In the winter months I read. Just about all my fathers fish books have migrated over to my place. I'm like a little kid with these books. Right now I'm working through a book titled--A River Never Sleeps, by Roderick Haig-Brown. He wrote it in the forties. Pacific Northwest salmon, steelhead, and cutthroats stories. But man these stories and how he tells them gets me all thinking about surf fishing for bass right here in New England.
Here are a few sentences that I read last night:

I had worked about halfway down it when a fish took, out in mid-stream, right on the swing of the minnow. There was no question of striking; he was away before I had the rod point up, taking line with a speed that made the ratchet of the reel echo back from the timber.

I felt salmon excitement strong in me, and it was hard to keep on and fish out the rest of the pool before going back to him; but I knew he should be rested, and it was easier to keep fishing than to stand quietly on the bank and wait out the time.

I nooded. "He's still there--or another one just as big. It's too good a pool for them to give a little fish a chance."

The rest of the pool was worth a dozen more casts and a prayer.

I'd like to get my hands on some of the really old bass writings, someday....

So would I JohnR.
The earliest one that I know about is The Call of the Surf, by Heilner Van Campen and Frank Stick 1920.
I've never read nor seen it, could be good.


Oh, the weakfish am good
And the kingfish am great,
The striped bass am very, very fine;
But give me, oh, give me,
Oh, how I wish you would!
A channel bass a-hangin' on my line!
-turn of the century fisherman tune-

GOOSEFISH
I did a couple of searches for The Call Of The Surf to no avail. If you like great descriptive surf fishing reads, try SURFCASTERS QUEST[ROY ROWAN], about fishing BLOCK ISLAND. Great read, makes you feel like your right there with him.

I'm reading that right now. I have heard that it is the first true "surf" book.

I have not read any surfcasting articles from the19th century. For the most part, sport fishing was a rich man’s pursuit until after WWII.

In a general sense, a modern reader would find much of the mainstream press from that period generally poor. Many 19th writers were given to highly annoying habits like interjecting rambling narratives, or using double and triple negatives.

The work of the “great” writers of the 19th century represented a significant departure from the mainstream press of that time - they are praised now in undergraduate lit classes because they swam against the tide.

One of my old favorite fishing books is called 'Fishing the Atlantic' by S.Kip Farrington JR.

The book's chapters are made up of states and how to fish their respective waters for the local species.. Theres great info about montauk, cuttyhunk and Rhody.... Theres great pictures of big bass, how to rig eels, etc....
It was 1st printed in 1949.

The oldest book on Striper fishing that I have in my collection is by Genio C. Scott,it was written in 1862 and has a great description of fishing at Cuttyhunk, Pasque,West Island and Long Island sound including the Harlem River.Maybe I will bring the book to the Plugfest.

Flap,

Is the name of the Genio C. Scott book "Fishing in American waters?" If not what is the title? If I remember correctly Scott was an artist and wrote some poetry..I could be wrong but the name rings a faint bell.

I would like to see if I could find a copy.

http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/search-handle-url/ix%3Dfixed-price%26fqp%3Dstatus%01open%02enddate%010a-%02browse%0168293%02keywords%01The%20Call%20Of%20T he%20Surf%26nsp%3Dhotbox%01hotstore%02store%01zsho ps-rare-books%02store-name%01books/002-4555867-3252868

kind of costly:confused:

Mr. S, that's the book.

Flap - do you have or have seen Tim Coleman's book Fishing the Beach (or something like that)... I think from the 70s or 80s??

John..

one of these?

those are both good reads. tim's stuff is tough to come by. the ct waters book there goes for around $30 on amazon.

Have any of you guys read Al Reinfelder's Bait Tail Fishing?
The book sells for around 80$
I've read great things about Al and was wondering if the book was worth having in the collection.

This is a classic book, one of my favorites, well worth having: Fishes of the Gulf of Maine by Bigelow and Schroeder. The book was rewritten a few years ago, but I still think the original text is the way to go. The ultimate field guide. Five Star.

Nobody has metioned any Mr.D books yet?
Striper Surf
Twenty years on the Cape
Trophy Striper
Eastern Tides
All get 5 stars from me! You won't be sorry!

good stuff.
You from New York? must know William Muller and Al Bentsen.
Secrets of Surf Fishing at Night.
Like all good fish books it's not so much what is written about it's how it is written.