Customer Reviews (2)

Preston Sturges-like
John Taintor Foote, one assumes he is somehow related to Shelby & Horton, was a playwright andscreenwriter of the 30's (his credits include the great film The Mark of Zorro).In addition, hepenned several of the best fishing stories ever written in the continuing misadventures of GeorgeBaldwin Potter, collected here with introductions by Foote's son, Timothy.

Potter, a fly fishing pedant, is a bachelor in his forties when the series opens, but he has decided totake a young bride.The first story, the eponymous Wedding Gift, finds him pouring out his soul toour narrator.Seems that George's new bride, Isabelle, was not terribly impressed with thehoneymoon that he so carefully planned, a one week trek into the wilds of Maine to fly fish.AsGeorge's tale wends it's convoluted way to it's conclusion, it builds towards an awful, but trulyhilarious, climax which leaves the newlyweds' marriage in a shambles.In the next story, themarriage has again foundered on the rocks after George, dispatched to an auction to purchase acoveted antique, instead finds himself mesmerized by a fly rod collection.And in the final tale,Isabelle gets her revenge by using a brilliant but devious ploy to trick George into buying her a farmin Connecticut.

The stories are a delightful screwball combination of fishing and battle-of-the-sexes comedy, sort ofIsaak Walton rewritten by Preston Sturges.I can't recommend them highly enough.

GRADE: A

Excellent reading by the fireplace.
I received the original printing of this book by my father who purchased it in Europe.My mother found the follow-up book at an auction some twenty years later.This was a dream come true.I am currently looking for the3rd book (original printing) of Mr. George Potter and his lovely wife andeverlasting antique shopper, Isabelle.It helps if you are a fishermanbut, you don't necessarily have to be to fall in love with these books. Author, John Foote , puts into words the true feeling of a perfectionist,this one just happens to be a fly fisherman.Every ounce of blood from thecharacter, George Potter, is put forth through his vision of what flyfishing is all about and why everyone should feel the way he does about it. An outstanding series of stories by a writer I know very little about.Iplan on purchasing all of Mr. Foote's books once I find them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fly fishing with Brains, Wit, Charm and Soul.
Last week I bought a few books from Amazon and needed to spend a few dollars more to get free shipping. I did a quick search and came up with this book, Angling Baja, and bought it because it was about saltwater fly-fishing and because it was cheap.
I got the book in the mail yesterday and started reading snippets of it, and immediately, I was hooked.
Tonight I turned off the TV and spent the past three hours or so reading this little marvel. And a real gem it is too. Over the years I have occasionally found some damn fine writing that centered on sports, usually on boxing or fishing, or occasionally even on baseball. This book, this writer, Scott Sadil, is totally impressive.
I am a writer myself( Birthday Boy, Happy Hour, Allergy-Free Gardening, Safe Sex in the Garden ) and like Sadil I've had a life of ups and plenty of downs, and like him I appreciate a good story, a full glass of whiskey, a nice fly rod, surfing, any kind of fish caught on a fly, and all sorts of other things...but read his book for that.
As soon as I finished reading tonight I decided I would get right on the computer and write a review of it. I'm hoping to write one that will compel you who happens to read this, to order this book. I used to believe that a truly fine writer would automatically become successful as soon as he (or she) was published...but that isn't true at all. Genius isn't always recognized by any means, and I speak of Sadil's writing here, not mine. (Iým recognized now, just not a genius Iým afraid). I Googled Scott Sadil, hoping to come up with thousands of hits but found a mere 312 references to him. I was hoping too, to discover that he'd published a novel, and was disappointed to see that he hadnýt, yet.
I did see that Sadil does have a second, newer book, Cast from the Edge: Tales of an Uncommon Fly Fisher. Iým going to buy that book too, and am almost certain that it will be terrific. But I really do want to see a novel from this writer. He has a writerýs eye for things, a writerýs ear that picks up the best tidbits of dialog, he has that novelistýs sense of where the meat is, and heýs got plenty of heart. Unless I miss my mark, expect a superb novel (maybe several?) from this fellow some day, and hopefully sooner rather than later.
Okay, in case you just like to fish and donýt give a hoot about really great writing, there are many very good surf-fishing tips here. I underlined a lot of pages and will be using them too. Scott Sadil takes his fishing seriously and has done plenty of it. For those of you, like me, who love fishing, nature, and good writing, ýcome on, get a copy of this book and read it! I swear I donýt know Scott Sadil and no one asked me to write this review. But his writing is that good, uncommonly so, and he deserves a far wider audience. ... this book is a steal! ... Read more

Book Description
Fishing is more than catching fish. It is travel, nature, adventure, friendships, and discovery. In Fishing Minnesota, Greg Breining tags along with expert anglers and reports what they have spent years learning. He fishes for Lake Superior steelhead with Shawn Perich, small-stream smallmouth bass with Tim Holschlag, stream trout with Jay Bunke, and north-country muskies with Mark Windels. Along the way, Breining comes to understand not only how they catch fish, but why they go to the trouble.

Nowhere else will you find a comprehensive how-to guide for fishing Minnesota's many lakes and streams, full of tips from the region's best tournament anglers, most experienced fisheries biologists, and never-fail professional guides. Breining shares their secrets on such topics as how to snell a yarn fly, where to find the biggest muskies in any lake, and how to pick the best minnows for Mille Lacs. Breining gives us that coveted experience of being in the boat with the pros.

Greg Breining is the managing editor of the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer and the author of many books, including Wild Shore (Minnesota, 2000), Minnesota (2000), and Return of the Eagle (1994). He lives in St. Paul. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent book!
Really an excellent book, well written, fine photos, five stars. Essentially a collection of 50 articles, each about catching different species on different rivers and lakes in Arkansas, but so well written you don't need to live in Arkansas to enjoy it. Author describes some unusual fish and how to catch them, e.g., bowfin, padlefish, skipjack, gars, et al.

"Fishing Arkansas" offers year-round advice
Keith Sutton, editor of Arkansas Wildlife magazine and award-winning photographer and outdoors writer, has put together another great fishing book with a simple, effective structure.The chapters lead you through the months of the year, with multiple pieces in each chapter that suggest specific species to catch that time of year and where you'll find them in the Natural State.Along the way, you'll pick up tidbits on under-publicized species (carp, drum, and gar, for example) and tips from Sutton's own experience and his network of friends and fisheries professionals who've fished the lakes and rivers mentioned from every angle.The writing is straightforward and takes on a conversational tone that makes you imagine a comfortable old friend is giving you some mighty fine fishing advice.

Plan for your next angling venture in Arkansas
Fishing Arkansas: A Year-round Guide To Angling Adventures In The Natural State is a comprehensive, user friendly guide to the manifold opportunities that Arkansas has to offer licensed fishermen and state travelers in search of a good place to drop their line. The month-by-month organization of the text allows the reader a detailed examination of the life histories of many Arkansas sport fish, the best lakes and streams, and the most successful tactics and tackle to use at any given time of the year. Enhanced with color photography, this superb guide includes twelve sections on popular game fish (including large and small mouth bass, crappie, catfish, bluegill, and trout); provides an introduction to often-overlooked species (bowfin, gar, carp, paddlefish, pickerel); offers hundreds of fishing tips gleaned from decades of on-the-water experience by dozens of guides, biologists, and expert anglers. If you are a fisherman living in, or just passing through, Arkansas, plan for your next angling venture by reading Keith Sutton's Fishing Arkansas! ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on March 1, 2004. The length of the article is 3253 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: Extensive observations and experiments suggest that collisions with plate glass result in more avian mortalities than any other human-associated factor. We tested the effects of window angling and the distance of bird feeders from windows on bird-glass collisions. Strike frequency differed among windows oriented vertically (control) and those angled 20 and 40 degrees from vertical; as the angle of orientation increased, strikes and fatalities decreased. Strike frequency and fatalities at windows also increased as the distance between bird feeders and the glass surface increased. No fatalities were recorded when feeders were located within 1 m of a window, but a marked increase in mortality occurred when feeders were placed 5 and 10 m from the glass. Most glass-collision victims may go unnoticed, hidden by vegetation where they remain out of view or are removed by scavengers. We found that scavengers frequently removed baits from beneath windows at six buildings, but no baits were taken from a site without windows that served as a control. The importance of window strikes as an avian mortality factor, and the likelihood that it will increase over time, compel us to recommend a reevaluation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Angling panes in new and remodeled buildings and placing bird feeders closer to windows can potentially reduce avian mortality. Received 3 September 2003, accepted 6 April 2004.

Citation Details
Title: Effects of window angling, feeder placement, and scavengers on avian mortality at plate glass.
Author: Daniel, Jr. Klem
Publication: Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2004
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: 116Issue: 1Page: 69(5)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description

Product Description
During the 1930s, big-game fishing emerged from obscurity to become the new passion of American sportsmen. By decade's end, the capture of gigantic fish on the flimsiest of tackle had become the stuff of front page news. Suddenly ... war. This is the fascinating and untold story of how the newly-emerging sport of big-game fishing was plunged headlong into the defining event of the 20th century: World War II. That big-game fishing was severely impacted by the war is no surprise, but the contributions of the angling community to the Allied war effort were equally vast. The story of how each impacted the other is both surprising and compelling, and here it is. Carefully researched and delightfully written, Angling and War includes more than 260 pages and hundreds of heretofore unpublished photos, documents, and illustrations from all over the world. The book begins with the sudden emergence of big-game fishing in the 1930s and concludes with a look at the wartime-related technologies and adventures that sparked a veritable explosion in postwar angling. Incredible stories of both angler/authors and angler/warriors add richness and life tothis remarkable tale, including a special foreward by legendary pioneer Alfred C. Glassell, Jr., whose catch of a 1,560 lb black marlin is the largest tackle record of this species for more than 50 years. Note that the deluxe first edition is limited to only 900 signed-and-numbered volumes, so order now! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A layman's guide to using small flies when angling for trout
Small Fly Adventures In The West: Angling For Larger Trout by nature photographer, sportsman, and senior guide for Montana River Outfitters Neale Streeks is a no-nonsense, "reader friendly", layman's guide to using small flies when angling for trout, and explains why they are so often effective at catching more and bigger trout. Black-and-white photographs showcase a variety of small fly patterns, among other illustrations. A practical, user-friendly, and savvy fishing guide, Small Fly Adventures In The West is an invaluable addition to any fly-fishing angler's personal reading list and reference collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Origins returns to print the classic 1962 display of angling's, er, essay, "The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle."Pre-dating Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler by a couple of centuries, "Treatise" is a remarkable work on several levels, not the least of which is that its author was a woman, Dame Juliana Berners. Reportedly a nun of noble birth, she was the first to raise the leisurely pursuit of fishing to what was then the far more venerable rank of hunting. Fishing with a rod and a line, she suggested, brings to the angler good spirits and enhances life. Even if the intrepid angler catches nothing, Berners allows that "at the very least, he will have his wholesome and merry walk at his own ease, and also many a sweet breath of plants and flowers that will make him right hungry and put his body in good condition. He will hear the melodies of the harmonies of the birds...." To a large degree, this conceit--that angling is much more than catching fish--has been the bedrock of our best fishing literature ever since. Berners joyfully goes on with these pleasures, but she also dispenses plenty of theory and practice--indeed, her "Treatise" is the first codification of fishing as sport--from how to make a rod and tie a fly to what makes a good fishing hole. Remarkably, much of her thinking still holds.

The real fun of Origins is its presentation. McDonald, the author of several angling books, pens provocative essays on Berners's legend, her text's place at the tippet of fishing literature, and its contribution--with color illustrations--to the art of fly tying. Still, the centerpiece is the "Treatise" itself, which McDonald showcases in a trio of formats: an easily readable modernization, plus facsimiles of Dame Julia's original 1450 manuscript and its 1496 printing, complete with woodcuts. For booklovers with an angle, this is the biblio-equivalent of trophy trout. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

One of the Finest Books on Fly Fishing You Will Ever Read...
This book is something of a life-work by John McDonald.It is a beautiful study of Dame Juliana Berner's manuscript that dates back to the Middle Ages.It contains facimile of the manuscript, as well as translation, and notes.

If you have not read this book, you must, or you will have missed out on one of the great works of sporting literature.I have also tied some of the flies she describes but as of yet, I have been unable to use any of them.I love seeing the "yellow leaper" in my fly box and simply cannot bring myself to use it.

Thank you Juliana Berners, and thank you, John McDonald for bringing to us, such wonderful and thoughtful insight to the mystery of the sport of fly fishing. ... Read more

Book Description
American adman and image-maker George Lois (b. 1931) was a leader of the Creative Revolution of the 1960s and is the mind behind an astonishing array of branding campaigns and unforgettable magazine covers during his fifty-year career. Among Lois's creations are the 'I want my MTV' campaign that first featured Mick Jagger; dozens of controversial covers for Esquire magazine, including Andy Warhol drowning in a can of Campbell's soup; and the legendary 'Think small' campaign for Volkswagen.Lois recounts all of these campaigns and more than 130 others in this irreverent and entertaining book showcasing his most influential celebrity campaigns and covers, featuring stars such as Frank Sinatra and Claudia Cardinale, sports greats like Muhammad Ali, famous politicians and peacemakers, and clients ranging from Olivetti to Pepsi, USA Today to Cutty Sark whisky. Illustrated with the original ads and images, $ellebrity presents the stories behind the ads, explaining how each ad was conceived and produced, and the unexpected pitfalls, scuffles, and friendships that ensued as Lois 'angled and tangled' with the stars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I worked for this guy....
I worked for George Lois at the end of the 1990s. This book, well, it's George. They read like tales that are larger than life. And to some extent, I even think that's what he wants you to believe. But the essence of it all says something else, for George really does live his life this way. All or nothing. Larger than Life. I don't know how many stories he told that I didn't hang onto every word. The glint in his eye, the hint of a sly smile. George is one of the last great verbal story tellers. And when you do read his book and wonder at the stories yourself, I am reminded of one of George's last ad campaigns. It was a PSA campaign for the New York Blood Bank. The campaign would not have existed if it wasn't for George calling on some of his celebrity friends to offer their time for free. Trump, Ed Koch to name a few... ... Read more

Book Description
Upriver and Downstream gathers seventy columns about fishing—from freshwater to saltwater, from small ponds to the Great Lakes, from the Pacific Northwest to post-Soviet Russia—written for the “Outdoors” column of the New York Times.

Contributors include such celebrated names as Nick Lyons, Thomas McGuane, Nelson Bryant, Peter Kaminsky, Ernest Schweibert, and Robert H. Boyle. Short, evocative, informative, and entertaining, here are pieces about fly-fishing for wild brook trout, bait-fishing for striped bass, casting into tailwaters, or angling in midwinter. The settings range from Hudson River piers to the Florida Everglades, from Iceland to the Amazon, and the fish include everything from the common sunfish to the esoteric paddlefish. These engaging essays remind us of what fishing is all about: companionship and solitude, challenge and relaxation, nature and technology, from coast-to-coast to around the globe.

Rich with the particulars of water, light, and air, as well as a keen awareness of, as Verlyn Klinkenborg puts it in his introduction, “what is happening out there—in the deep, in the shallows, at the end of the line,” these reflections and recollections beautifully capture the natural world and one of life’s most challenging, perennial pursuits. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

On Not-Catching Fish
"although fish do make a difference in angling, catching them does not; so that one who is content to not-catch fish in the most skillful and refined manner, utilizing the best equipment and technique, will have their time and attention free for the accumulation of a thousand experiences, which will remain for their enjoyment long after any recollection of fish would have faded." ... Read more