[Joe]

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.