Customer Reviews

Snakehead: A Fish out of Water

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As a snakehead angler, I was both amused and amazed at the furor that eruped in Crofton, Maryland during the summer of 2002. Eric Jay Dolin has captured the true essence of a most unlikely series of events, from the capture of the first unidentifiable fish to the final extermination of a pond full of them.

Both humorous and informative, his book explains the evolution of the snakehead myth, the media hyperbole, the bureaucratic process, the public's reaction and the true characteristics of this fascinating species of fish.

Most importantly, he highlights the continuing efforts required to control invasive species that enter into our local environments.

Since I had personal experince with Snakeheads prior to the Crofton event, I followed the stories and exaggerations with keen interest, and some dismay, during that summer. Eric's book serves to shine the light of reality and reason on a very emotional topic. He has done a fine job of putting the entire episode into perspective.

I recommend this book not only to anglers, but to anyone who is concerned with the control of alien species. I will continue to fish for snakeheads. I will travel half way around the world to do so. I'm glad that they are not an American sportfish. Otherwise, I would not have a valid reason to pursue them in the remote regions of Southeast Asia. Their natural habitat includes some of the most unspoiled and beautiful areas on earth. That is where I want to be.

The events portrayed in this book are interesting and we should all be concerned about the introduction of invasive species into our environment...but this author got lost in his presentation. When it came time for him to reel in the story all he did was foul the line, run his reel up into a giant knot and left the reader dangling. If you have an interest in reading about the introduction of the evasive "snakehead" fish and the dilemma it will cause just follow the story on the Internet and Wikipedia. save your money...this book is a dud.