Encyclopedia of Fishing - Hardcover

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The intended audience for this volume is 65 million American anglers. In seven major sections, it describes the development of angling techniques, equipment, and bait, as well as the major freshwater and marine fish species, where they may be found, and how to catch them.

A detailed table of contents analyzes each major section. Each begins with an overview of the subject, followed by subsections on more specific topics, often set off in distinct columns or sidebars. For instance, "Tackle" contains a subsection, "Basic Tackle," which is divided into two parts--saltwater fishing and freshwater fishing, each of which contains information on shore fishing, beach fishing, boat fishing, big-game fishing, etc. Even clothing is featured, with entries on vests, jackets, rain gear, hats, gloves, and sunglasses.

Illustrations are a significant part of the book; each page is half photographs and drawings. A directory of more than 200 fish species includes large illustrations of each. Each species entry consists of two facing pages with the fish's common name and family name, information on identifying characteristics, variations, and lifestyle. Sidebars note techniques, tackle, and bait used to catch the fish, and its distribution is noted on a world map.

The third major section of the work, "Techniques," is divided into parts on the major methods used in freshwater, saltwater, and fly-fishing. The illustrations are particularly important in this section, since they provide the reader with visual how-to. An index pulls all the entries together.

The Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia of Fishing is a beautifully illustrated volume. It provides practical information on the sport as well as the ecology of fishing. Because of its attractive illustrations, it is probably better suited in the circulating rather than the reference collection. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fly-Fishing [RBB N 1 93] is an A-Z list of terms and is limited to freshwater fishing. It has more text and far fewer illustrations.