Big-Game Fishing Headquarters: A History of the IGFA [Hardcover]

Mike Rivkin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

This stirring historical account chronicles the evolution of big-game fishing and the legendary International Game Fish Association (IGFA), which was founded in 1939 and continues to be the leading authority on sport fishing, as well as the future of the sport. Hundreds of previously unpublished photos illustrate the hotspots visited by early big-game anglers and the types of tackle they used while a basic history of angling is provided for the recreational angler. Biographies of key IGFA personnel—such as Bill Carpenter and Elwood Harry—and their contributions to the group are examined as is the organization’s role during World War II. No other fishing association has been as influential in the sector of the sporting world as the IGFA and their rules and records continue to set the standard around the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Careful research and skillful writing [capture] the details of IGFA's colorful history."  —Mark Sosin, host, Mark Sosin's Saltwater Journal

"This book is the bible of the IGFA and a wonderful addition to angling literature."  —Alfred C. Glassell Jr., angling pioneer

"Excellent!...a classic volume that belongs in every angler's library."  —Michael L. Farrior, historian, Tuna Club

About the Author

Mike Rivkin is a veteran offshore angler and a member of Catalina Island's venerable Tuna Club. He lives in La Jolla, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: IGFA Press (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935217509
• ISBN-13: 978-0935217506
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,097,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mike Rivkin is a veteran offshore angler and past president of the venerable Tuna Club of Santa Catalina Island. He is also a retired catalogue publisher and has written extensively on the history of angling, including five widely acclaimed books. On the water, Mike has caught every type of marlin that swims, most notably a 1,226 lb black marlin taken off Australia in 1984. He splits his time between La Jolla and Catalina Island, California and continues to fish the Pacific waters nearby.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, loved it!, November 25, 2006

By 

Dian Nielsen (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big-Game Fishing Headquarters: A History of the IGFA (Hardcover)

If you or a loved one is a game fisherman, or has ever simply lusted after the 'big one', this is a book your coffee table cannot be without. A comprehensive trip back through time, touching on all the salient events on both coasts, this lavishly illustrated romp will delight for years to come. The pictures of the totemic individuals and their quarry (and what king sized monsters used to be wrenched from the deep) bring the intervening decades to life through this prism of some of the 20th century's most famous characters' loves and pastime. My favorite: the snaps of Hemmingway coupled with his hotel and bar bills. Loved it.