The first of a three-volume series on the history of the American fish hook traces the origins of the hook industry from its humble beginnings in Brooklyn to its position as a major competitor both in foreign and domestic markets by 1900. The product of more than ten years of research, this work covers - much of it for the first time ever in print - the detailed history of the manufacturers and wholesalers who provided Americans with billions of hooks during this era. Fully illustrated with over 200 images and documented with hundreds of footnotes, including many of rare and collectable fish hooks, the first volume is 352 pages and should appeal to fishermen, collectors, and history buffs alike.Chapter 1: A Short History of the Fish Hook in America, Part I; Chapter 2: How Fish Hooks Were Made: Nineteenth Century Hook Factories; Chapter 3: The "Regrettable Jumble": Henry Cholmondeley-Pennell, Samuel Allcock, and the Great Hook Scale Debate; Chapter 4: To Beard or Not to Beard: The Origins of the Barbless Hook; Chapter 5: The Tarpon Hook and the Origins of Saltwater Fishing in America; Chapter 6: The Hook of Job: Job Johnson, Pioneer of the American Fish Hook; Chapter 7: John Warrin: America's Multinational Corporate Hook Maker; Chapter 8: John W. Court: Brooklyn's Forgotten Hook Man; Chapter 9: America's Hookmaking Dynasty, or How the Bate Family Gave Birth to Dry Fly Fishing in America; Chapter 10: Dr. Crosby and the Hook Machine: The Origins of the American Needle & Fish Hook Co.; Chapter 11: Untying the Pflueger Fish Hook: The Convoluted History of the Enterprise Manufacturing Company Hook Trade; Chapter 12: In Search of George Griswold: On the Trail of America's First Fishing Tackle Inventor of the Patent Era; Chapter 13: Job Johnson, Pioneer of the Spring Snap Hook; Chapter 14: The Sockdolager Saga-the Origins and Development of the American Spring Hook; Chapter 15: The Science of Fish Hooks-Scientific American and the American Fish Hook Inventor.

The History of the Fish Hook in America: An Illustrated Overview of the Origins, Development, and Manufacture of the American Fish Hook

Todd E.A. Larson

The Whitefish Press (Cincinnati, OH)

Few historical figures have led as exciting a life as Sheridan R. Jones. The son of an American pioneer who helped found the state of North Dakota, through hard work and education he became a college professor as a young man. But his first love was the outdoors, a passion that began when he won a new fishing reel in a popular outdoor magazine's writing contest. This set him on a course to become one of America's most prolific outdoor fishing writers and eventually the editor of the magazine Outer's Book. His fishing articles about techniques, strategies, lures, species, and preservation drew acclaim across America and even from soldiers overseas during World War I who received the magazine for free. However, Sheridan's daytime was as a professor at Ellsworth College in Iowa Falls and his stuents only knew and admired him as Prof. Jones.His book Black Bass &amp; Bass Craft was the best selling fishing book for 1924 and a landmark event in the history of bass fishing. because his expertise in fishing know-how was second to none, almost all of the early fishing lure companies sent Sheridan their newest lures for analysis and possible endorsement in his fishing articles. Illustrated in this book for the first time are these same lures which have been preserved in their original mint condition. They are important examples of the unique fishing culture in a turbulent period in American history that included World War I, the Roaring '20s, and the Great Depression. These events shaped Sheridan's life significantly, and brought major changes to America's pioneering outdoor writer and his search for the perfect fishing lure.

The Life and Legend of Sheridan Jones: America's Pioneering Outdoor Writer & His Search for the Perfect Fishing Lure

Joseph Hilko

The History of the Pflueger Akron & Summit Casting Reels: A Comprehensive Illustrated Review of the Evolution of its Design and Mechanical Features

Robert A. Miller

NOTE: THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT MITCHELL REELS, NOT A FISHING REEL ITSELF! From noted fishing historian and Mitchell collector Wallace Carney comes this long-awaited treatise on one of the most popular and enduring fishing reels in history--the Mitchell 300. From the origins of Mitchell in the Arve Valley of France, through its formative stages, to its launch and meteoric rise, to its place as one of the greatest fishing reels ever made, this book has something for everyone. For the beginning collector, it breaks down this model into versions for easy identification; for the advanced collector, an unbelievable wealth of detail (including numerous close-up, full-color photos) will help to reveal the nuances that make collecting Mitchell reels such a joy and challenge. Includes a detailed and informative history of Carpano &amp; Pons and Garcia, and traces the Mitchell from birth until 1989, including coverage of all versions in between. An absolute must have for any fishing library! BOOK OVERVIEW: 196 pages, color photos throughout, 8.5" x 11" softcover. 3rd Printing (2013).

The Mitchell Classic 300 Spinning Reel: 1939-1989

Wallace Carney

In 1882, E.C.Z. Judson--the famed angling writer known internationally as Ned Buntline--wrote to the new journal The American Angler that "the finest amateur rods...I have ever seen, are made...by Judge Fitch, a great fisherman, of Prattsvile, New York. Will he favor the readers of The Angler with a description of the make, weight, and wood used...?" With this one short paragraph, Judson set in motion events that culminated in January 1884 with the publication by Judge Fitz James Fitch of a seven part treatise on rod making for amateurs. Intended for publication in book form, despite their popularity, the articles were never collected. Now, for the first time, Fitch's entire unabridged treatise on rodmaking appears in book form, along with a collection of his other rodmaking, fishing, and miscellaneous writings. Included also is a detailed biography of Judge Fitch by Dr. Todd E.A. Larson. Learn why Judge Fitch was considered by no less of a fishing authority as A.N. Cheney to have made rods as well as Leonard and Wheeler, and read about the Victorian method of constructing rods (including split bamboo) that deeply influenced a generation of rod making fly fishermen. Limited to 100 numbered hardcovers, this is the first volume in the new "Fly Angler's Desktop Library."
ABOUT THE FLY ANGLER'S DESKTOP LIBRARY
The Fly Angler's Desktop Library is a return to the Golden Age of Books, when bigger was not necessarily better.Now, we can recapture the classic look and feel of these wonderful books in a new series dedicated to bringing out long forgotten treatises as well as new, original works on the art and beauty of fly angling. At a compact 4.5" x 6.875" size, these books are designed to be proudly displayed on the desktop, just like in the olden days. With learned and interesting introductions and appendices of additional materials, you won't want to miss any of these little gems.

Amateur Rod Making: The Writings of Judge Fitz James Fitch (The Fly Angler's Desktop Library)

Fitz James Fitch

BOOK OVERVIEW148 pages - 107 B&W photographs and illustrations - includes full scale reel plans and design templates - 8.5" x 11" hardcover - spiral bound to lie flat on your workbenchBOOK DESCRIPTIONIn The Reelsmith's Primer, author Michael L. J. Hackney has finally made reelsmithing accessible to the inspired angler. With a few basic hand tools, an electric drill, and Michael's proven techniques, material selections, and clear step-by-step instructions, the reader will learn how to create functional and beautiful fly reels.Following introductory chapters on the tools, materials, and techniques used, the aspiring reelsmith completes the four basic reel sub-assemblies: the frame, spool and drag, handle, and reel foot. The book�s task-oriented approach helps the reelsmith stay organized and keeps the process enjoyable. The final chapter, Reel Enhancements, presents ideas to customize the basic reel and techniques to help the reader design their own fly reels.WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BOOK"Here is a delightful project. With a few, basic tools, anyone can make a family heirloom for generations to come. You will be captivated by this book, inspired to make a gleaming piece of angling history and art, the fly reel."-- Darrel Martin, Author, The Fly-Fisher's Craft: The Art and History of Fly Tying

The Reelsmith's Primer: The Art of Hand-crafting Fly Fishing Reels

Sports & Outdoors

Michael L.J. Hackney

Hunting & Fishing

BOOK OVERVIEW From world renowned bamboo fly rod maker Robert L. "Bob" Nunley comes this charming collection of essays, straight from the rodmaker's bench. Fly fishing isn't just a pastime for Bob, it's a way of life. It's what he is, what he does, what he loves to speak of and it fills most of every day in one form or another, whether it's actually being on the river fishing with bamboo fly rod in hand, at the keyboard writing stories, or in the shop making another fine fishing instrument. Almost as much as he enjoys making rods, he enjoys talking rods, and he loves to give speeches and presentations to fly fishing clubs, civic groups and sporting organizations and sporting organizations. A bamboo rod maker since 1988, Bob's been a story teller all of his life. Some of this he owes to his Native American heritage, where the tellers of tales and legends are held in high esteem. Bob's life and career has taken him fishing, hunting, and camping from his birthplace in Southeastern Oklahoma to Alaska and everywhere in between. As noted rodmaker Harry Boyd writes in the Introduction: "This book is a passionate collection of stories from the adventures of a maker of bamboo fly rods. There are no how to's included, but the why of fishing with bamboo resonates from nearly every page. Revel with Bob as he shares his enthusiasm for wild trout in wild places. Grow with him as he progresses from a young man with more bravado than brains to more moderate middle age. More than anything else enjoy in this collection of stories an extreme love of life, and love for the people who make up our lives."  BOOK DETAILS 6" x 9" Paperback - 160 Pages - B&W Illustrations

The Snake Rod and Other Stories from the Rodmaker's Bench

Robert L. Nunley

ABOUT THE BOOK 
The Jim Bagley Bait Company was one of the pioneers in the American fishing tackle industry. When Jim Bagley founded the tackle company that would bear his name in 1954, he could not have known that almost six decades later collectors and fishermen alike would acclaim Bagley fishing lures as among the finest ever made. Yet from the standpoint of quality construction, paint finish, and downright fish catching ability, Bagley lures have few peers. 
In this book, noted Bagley collector and scholar Johnny Garland brings us the definitive study of these American classics. The book includes a detailed history of the firm from 1954 up until 1998, a detailed look at boxes and box styles, a study of each of the numerous models of Bagley lures from the Kill'r B to the Small Fry and everything in between, and a massive section containing every known Bagley color to date (over 500!). Other sections include a reproduction of important Bagley catalogs and a peek inside Jim Bagley's personal tackle box! With hundreds of full color photos, Johnny Garland's Bagley Collector's Guide promises to be the definitive work on the subject. 
With his Bagley Collector's Guide, author and collector Johnny Garland has given the fishing world the definitive source for all things Bagley. From a detailed history of the company, to a thorough breakdown of every production Bagley lure made, to a comprehensive study of all known Bagley colors (with all known colors pictured), this book will serve as a phenomenal resource for the Bagley collector. 
Whether your are a new Bagley collector or a seasoned veteran, the Bagley Collector's Guide is the only Bagley book you will ever need. 
BOOK DETAILS 
8.5" x 11" Softcover 200 Pages Nearly 1000 Color Photos

The Bagley Collector's Guide (For the Bagley Fanatic)

Johnny Garland

(Synopsis) This all-new book by the son of legendary rodmaker Wesley D. Jordan chronicles the great rodmaker's life and career from his humble beginnings in Lynn, Massachusetts to his first rodmaking career at Cross Rod and Tackle to his halcyon days at South Bend and Orvis. With much information never before in print, a more complete and rounded profile of Wes Jordan, rodmaker, emerges. This full-color hardcover with dust jacket (with smyth-sewn binding) is limited to just 600 copies. It will certainly go down as the definitive account on one of the greatest, and most beloved, rodmakers in history.

Jordan the rodmaker; a biography of Wesley D. Jordan at Cross, South Bend, Orvis

William H Jordan

BOOK DETAILS

6" x 9" Softcover; 180 pages; Black-and-White illustrations.

ABOUT THE BOOK
In this book, Mark Henry Miller, born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, opines on his favorite subjects: God, baseball and fishing. A graduate of Stanford University, Yale University Divinity School, and Eden Theological Seminary, Mark's 44-years of experience as a clergyman shine through in all of these inspiring epistles. As he writes in the introduction: "These stories came about because of experiences; because of fish that knew more about testing the elements than I. Because of fast balls that didn't always stay low in the strike zone on the outside corner. Because of ideas that had a flowing relationship with the computer keyboard. Because of the ways in which many of us walk the human landscape, sometimes stumbling and sometimes dancing."

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BOOK

"He's not the best at what he does, Mark Henry Miller will tell you with humility. But I will tell you he's the ONLY one who does what he does. Fishing alongside him for a decade now, sitting in on his frequent guest appearances at our high altitude church, I'm continually amazed at his energy and enthusiasm, his quick wit and keen understanding. Life is a story and Mark tells it well...and, it's far from finished. I'm proud to be his forever 'Rabbi Guide.'"

-- Matt Krane, Colorado Flyfishing Guide
"Mark catches me every time with his insightful epistles. What he shares gets retold in preachers' sermons, at parishioners' dinner tables, and en route to the ballpark. There is wonderful mix of family/fraternity/fishing and faith in the pages, a joy to see his sundry-Sunday writings collected."

-- Dr. James W. White, Senior Minister Emeritus and author of Round Boys Great Adventures

Hooked on Life: Reflections on Fishing, Baseball and the Other Stuff of Life

Mark Henry Miller

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