Book Descriptions

Bookcase Price

Pangburn, Jack: "Deer Hair Fly-Tying Guidebook", 2004 Frank Amato Books, 1st Edition Limited Edition of 210 copies, Signed by the Author/Numbered, Near Fine in Near Fine DJ.  Most food items trout feed on are of natural earth-tone colors, and there is no better way to imitate nature than to use what nature has to offer.  Deer hair is one of the most versatile and popular natural materials used in fly tying, and in this book Jack Pangburn shows you how to combine deer hair and other elements to create a finished, fishable fly.  Topics include: fly-tying materials, hooks, stacking, wrapping, dubbing, wings, Wulff patterns, flared bucktail, spinning, bundled bodies, 84 fly patterns, many with step-by-step tying instructions, and more. The beautiful, detailed illustrations give this book the feel of a personal streamside journal, add the crisp photography and informative text and this book gives you all the information you need to become a great tier of deer-hair flies.

Paulsen, Gary: "Father Water, Mother Woods", 1994 Delacorte Press, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine in Fine DJ, [159 pgs, 6.5" x 9.5"] Cover Price: $16.95.   Paulsen confesses that numerous inquiries about the germination of Hatchet (1987) became the seed of this book. Yet, as you read the graphic descriptions of hunting, camping, fishing, and the natural life of Paulsen's childhood in general, you realize that this seed has been in all of Paulsen's books, in all of Paulsen's life. The woods, the water, are the nurturing forces behind the man he has become. The most obvious correlation is the erstwhile boyhood summer camping trip, a fiasco in which five boys board one rickety boat with almost enough food and gear to swamp it. Far down the river, the boat hits a submerged log, sinking immediately, and the boys are left struggling for shore. Once on land, they are engulfed in mosquitoes and indecision. How do they get home? But all sections are vintage Paulsen, the seasonal fishing trips, each portion of the year highlighted by a different fish, from sucker and bull to rock bass and walleye; the low-key humor of the incidents of the missed shot and the South American foreign exchange student; and the sensitive grief over the killed duck and bow-and-arrow-slain doe.

Perkins, Leigh: "A Sportsman's Life ", 1999 Atlantic Monthly Press, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine in VG+ (bumped) DJ, Signed by the Author, Cover Price $24.00.  This is the story of how Perkins built Orvis up from a sleepy little fly-fishing company in Vermont in the mid-sixties, to the $100 million company it is today by mixing business and sport. (Excerpt): Anyone who has ever owned an Orvis fly rod (and even those who haven't) should be fascinated by this picture of how a down-to-earth guy who loves fishing and hunting built one of the most successful businesses of our time.

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Peterson, Donald: "Folk Art Fish Decoys", 1996 Schiffer Publishing, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine in Near Fine DJ (edges bumped), [225 pgs, 8.75" x 11.5"] Cover Price $59.95.  Within the past fifteen years, spear fishing decoys have achieved the status of folk art and have become highly desirable collectibles. With over 500 color photographs, this thorough text introduces the reader to the wide variety of decoys currently available, decoys made earlier in the century by "old time" artists as well as examples of contemporary design. The construction and special attributes of fishing decoys are discussed in detail, information vital to recognising the most collectible decoys. The history and techniques of spear fishing are recounted, providing a deeper understanding of these fine folk art objects. Thi is one of the first systematic studies of spear fishing decoys available. Detailed histories of early twentieth century and contemporary decoy makers of Minnesota, one of six states where spear fishing is currently permitted, and their decoys has been compiled through personal interviews with the makers or their families. Rounding out this fascinating book, information is also provided on spear makers and the varying designs of their spears, jigging sticks, and decoy boxes. This is a truly valuable reference work.

Plummer, William: "Wishing My Father Well ", 2000 Overlook Press, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine in Fine DJ.  (DJ excerpt) Wishing My Father Well is a moving intergenerational memoir which will call up for some readers James Prosek’s "Joe and Me" and James Dodson’s "Faithful Travelers". But of course, all books are very different. Bill Plummer passes down the wisdom of a silent father - an unprepossessing man who was "closer to nature than the rest of us" - and, in exquisitely detailed scenes, brings us closer not only to the ripples of the stream but to the small epiphanies that eddy through this plainspoken story.

Popovics, Bob & Ed Jaworowski:"Pop Fleyes ", 2001 Stackpole Books, 1st Edition 2nd Printing, Fine in VG DJ, [136 pgs, 8" x 11"] Signed by the Author, Cover Price $34.95.   This is the first and only book available on the tier whose techniques with epoxy and silicone revolutionized saltwater fly tying. The family of flies Bob Popovics developed over the last three decades (dubbed "Pop Fleyes," a spelling that incorporates part of his last name with the fact that eyes are a prominent feature in their design) have proven devastatingly effective for stripers, bluefish, false albacore, and many more species. This book goes beyond the basic recipe format to provide the thinking behind Popovics's pattern development, a guide to key tying techniques, and detailed notes on how to fish Pop Fleyes most effectively.

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Proper, Datus: "What the Trout Said", 1982 Alfred Knopf, 1st Edition 1st Printing, NF in VG++ (one very smallclosed tear on DJ) DJ,  [274 pgs, 6" x 8.5"].   (DJ Excerpt:) What the Trout Said is a fishing book in the great tradition, the tradition of Skues and Halford, La Branche and Marinaro. Datus C. Proper, like these acknowledged masters, has something authentically new to say about the art and science of fly-fishing. And like them he has the true writer’s ability to say it with such authority and freshness of style that his book will be read for a long time to come.     His thesis is this: that trout flies have been too often considered mainly in terms of pattern (meaning color) rather than design (meaning the way component materials are chosen and assembled) 'the difference between the two being', as Proper puts it, 'the difference between painting and architecture'. Design is what controls a fly’s behavior on the water, and to a trout 'his food’s behavior is more important than its tint.'

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Proper, Datus: "What the Trout Said", 1989 Lyons & Burford, Revised & Augmented (2nd) Edition, Near Fine in VG++ DJ,   [286 pgs, 6" x 8.5"].     See description above

Proper, Datus: "Pheasants of the Mind", 1990 Prentice Hall Press, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Very Good in Good (price-clipped edge-worn) DJ,   [154 pgs, 6.5" x 9.5"].     Pheasant hunting dominates the author's thoughts and actions throughout the year. This book is a celebration of the time-honored art of pheasant hunting. No single title sums up the life of the solitary pheasant hunter like this masterful work. Pheasants of the Mind is an introspective, sensitive book of timeless flavor.

Proper, Datus: "Pheasants of the Mind", 1994 Wilderness Adventures Press, 2nd Edition 3rd Printing, Fine in Fine DJ,   [154 pgs, 6.5" x 9.5"].Cover price $25.00.

Pheasant hunting dominates the author's thoughts and actions throughout the year. This book is a celebration of the time-honored art of pheasant hunting. No single title sums up the life of the solitary pheasant hunter like this masterful work. Pheasants of the Mind is an introspective, sensitive book of timeless flavor.

Proper, Datus: "Running Waters", 2001 The Lyons Press, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine in Fine DJ,   [162 pgs, 6.25" x 9.25"] Signed by Nick Lyons, the publisher. Cover price $25.00.

Fishermen are often reluctant to share their secrets, and Datus Proper reserves a few for himself, including the location of some fabled trout streams. He's generous with his opinions about almost everything else connected with angling, however, and Running Waters provides a lively sampling of them. "Angling is a game you can't lose," Proper remarks, "if that's any consolation." The rules of the game, however, can be a challenge to master, especially if, like Proper, you're relying on the guidance of seasoned friends. One, whom he quotes approvingly, sneers at the modern habit of "overwhelming trout with modern technology" such as graphite rods and champions the use of mayfly spinners; another swears by 18-foot-long hickory rods; still another opines that fast little brook trout offer the best sport. Proper himself takes a more measured view, volunteering that any place with speckled skin below and mountains and sky above is the best trout stream in the world. Even so, given half the chance, he'll lose himself in the arcana of dry-fly tying and the merits of peacock herl, and you can learn plenty of oddments about such matters by following his elegant discussions.

Prosek, James: "Trout, an Illustrated History", 1996 Alfred Knopf, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine in Near Fine DJ, Inscribed and Signed  by the Author, [160 pgs, 10.25" x 7.25" Oblong].      (Review:) Perhaps no one loves trout as much as James Prosek, who by age 20 journeyed thousands of miles and through 49 states to depict in watercolors all 70 subspecies of North American wild trout at least four times for this definitive volume on the subject. He details the diversity and brilliant range of colors in the species with his paintings, which are accompanied by written snippets, including angling anecdotes, historical sketches and personal reminiscences. At the devastating rate that trout are being lost to hybridization, displacement and extinction, we should be thankful that Prosek's obsession has led to this beautiful document of the species now, before it is too late.

Prosek, James: "Trout, an Illustrated History", 1996 (2000)  Alfred Knopf, 1st Edition 11th Printing, Fine in VG (bumps and scratches) DJ, Signed by the Author, [160 pgs, 10.25" x 7.25" Oblong].

Prosek, James: "Joe and Me", 1997 William & Morrow, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine no DJ as published, Signed by the Author,    Joe and Me is a personal and complex volume, a memoir of a relationship-in-progress that began in the early '90's when Prosek was caught poaching on Connecticut's Aspetuck River by warden Joe Haines. What follows is an engaging tale of how much the warden and poacher have to teach each other. Prosek's prose has a few glitches, but he's young and can be forgiven; his watercolors, which run throughout, are a catch in themselves.

Prosek, James: "The Complete Angler", 1999  Harper Collins, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine in Fine DJ, Signed by the Author , [324 pgs, 8.5" x 8.5"].   (Description) James Prosek has been called "the Audubon of the fishing world" by the New York Times. A Passionate fisherman and talented artist from a young age, he published two illustrated book on fish and fishing while still an undergraduate at Yale... He was fascinated by (Izaak) Walton, a humble man who won the friendship of kings, and he was intrigued by the book's philosophies concerning the timelessness and immortality that could be achieved by fishing. This is the story of a young man's pilgrimage through England, fishing the waters that Walton fished three centuries ago... Along with wonderful stories about good times, great fishing, and fine eating, this trip becomes an exploration of Waltonian ideals: how to live with humor, wisdom, contentment, and simplicity.

Prosek, James: "Early Love and Brook Trout", 2000 Lyons Press, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Signed by the Author, Fine in Fine DJ. [143 pgs, 8.5" x 8.25"] Cover Price $24.95.   Early Love evokes a sense of almost trespassing through one of James Prosek's sketchbooks. This fourth book by the precociously prolific author-artist is quite personal, rife with exuberance about fishing and falling in love, and, not surprisingly, the angst that comes with failed relationships. As a writer, he matures with each new work; as a painter, he adds a layer of visual immediacy with his watercolors to his already descriptive prose. Prosek intended this to be a "little book" that would range "lightly over my years from nine to twenty-four, trying to open a window to my thoughts during that time as a river's surface occasionally does to its depths." Like a pool beneath the surface, it yields its trophies: a lovely anecdote about catching tiger trout with his sister; the unabashed first crush in his early teens that leads to a special fishing trip; his description of an old Canadian salmon guide as "a fiction of himself"; and more.

Prosek, James: "Go Fish", 2000 Stewart Tabory & Chang, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Signed by the Author, Fine spiral bound. A fishing journal with the paintings of James Prosek. 

Prosek, James: "Fly Fishing the 41st Parallel", 2003 Harper Collins, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Signed by the Author, Fine in Near Fine DJ. [320 pgs, 8.5" x 5.5"] Journey around the world at 41° North, the latitude of James home in Connecticut. His passion for fishing takes him from the minefields of the Balkans, to the fringe of the Gobi desert in Mongolia, and small mountain streams in the Shiritoko Peninsula of Hokkaido, Japan. Throughout, James is at home on the water, continually meeting anglers of a variety of cultures. 18 color ilus;

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Prosek, James: "Trout of the World", 2003 Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Signed by the Author, Near Fine in Near Fine DJ (shipping put minor bumps in corners and DJ). [224 pgs] Cover Price $32.50     From the Oxus trout of eastern Afghanistan to the small golden brown trout of British chalk streams, James Prosek has dedicated his unique painting talent to bringing to life trout from around the world, several of which are the few remaining of their type. Prosek has a passion for trout and conveys their beauty with the stroke of his brush in this collection of nearly 100 gorgeous watercolors.       The text provides a historical profile of each fish along with personal reflections by the author. Prosek savors the beauty of various fishing spots, along with the fate of the species, contemplating man's role in the extinction of animals. Both sensitive and informative, Trout of the World is a must for the library of the recreational fisherman as well as the ichthyologist.

Quammen, David: "Natural Acts", 1985 Schocken Books (Nick Lyons Books), 1st Edition 1st Printing, Near Fine in Very Good DJ.  (Excerpt): Have you ever wondered: what are the merits, if any, of the mosquito? Why is the act of sex fatal for some species of salmon? Are crows too intelligent? How do Arctic seals stay cool? Why are there so many species of beetle? Why such issues are important? David Quammen has. He answers these questions and more in his remarkable book, Natural Acts, which explores the mysteries and patterns of the natural world with extraordinary perception and beauty.     This quilt of essays, though they deal with science, is not written by a scientist. David Quammen is more of a scientific outsider, with his nose pressed to a window that allows us a unique look at a world "on the fringe" of science.

Quarrington, Paul: "Fishing with my Old Guy", 1995 Greystone Books, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine in Near Fine DJ, Signed by the Author, Cover Price $19.00.

(Excerpt): "One of the fine things about the Art of the Angle is that proselytes need initiation and guidance... Some anglers, near the end of their days, have acquired that knowledge, which they can then share with the young ones. Fishing is an area that can, even in this decidedly unmagical day and age, still produce magi. I call them Old Guys."

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Quinett, Paul: "Pavlov's Trout" , 1993 Keokee Publishing, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine Softcover, Signed by the Author , Cover Price $12.95.

Quinett, Paul: "Fishing Lessons" , 1998 Andrews McNeel Publishing, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine in Fine DJ,   Cover Price $21.95.

Radencich, Michael: "Tying the Classic Salmon Fly", 1997 Stackpole, Later Printing, NF/NF,

Raymond, Steve: "The Year of the Angler", 1973 Winchester Press, 1st Edition 1st Printing, VG+/VG+ DJ. Signed by the Author!

Raymond, Steve: "The Year of the Trout", 1985 Winchester Press, 1st Printing, VG+ in VG+ DJ. Signed by the Author. [201 pgs, 7" x 10"]  One of the great writers on the subject of angling takes his readers wading into the cold clear currents of the great trout streams of the Northwest. A sequel to his classic "Year of the Angler", Raymond now brings his considerable gifts of observation and writing to an angling specialty requiring great skill and patience: casting artificial flies to trout. Raymond writes lyrically of the passing seasons, his prose developing a gentle rhythm that mirrors fishing itself. Calm clear observation of the woods, the rivers, and of his own thoughts and emotions are punctuated by lively scenes of action as he feels the strong pull of a bite on the line. These essays aren't only for those who fish, though they will likely make readers wish they could slip on their waders.

Raymond, Steve: "The Year of the Trout", 1985 Winchester Press, 2nd Printing, VG+/VG+. Signed by the Author!

Raymond, Steve: "Steelhead Country", 1991 Lyons & Burford, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Near Fine in a Near Fine DJ. Signed by the Author!

Raymond, Steve: "Steelhead Country", 1994 Sasquatch Books, 1st pb Edition 1st Printing, Near Fine paperback. Signed by the Author!

Raymond, Steve: "Rivers of the Heart", 1998 The Lyons Press, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Near Fine in Near Fine DJ. [240 pgs, 6" x 9"] Signed by the Author!

Raymond, Steve: "Rivers of the Heart", 1998 The Lyons Press, Limited Edition of 350, Signed by the Author, Fine in a Fine Slipcase. [240 pgs, 7" x 10"] Issue Price $95.00.  Like colorful patterns in a fly box, these pages hold some of the best and brightest moments of a long fly-fishing life. Here is the ecstasy (and occasional agony) of fishing for trout, salmon, and saltwater gamefish in waters from Canada to the Caribbean, from Northern Scotland to the South Pacific. Here too you'll meet some of the most memorable fishing partners ever to share a stream, discover the long-lost legacy of a famous pioneer fly tier, and feel the warmth of an extraordinary gift from an old fishing friend. And there's much more in this warmly-written memoir of the people, places, things, realities, and fantasies encountered by the author in more than fifty years of fishing the waters he now remembers as his "rivers of the heart." Line illustrations;

Reiger, George:"The Striped Bass Chronicles ", 1997 Lyons & Burford, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Fine in Fine DJ.   The saga of america's great game fish.

Richards, Carl & Doug Swisher & Fred Arbona: "Stoneflies" , 1980 Winchester Press, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Good condition with slight edgewear and highlighting throughout in a Good DJ (edgewear also and with several gouged lines on back.).

Richardson, Lee: "You Should Have Been Here Yesterday ", 1974 Touchstone Press, Ltd Edition of 1200, Fine but missing DJ, Signed by the Author.

Richardson, Lee:"Lee Richardson's BC" , 1978 Champoeg Press, Ltd Edition #1074, Fine but missing DJ. Has photo set laid in at back cover.

Rucker, John: "Melancholy Bay" , 1985 East Woods Press, 1st Edition 1st Printing, Very Good but missing DJ.

(DJ Excerpt:) This is a remarkable journal of one year in the author’s life. It moves from the remote, roadless part of Alaska where he lives among the Eskimos during salmon fishing season, through the Pacific Northwest, the desert Southwest, the grasslands of Nebraska, the hardwood forests of the East and finally, to North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Russell, Keith C.:"The Fly-Fishingest Gentlemen" ,   1986 Winchester Press, Ltd Edition of 1200, Fine in Fine Slipcase, Signed by the Author.