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It's interesting to note that Van Campen Heilner was only in his early twenties when he wrote The Call Of The Surf. I wonder what kind of reception a young person would get today if he were to presume to know enough to write on the subject? You think that he would be welcomed with open arms by the surfcasting community or dismissed based upon the fact that he did not have 30 or 40 years experience?
But, alas - he was smart enough to write the first book of the genre. One of the advantages of being first at anything is that the critics have yet to emerge.
Robert Post is widely credited with writing Reading The Water - however the book is really a collection of first-person narratives. Dr. Post did write the preface and epilogue and some anecdotes that contribute greatly - and I'm quite sure he edited the essays, but in essence, other fishermen wrote that book.
Take note of how many of the great books are niether how-to nor where-to. How-To’s and Where-To’s are manuals – and really should not be compared to Striper, Twenty Years, Blues, Reading The Water, etc. They sell more, but they won’t win a National Book Award.
So with respect to that “other” type of book, gauchely referred to as “mood books” by the outdoor press, the skill sets are somewhat different than the manuals.
For books of a more literary nature, the author should have a passion for fishing and should be proficient with respect to his fishing skills, but what makes a great book is the not age or experience of the author but rather the soundness of his vision and his ability to coherently articulate a story and emotionally connect with readers.
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