BajaNomad

Your favorite non-fiction literature on fishing

Skipjack Joe - 5-11-2012 at 11:05 AM

Has anyone ever read Ray Bergman "Trout"?

This is perhaps the most influential book on fishing I ever read. It's the book that made a kid growing up in central LA determined to be a flyfisherman.

I came across it by accident at the Pickwick book store on Hollywood Blvd. Not being able to afford it at the time I read it from cover to cover in the aisle between the book racks. I found it fascinating.

Well, it's been 50 years now and I decided to open it again. It's really dated. Bergman got it wrong on so many things. So it really doesn't stand up well with the test of time but there will always be a special place in my heart for it.

Please add your favorite books, as will I.

bergman.jpg - 48kB

Skipjack Joe - 5-11-2012 at 11:33 AM

How many nomads have read this book?

Before the Walt Peterson wrote his adventure book. Before the 'Baja Catch' was even an idea. There was Klink's book on fishing mostly the East Cape.

This is one of the few pieces of literature describing fishing during the 'golden age', before the transpeninsular hwy was paved. The Pulmo reef hadn't been protected yet and they caught marlin off the edge of the reef.

It's a collection of stories.

klink.jpg - 50kB

Pompano - 5-11-2012 at 11:48 AM

Some classics I have and reread whenever the mood hits me.

Zane Grey, Hemmingway, A.J. McClane, Ernie Schwiebert, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and others.. "The Greatest Fishing Stories Ever Told"

Ernest Hemmiway's .."The Old Man and the Sea"

Multiple authors..."Chicken Soup For The Fisherman's Soul".. a lighthearted look at serious fishing. Like my Uncle Herb always said, 'Sport... Life is way too serious to be taken seriously."

Log from the Sea of Cortez

Gypsy Jan - 5-11-2012 at 11:55 AM

By John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts.

baitcast - 5-11-2012 at 11:58 AM

Neither Igor but name a Zane Grey book or Hemingway and Ive read it,every book report in school was either and for a kid who lived inland it was a real big deal,I dreamed of far away places and giant fish,I prowled the beachs looking for huge drum and Stripers.

I hooked Broadbill Swordfish and Bluefins with Grey,I lived in trout country so I knew about them already having spent a great deal of time with Dad.

Who by the way was the Northwests finest poacher but we did eat them all.:lol:
Rob

great thread Igor

tripledigitken - 5-11-2012 at 12:02 PM

A gift from my mother years ago , published in 1919. Filled with photographs. Stories of him fishing from Avalon and San Clemente Is. to Cuba, Yucatan.......






Skipjack Joe - 5-11-2012 at 12:13 PM

You got it Ken! I have the exact same edition of that book.

There's an interesting story behind that. I couldn't put that Zane Grey book down. It must've been the 9th grade. So I took it to school and read it on the way.

I was sitting on the bench at the bustop reading and waiting when the bus pulls up, loads everyone, and leaves. I raise my head but it's too late. It's gone. I'm determined to not let this happen again. The next bus comes a half hour later. Same thing again. By the time I become aware of the bus all I see is it's backside. Needless to say I was tardy that morning.

tripledigitken - 5-11-2012 at 12:16 PM

When I get ambitious sometime I will scan some of the excellent photos in this book and post in another thread.

Cypress - 5-11-2012 at 12:23 PM

Probably the fishing regs. for the Northern Gulf of Mexico.:biggrin:

Fishmagician - 5-11-2012 at 05:08 PM

I got a ton of books on fishing, two I learned a lot from are:
1) Fishing for Tuna and Marlin by Capt. Pete Barrett
and
2) Sport Fisher for Yellowfin Tuna by Capt. Dave Preble

Good reads if you want info and they're non-fiction..:lol:

Ken Bondy - 5-11-2012 at 05:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
How many nomads have read this book?

Before the Walt Peterson wrote his adventure book. Before the 'Baja Catch' was even an idea. There was Klink's book on fishing mostly the East Cape.

This is one of the few pieces of literature describing fishing during the 'golden age', before the transpeninsular hwy was paved. The Pulmo reef hadn't been protected yet and they caught marlin off the edge of the reef.

It's a collection of stories.


I was about to mention the Klink book Igor, then saw you already had :). We ran into Klink several times at Punta Pescadero and really enjoyed his company.

woody with a view - 5-11-2012 at 06:43 PM

pretty cool how you guys are so dialed in.... i mean, was it REALLY better then? or is it like how my friends and i look out at the points and reefs and remember how good the surfing USED to be?

keep the info pumping!

vandy - 5-11-2012 at 10:20 PM

I was into fishing before I could read (like, 30? OK, 4) But I've always loved any fishing stories by John McPhee.


Who can disregard "The Compleat Angler" from 1653, that still resonates today?

My favorite quote from an author:
"It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming." ~John Steinbeck

bufeo - 5-12-2012 at 09:32 AM

Skipjack, since you ask for our favorite non-fiction literature on fishing, I'll have to beg off selecting only one. My fishing library consists primarily of books (nearly 200) about freshwater fly-fishing in N. America with a few covering the British Isles, New Zealand, and continental Europe.

One book does come to mind and I always seem to recommend it to anyone asking about books on trout-fishing, and that is American Trout Fishing by Theodore Gordon and a Company of Anglers, edited by Arnold Gingrich and containing works of Gordon as well as Lee Wulff, A.J.McClane, Ernie Schwiebert, Roddy Haig-Brown, and others. The book was a tribute to Gordon and is a great read for those winter evenings in front of the fire with a glass of port.

I also would like to recommend Valerie Haig-Brown's biography about her parents, Roderick and Ann, Deep Currents. It was published in 1997 and I don't know how widely available it is. We stayed at Roddy and Ann's house, now a B&B, on Vancouver Island a few years ago and I found a copy there. It's a good read also.

I haven't mentioned any fiction since you didn't ask about that genre of fishing lit.
Quote:
Originally posted by vandy... But I've always loved any fishing stories by John McPhee...


I know of only The Founding Fish by McPhee. Has he written other fishing stories? I thought I'd read everything by him. I enjoy his books.

Allen R

Pompano - 5-12-2012 at 09:51 AM

I'm glad to read about non-fiction fishing from ANY accomplished angler/sportsman. There are quite a few out there. For me, the only thing better than reading about fishing....is to go fishing.

One of my all-time favorite fishing authors is Zane Grey...for many reasons...not the least of which is his enthusiasm!

Shadow of Zane Grey
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=41676#top


Yup...you guessed it.
Brace yourself, Igor... for another 'fishing story' soon.
:rolleyes:

Skipjack Joe - 5-12-2012 at 11:56 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bufeo

One book does come to mind and I always seem to recommend it to anyone asking about books on trout-fishing, and that is American Trout Fishing by Theodore Gordon and a Company of Anglers, edited by Arnold Gingrich and containing works of Gordon as well as Lee Wulff, A.J.McClane, Ernie Schwiebert, Roddy Haig-Brown, and others. The book was a tribute to Gordon and is a great read for those winter evenings in front of the fire with a glass of port.


I don't have that particular book but I have one by Sid Gordon, written in 1955, which I like very much. You probably have that.

To me, it's interesting to compare Bergman's book (1938) to that of Gordon (1955). They are as different as night and day. Whereas Bergman chose his flies by trial and error Gordon did it by studying the bugs. Somewhere during those 17 years fly fishing in america took a quantum leap forward.

With few exceptions, Gordon's book is as relevant today as when it was written. Bergman's 'Trout' is more beautifully written and illustrated but seems primitive by what we know now.

The best thing Bergman wrote were the sections on how to read the water. They are first rate. I have seen entire books written on the subject that merely state what he wrote 80 years ago.

But I was really surprised to read the other day that he didn't know what caused the 'rolling riseform'. The rolling riseform is like 95% of all hatches in lakes. I can't imagine what sort of dry fly fishing the man ever had. When they're feeding on emergers (most of the time) they won't touch one of those Catskill flies.

Anyway, I'm just rambling now. Lots of time on my hands now. Not much interest here in that sort of thing.

sidgordon.jpg - 49kB

Some Fishing/ Boating Baja Books...

David K - 5-12-2012 at 05:31 PM


A classic!


Great work by a Nomad!


About the classic!






The technical fishing guide by Ray Cannon






My favorite, friendly guide by amigo Tom Miller 'Sr. Baja'.


Another clasic!


Lots of trout fishing in Baja's San Pedro Martir mountains.


Golden guide to boating the Baja coast... from 1971... Aerial photos and maps of all bays, points, islands.

GregN - 5-12-2012 at 07:08 PM

Hi David. I have all those books and they are good. But one that helped me a lot fishing from shore was "The Baja Catch," by Neil Kelly and Gene Kira.

bufeo - 5-12-2012 at 07:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
.... Lots of time on my hands now. Not much interest here in that sort of thing.


Good! Come on up to the Snake River Plain and we'll discuss all this after casting a few flies on Silver Ck or the Big Wood River. Nothing like a few tight lines to stimulate the discussion of writers and writing.

Allen R

Skipjack Joe - 5-12-2012 at 07:26 PM

Thanks, David.

The little book by Scott Sadil is a gem. Scott is a gifted writer and this collection of short stories of personal experiences in baja are a real pleasure to read. I believe he is now an editor for the California Fly Fisher magazine. I see him as a sort rebel who wanted to live a life on his own terms. Not unlike many nomads.

But the book cover that really brings a smile to my face is Cannon's "How to Fish the Pacific Coast". I must have reread that thing a dozen times as a kid. That was my fishing bible. That thing was packed with useful information for those willing to read it. Cannon later published "The Sea of Cortez" and his other book was soon forgotten.

Kira's biography of Ray Cannon was a disappointment to me. It's his weakest book on baja.

Miller's fishing guide to baja was the only 'how to' book back in the 70's. It sat on our dashboard everywhere we went. It was really just an introduction to baja's fishing. It was so brief we didn't find it very useful but there was nothing else back then.

David K - 5-12-2012 at 10:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by GregN
Hi David. I have all those books and they are good. But one that helped me a lot fishing from shore was "The Baja Catch," by Neil Kelly and Gene Kira.


Yes, I have that too... I just didn't have the cover scanned... I will add it maņana!

David K - 5-12-2012 at 10:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Thanks, David.

The little book by Scott Sadil is a gem. Scott is a gifted writer and this collection of short stories of personal experiences in baja are a real pleasure to read. I believe he is now an editor for the California Fly Fisher magazine. I see him as a sort rebel who wanted to live a life on his own terms. Not unlike many nomads.

But the book cover that really brings a smile to my face is Cannon's "How to Fish the Pacific Coast". I must have reread that thing a dozen times as a kid. That was my fishing bible. That thing was packed with useful information for those willing to read it. Cannon later published "The Sea of Cortez" and his other book was soon forgotten.

Kira's biography of Ray Cannon was a disappointment to me. It's his weakest book on baja.

Miller's fishing guide to baja was the only 'how to' book back in the 70's. It sat on our dashboard everywhere we went. It was really just an introduction to baja's fishing. It was so brief we didn't find it very useful but there was nothing else back then.


Yes it is... it was a surprise find by me in a clearance bookstore... When I saw the chapter on trout fly fishing in Baja, I had to get it.

The Biography on Ray Cannon I thought was wonderful.. as it is full of historic photos and details I love... too bad that you didn't enjoy it that much. You can sell it for BIG $$$ if you ever want to. Mine is autographed by Gene .

.. and that Ray Cannon book... also autographed to me by Ray in 1967... A real treasure! Ray also autographed my Sea of Cortez copy. Great times in Baja... and I was just old enough to remember them in '67... I was 10.

Not exactly a book but great info

durrelllrobert - 5-13-2012 at 07:51 AM

Fishing in the Boundry Waters Canoe Area http://www.canoeit.com/tackle.cfm -

Skipjack Joe - 5-29-2012 at 08:14 PM

Does anyone know who the guy in the hat is?

Hint: he's a caffeine freak.

mobydick.jpg - 49kB

Santiago - 5-30-2012 at 08:47 PM

"Trout Bum" by John Gierach

Santiago - 5-30-2012 at 08:55 PM

"Fly Fishing Through the Midlife Crisis" by Howell Raines.

bufeo - 5-31-2012 at 07:19 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Does anyone know who the guy in the hat is?...


I believe that would be Starbuck in front of Capt. Ahab. Maybe one of the Wyeths did the illustration.

Allen R