Amazon.com Review
Need to know how a baitcasting reel works? Or how to fish into the submerged hulk of a shipwreck? Even if the answer is "no," if you're an angler you'll find plenty of interest in Dorling Kindersley's
Encyclopedia of Fishing, a veritable tackle box of information on the fish, equipment, and techniques of fresh and saltwater angling around the world. The color pictures are first-rate, and the accompanying text is consumer friendly, reminding the reader that "it is far better to begin with a reliable but inexpensive outfit, and upgrade it as your angling skills develop."
The opening section on tackle is a useful primer on the myriad rods, reels, lines, leaders, and accessories that can be employed in a variety of angling situations. All descriptions are coupled with photographs of popular models and brands. Entertaining captions and informative tips pepper the text (a lightning bolt graphic, for instance, warns the reader that carbon fiber is an excellent conductor). In the "Species" chapter, illustrator Colin Newman artfully and accurately depicts over 200 fresh and saltwater species popular to sport fishing around the globe. Some of these species, such as the largespot pompano, are little known to anglers within the United States and fascinating to read about (common to the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean, the largespot pompano actually swims on its side in order to feed in very shallow water). The chapter on bait even recommends a recipe for cooking shirvy, a pasty homemade bait with a consistency of tuna casserole and a taste that mullet and bass simply cannot resist. The "Techniques" and "Water" chapters compliment each other, demonstrating how to catch fish in any of their aquatic haunts, and for the fly-fisher there is instruction on fly-tying and casting.
Dorling Kindersley's encyclopedia is a valuable and practical addition to any angler's library--and it also warrants a spot on the coffee table thanks to its photographic and illustrative beauty. --David Rhoades
The intended audience for this volume is 65 million American anglers. In seven major sections, it describes the development of angling techniques, equipment, and bait, as well as the major freshwater and marine fish species, where they may be found, and how to catch them.
A detailed table of contents analyzes each major section. Each begins with an overview of the subject, followed by subsections on more specific topics, often set off in distinct columns or sidebars. For instance, "Tackle" contains a subsection, "Basic Tackle," which is divided into two parts--saltwater fishing and freshwater fishing, each of which contains information on shore fishing, beach fishing, boat fishing, big-game fishing, etc. Even clothing is featured, with entries on vests, jackets, rain gear, hats, gloves, and sunglasses.
Illustrations are a significant part of the book; each page is half photographs and drawings. A directory of more than 200 fish species includes large illustrations of each. Each species entry consists of two facing pages with the fish's common name and family name, information on identifying characteristics, variations, and lifestyle. Sidebars note techniques, tackle, and bait used to catch the fish, and its distribution is noted on a world map.
The third major section of the work, "Techniques," is divided into parts on the major methods used in freshwater, saltwater, and fly-fishing. The illustrations are particularly important in this section, since they provide the reader with visual how-to. An index pulls all the entries together.
The Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia of Fishing is a beautifully illustrated volume. It provides practical information on the sport as well as the ecology of fishing. Because of its attractive illustrations, it is probably better suited in the circulating rather than the reference collection. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fly-Fishing [RBB N 1 93] is an A-Z list of terms and is limited to freshwater fishing. It has more text and far fewer illustrations.
