trip, but when a giant wave knocks him off the boat his adventure really begins as he makes new friends under the sea. Featuring the patented technique of 2-D custom holograms, Adventures of Snooky Under the Sea by Karen Monaghan and Maureen Monaghan-Faber teaches the value of friendships and the importance of helping others. Children ages 4-7 will enjoy One Lonely Sea Horse, a friendly counting-to-10 book in which sea creatures are sculpted from food. Adults too will be amused by the clever presentations – of banana octupi, angelfish peppers, etc. – created by authors Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. Designed for preschool/Grade 1 children, Starfish: Stars of the Sea is a fine introduction to underwater life. It features Connie and Peter Roop’s simple text, full-page, colorful illustrations by Carol Schwartz, and valuable advice from an education specialist on how to read to your child and how to listen to your child read to you. In Jan Day’s second book, Pirate Pink and Treasures of the Reef (for ages 5-8), Pink is on the hunt for underwater treasure. She and her friend Juan board nasty Captain Snagg’s wrecked ship hoping to find coins and jewels. When Snagg and his crew suddenly return, Pink and Juan escape with the help of a shark, a sea turtle, and their own ingenuity.

Traver on Fishing, Robert Traver, edited by Nick Lyons
As Told at the Explorers Club, George Plimpton, ed.
The Lyons Press (contact information above), 2001/2003, 320/445 pp., $14.95/$24.95, softcover/hardcover.
Flies, Ties & Lies Including Chauncy Lively’s Favorite Patterns
Thomas Neil Zacoi, Josten’s Commercial Publications ( State College , PA ), fax: (717)935-2283, 2003, 185 pp., $27.95, hardcover.
69º North
Robert Jackson, The Book Guild Ltd ( Lewes , Sussex , UK ), 011-44-1825-723398, fax: 011-44-1273-476472, jessica@bookguild.co.uk, 2003, 233 pp., £16.95, hardcover.
       The late Robert Traver especially loved fishing for – and writing about – native brook trout on Michigan ’s Upper Peninsula . His tales made for memorable books and numerous essays and stories in a wide variety of magazines. Traver on Fishing, edited by Nick Lyons, is a collection of marvelous writings, full of the wit and wisdom of this master storyteller. The Explorers Club was incorporated in 1905 with the mission to “promote exploration by all possible means.” As Told at the Explorers Club celebrates the Club’s centennial anniversary; the 50 fascinating stories in this book, assembled by member George Plimpton, will take you to all corners of the globe -- from the Arctic to Antarctica and all points in between -- with all sorts of adventurers and explorers. Tom Zacoi’s Flies, Ties & Lies is a comprehensive guide on advanced fly fishing techniques for trout. As an added bonus, the book contains a tribute to the late Chauncy Lively (recognized as a master of the sport), as well as tying instructions for some of his favorite and most productive patterns. Jeff Wynn and John Hinderliter are responsible for the excellent illustrations and artwork. 69º North is a thriller set in Russia ’s Kola peninsula against the backdrop of the stockpiles of nuclear waste that threaten the Arctic region. Genia Sukhov hunts bears in winter and serves as head guide on the Volna, one of the finest salmon fishing rivers in the world, in summer. When an elite fishing party arrives at the camp, the entertaining story begins to unfold.

Instinctive Fly Fishing: A Guide’s Guide to Better Fishing, Taylor Streit
Lefty Kreh’s Ultimate Guide to Fly Fishing, Lefty Kreh
Dyeing and Bleaching Natural Fly-Tying Materials, A. K. Best
The Lyons Press (contact information above), 2003/2003/2004, 213/406/166 pp., illustrated, $24.95/$40/$24.95, hardcover.
       Taylor Streit has seen thousands of clients catch trout over the years, and their successes and failures often boil down to a few elementary rules: keep the sun at your back, keep your silhouette off the water, think like a predator, and so on. In Instinctive Fly Fishing he discusses his techniques -- and his novel approach -- in chapters dedicated to nymph and dry-fly fishing, proper casting strokes, dealing with slack, bluegills and bobbers, reading water, hiring a guide, wading and fishing with kids. Lefty Kreh is generally acknowledged around the world as being the wisest and most widely-read fly fishing instructor. Now his tips and techniques are available in a single volume, Lefty Kreh’s Ultimate Guide to Fly Fishing . Included in this 400-page reference: selecting rods, lines and leaders for fresh and saltwater; casting (basic, advanced, saltwater, problems); approaching fish; presenting flies; techniques for different species; fly design and selection; fishing in rivers and lakes, inshore and offshore; and much more. The second edition of Dyeing and Bleaching Natural Fly-Tying Materials focuses on one of the most crucial aspects of the fly tyer’s art: color control. A. K. Best brings both amateur and professional fly dressers up-to-date with new techniques and refinements as he explores the equipment and supplies needed for accurate and safe dyeing and bleaching, then moves on to such subjects as body feathers, bucktails, deer and elk hair, furs, bleaching and dye recipes.

JAX Fish House Book of Fish
Dave Query and Jill Zeh Richter, Pruett Publishing Company ( Boulder , CO ), (800)247-8224 or (303)449-4919, fax: (800)592-9727 or (303)443-9019, www.pruettpublishing.com, 2002, 124 pp., illustrated, $30, softcover.
One Fish, Two Fish, Crawfish, Bluefish: The Smithsonian Sustainable Seafood Cookbook
Carole C. Baldwin and Julie H. Mounts, Smithsonian Institution ( Washington , DC ), (800)233-4830 or (202)275-2300, www.sipress.si.edu, 2003, 336 pp., illustrated, $35, hardcover.
The World’s Best Catfish Cookbook
Stan Warren, Stoeger Publishing Company ( Accokeek , MD ), (877)486-2665 or (301)283-6300, fax: (301)283-6986, www.stoegerindustries.com, 2003, 128 pp., illustrated, $18.95, softcover.
The Contented Poacher: Tales and Recipes from an Epicure in the Wilderness
Elantu B. Veovode, Ten Speed Press ( Berkeley , CA ), (800)841-2665 or (510)559-1600, fax: (510)524-4588, www.tenspeed.com, 2003, 271 pp., illustrated, $24.95, hardcover.
       JAX Fish House, home to great seafood and lots of noise and fun, is a Denver favorite. Owner Dave Query and former JAX chef Jill Zeh Richter have put together more than 70 of their most requested recipes in JAX Fish House Book of Fish. They’ve been adapted for home cooking so you’ll have no problem creating these great dishes at home. America’s top chefs – Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Emeril Legasse, Tod English and more than 90 others -- contributed 150 delicious and ecologically sound finfish and shellfish seafood recipes to One Fish, Two Fish, Crawfish, Bluefish: The Smithsonian Sustainable Seafood Cookbook. Authors Carole Baldwin and Julie Mounts concentrate on U.S. species that are fished or farmed in an ecologically sound manner. Beautifully illustrated, too. Stan Warren is a writer, photographer, fishing guide on Tennessee ’s Pickwick Lake , and two-time winner of the National Catfish Derby Cook-off. Chapters in The World’s Best Catfish Cookbook include cleaning, cooking methods, interesting catfish facts and trivia as well as recipes. The Contented Poacher, by woodswoman Elantu Veovode, is a distinctly unique cookbook for the adventurous culinarian. It features more than 90 original recipes – for porcupine, rattlesnake, crayfish, prairie dog, catfish, armadillo, etc. -- plus humorous tales about life in the outdoors and cooking tips.