NEW BOOKS

May/June 2006

 The New Jersey Boat Fisherman, Nick Honachefsky
Fishing the Long Island Coast, Tom Melton
Burford Books (Springfield, NJ ), (888)672-5247 or (973)258-0960, fax: (973)258-0113, www.burfordbooks.com, 2005, 168/142 pp., illustrated, $16.95, softcover.
Rudow’s Guide to Fishing the Chesapeake
Lenny Rudow, Tidewater Publishers (Centreville, MD), (800)638-7641 or (410)758-1075, fax: (410)758-6849, www.cmptp.com, 2005, 302 pp., illustrated, $14.50, softcover. Everglades National Park and the Surrounding Area
Roger L. Hammer, Falcon/Globe Pequot Press ( Guilford, CT ), (888)249-7568 or (203)458-4500, fax: (800)820-2329 or (203)458-4603, www.globe-pequot.com, 2005, 177 pp., illustrated, $12.95, softcover.
    Fifty ocean spots off the New Jersey coast are the focus of Nick Honachefsky’s guide for the boating angler. From Sandy Hook ’s Raritan Bay to the waters of Delaware Bay off Cape May Point , New Jersey hosts some prime opportunities for striped bass, fluke, cod, sharks, tuna, and other species. The New Jersey Boat Fisherman is filled with details on these locations, how to find them (including GPS and Loran specifics) and how they are fished. Hundreds of miles of great fishing are highlighted in Fishing the Long Island Coast, from the barrier-beaches of the south to the bays and inlets on the north, with the fabled Montauk Point in the center. In seven chapters Tom Melton discusses the species, hotspots, Montauk surf fishing, wrecks, ramps and beach access, party and charter boats, tackle shops and even some of his favorite freshwater spots. Rudow’s Guide to Fishing the Chesapeake is a comprehensive look at all of the Chesapeake ’s waters. Custom-marked charts feature more than 550 boating, 35 public shoreline fishing spots, and 33 public boat ramps. Lenny Rudow examines the popular Bay sport fish and the most effective methods of catching them during each season, and both modern and traditional tackle and rigs are discussed. FalconGuide®’s Everglades National Park and the Surrounding Area covers 2.5 million acres of pristine and diverse landscapes and wildlife habitats, from dry, rocky pineland to open marshes. With Roger Hammer’s help you’ll be sure to catch the best scenic vistas, wildlife viewing opportunities, outdoor adventures, and wilderness experiences this subtropical region has to offer.

Confessions of a Billfisherman
John Angus, Halcyon Publishing Ltd. ( Auckland , New Zealand ), 011-64-9-489-5337, fax: 011-64-9-489-5218, info@halcyonpublishing.co.nz, 2005, 210 pp., illustrated, NZ$39.95, softcover.
Sam Mossman’s Saltwater Secrets
Sam Mossman , Reed Books ( Auckland , New Zealand ), available through office@fishnz.co.nz, 2005, 195 pp., illustrated, US$25 plus US$10 S/H, softcover.
George Poveromo’s Cutting Edge Saltwater Fishing Tactics
George Poveromo, Outdoor Associates Books ( Parkland , FL ), (800)448-7360, www.georgepoveromo.com, 2005, 111 pp., illustrated, $24.95, softcover.
    John Angus is a dedicated billfisherman. Having fished all over the world, he moved his family to New Zealand in 2001 to partake in the South Pacific’s great billfishing. The winner of numerous tournaments and awards, he’s tagged and released well over 100 billfish: blue, black and striped marlin, broadbill swordfish and shortbilled spearfish. This book of “confessions” contains tales of his personal billfish battles. Sam Mossman’s sixth book is the latest in his comprehensive guides for saltwater angling. He examines the latest gear and the most successful techniques, and takes an in-depth look at New Zealand ’s most popular species. Saltwater Secrets also includes up-to-the-minute scientific information; fascinating fishing lore; and tips on catching and preserving bait, maintaining your tackle, safely releasing your catch and food preparation. Cutting Edge Saltwater Fishing Tactics is filled with sage advice from fishing expert George Poveromo that will help you catch more and bigger fish – inshore and offshore. Topics covered include tides, barometric pressure and water temperature, offshore trolling, kite fishing techniques, electronics, chumming, teasers, choosing the right tackle, releasing your catch, and much more.

Big Bass Zone , Bill Siemantel and Michael Jones
Practical Bowfishing , William Hovey Smith
Stoeger Publishing Company ( Accokeek , MD ), (877)486-2665 or (301)283-6300, fax: (301)283-6986, www.stoegerpublishing.com, 2005/2004, 28/192 pp., illustrated, $24.95/$17.95, softcover.
Side-Drifting for Steelhead , JD Richey and Fred Contaoi
Fly-Fishing Techniques for Smallmouth Bass , Harry Murray
Frank Amato Publications ( Portland , OR ), (800)541-9498 or (503)653-8108, fax: (503)653-2766, www.amatobooks.com, 2005, 95/119 pp., illustrated, $15.95/$19.95, softcover.
    Big Bass Zone provides innovative, fresh ideas for catching the giants – whether you fish in Missouri or California , Florida or Japan . Authors Bill Siemantel and Michael Jones have drawn on years of experience, developing new lures and exploring new techniques. They insist the only difference between those who catch big bass and those who don’t is dedication and the right information, and they aim to help you with the second part. William Hovey Smith covers every aspect of the sport of bowfishing, from the basics of how to select and use equipment to the popular fresh- and saltwater bowfishing species. Presented by Archer’s Bible, Practical Bowfishing also takes a look at techniques, boats and boat rigging, tournaments, organizations and suppliers, recipes, and more. There are many ways to describe side-drifting, but the bottom line is that it’s a very effective way to catch steelhead. JD Richey is one of the top side-drifting guides on the U.S. west coast, and in Side-Drifting for Steelhead he shares everything you need to be successful. Side-drifting includes three methods – freedrifting, side gliding, and boondogging. Each method is explained in depth, including the basic gear. In Fly-Fishing Techniques for Smallmouth Bass, Harry Murray shows anglers of all skill levels the tackle, flies and casting methods that are effective when fly fishing for this species. He tells you how to find the best places to fish and takes a detailed look at the minnows found in smallmouth rivers, the flies that match them, and the most productive techniques for fishing them.

Zane Grey on Fishing, Terry Mort, ed.
Into the Backing, Lamar Underwood, ed.
The Lyons Press ( Guilford, CT ), (888)249-7568 or (203)458-4500, fax: (203)458-4603, www.globe-pequot.com, 2005 printings, 268 illustrated/283 pp., $16.95, softcover.
Oceanographers and the Cold War: Disciplines of Marine Science
Jacob Darwin Hamblin, University of Washington Press ( Seattle ), (800)441-4115 or (206)543-8770, fax: (800)669-7993 or (206)685-3460, www.washington.edu/uwpress,
2005, 346 pp., illustrated, $50, hardcover.
Childhood Memories from the West Bank of the Illinois River
Kenneth F. Higgins ( Volga , SD ), (605)688-4779, 136 pp., illustrated, $18, softcover.     Although he made his name and his fortune as an author of western novels, Zane Grey saved some of his best writing for fishing, blending his talent for narrative with his keen eye for detail and humor into books and articles that remain classics. Zane Grey on Fishing, edited by Terry Mort, contains some of his best work – stories and excerpts – from his writings about bass and trout rivers of the East, steelhead rivers of the Northwest, and offshore angling of Nova Scotia , California , New Zealand , and islands of the South Pacific. Into the Backing is as entertaining today as when it first appeared in 2001. It’s a splendid collection of 31 tales by well-known angling writers describing battles with big fish – some won, some lost. The stories recount episodes that were anything but ordinary – spectacular fights with fish of a lifetime – and they’ll have you enthralled. Oceanographers and the Cold War is about patronage, politics and the community of scientists. It is the first book to examine the study of oceans during the Cold War era and explore the international focus of American oceanographers. Author Jacob Darwin Hamblin demonstrates that to understand the history of American oceanography, one must consider its role in both conflict and cooperation with other nations. In Childhood Memories from the West Bank of the Illinois River, Ken Higgins, a third-generation commercial fisherman, describes life on the river during the 1940s and 1950s. In 28 short stories he relates his experiences growing up along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers during a very different era.

Striper Wars: An American Fish Story
Dick Russell, Island Press ( Washington, DC ), (800)828-1302 or (707)983-6432 (in CA), www.islandpress.org, 2005, 358 pp., $26.95, hardcover.
The Quiet Mountains : A Ten-Year Search for the Last Wild Trout of Mexico ’s Sierra Madre Occidental
Rex Johnson, Jr., University of New Mexico Press ( Albuquerque ), (800)249-7737 or (505)277-2346, fax: (505)277-9270, www.unmpress.com, 2005, 216 pp., illustrated, $45, hardcover.
Salmon Wars: The Battle for the West Coast Salmon Fishery
Dennis Brown, Harbour Publishing ( Madeira Park , BC , Canada ), (800)667-2988 or (604-883-2730, fax: (604)883-9451, www.harbourpublishing.com, 2005, 408 pp., illustrated, $25.95, softcover.
The Quest for Girthra
Richard A. Minich, All Esox Publications ( Marilla, NY ), www.AllEsoxPublications.com, 2005, 214 pp., illustrated, $16.95 plus $2 S/H, softcover.
    In Striper Wars, Dick Russell focuses on the fish he calls “the aquatic equivalent of the American bald eagle.” Without it, the Pilgrims would not have survived their first winters in Plymouth Colony, and it was the impetus behind the nation’s first conservation law. From his first experience hooking striped bass off Martha’s Vineyard , to how he and others fought to bring the revered species back from the brink of extinction, to the new threats facing it, this is a compelling account of the survival of this fabled fish, a tale of hope and caution. In 1996, Rex Johnson, Jr. embarked on a journey to fish for the elusive trout of the upper Bavispe River in Mexico ’s Sierra Madre, an ancient species at least three million years old that live nowhere else in the world. For Johnson, the trout has a mythic quality; in The Quiet Mountain he combines travel observations, natural history, ecology and ichthyology in his epic tale of endurance in searching for the treasured, fleeting creature. On the U.S. west coast, few debates have been so passionate or long-running as the one over management of wild salmon stocks, yet few issues remain so confused in the public mind. In Salmon Wars, Dennis Brown reviews the history of the fishery, the controversies, and the people and communities whose lives and livelihoods are intertwined with this precious resource. Subtitled Epic, Heroic, Mythic and Comic Methods for Catching the Great Musky, Richard Minich’s The Quest for Girthra is a very original treatment of not only the best musky methods and techniques, history, tradition and lore, but also an entertaining look at some of the most important qualities of every successful musky fisherman: stamina, luck and a sense of humor.

Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Cookbook
Susan Pollack, Twin Lights Publishers ( Rockport, MA ), (978)546-7398, www.twinlightspub.com, 2005, 144 pp., illustrated, $29.95, hardcover.
Rick Stein’s Complete Seafood
Rick Stein, Ten Speed Press ( Berkeley, CA ), (800)841-2665 or (510)559-1600, fax: (510)524-4588, www.tenspeed.com, 2004, 264 pp., illustrated, $40, hardcover.
    Since its founding in 1969, the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association has been a powerful force for the conservation of New England ’s fishing grounds and heritage. They have helped improve safety standards on U.S. vessels, create the first subsidized health plan for fishermen, and establish a marine sanctuary at Stellwagen Bank. Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Cookbook celebrates their cuisine and politics with recipes and stories. In Rick Stein’s Complete Seafood, one of the world’s foremost authorities on fish cookery brings his expertise and global perspective into the home kitchen combining practical advice, step-by-step techniques, and more than 150 fabulous recipes. With 550 instructional photographs and illustrations, and tips on such topics as buying and storing fish, stocks and sauces, and preparation, this volume will become a favorite reference.

Books Archive


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