Incredible Fishing Stories

From a grueling 37-hour fight with a Pacific salmon to the maimed fisherman whose severed thumb turned up in the belly of a Mackinaw trout. From extraordinary marlin quests to hair-raising tales of "fish catches man," here are fishing's 80 most unpredictable and spectacular tales. To get them, Shaun Morey-a fanatical fisherman and inveterate story collector-traveled from Alaska to Australia, Mexico, and the Caribbean to interview anglers, boat captains, guides and witnesses; to dig up photographs, and to confirm each tale. You'll read about Captain Jimmy Lewis who, in a moment of sheer bravado (or insanity), speared by hand-and landed-a 1,600-pound hammerhead shark. Or Bob Smith, fulfilling his twenty-year quest to catch all forty species of North America's wild trout on the bitter cold morning after his eighty-first birthday. Or the 800-pound blue marlin that made a final lunge-ripping up the deck and dragging a chair, with Paul Clause strapped in it, to the bottom of the ocean. (Paul survived; so did the marlin.) Truth is stranger than fiction.

The daredevil who leaped from a helicopter onto the back of a marlin and rode it rodeo-style. A staggering 3,001 bass caught in a single short summer season on Long Island. A grueling 37-hour fight with Pacific salmon. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction! From crazy billfish quests to the scientist who hooked a grizzly, from "fish catches man" horror stories to those nutty catfish noodlers who grope into the murkiest holes bare-handed, her are fishing's most unpredictable and spectacular tales. Shaun Morey traveled the world—including Alaska, Australia, Mexico, and the Caribbean—to interview anglers, boat captains, guides, and witnesses who can say: Yes, this really happened! Includes illustrations, photos, and links to videos.

Travel from Scottish streams to shark infested seas and from the frozen tundra to tropical reefs. There's every style of fishing, from the magic touch of the fly to blood-and-thunder battles with monsters of the deep. Shiver at ghostly tales from the river bank and marvel at incredible exploits with rod and line. There are stories of ones that got away as well as catches that set records. Discover a treasure trove of stories, invested with a drama and poetry that makes this essential reading for all fishermen, everywhere.

True stories of spectacular catches made by "kids."

The Best Fishing Stories Ever Told celebrates the art of hunting fish at many angles. This ancient tradition is practiced all over the world. Tales of baiting, angling, and the watery outdoors are recounted by great writers such as Rudyard Kipling, Guy de Maupassant, and Lord Byron. In scenic rivers, lakes, and seas, praise the trout, snap up that salmon, angle, aim, and sing the fisherman’s song! This superbly presented collection of fishing stories will set the reader sailing on the Loch or along the Thames and tracking down sharks or carp in many exciting waterways. You will find memories, essays, true stories, and fishing accounts more or less exaggerated or imagined. Their authors and their editor, Nick Lyons, all share a communicable passion for a great day out fishing—a passion only surpassed by the love of telling the tale with or without the catch to show! With work by more than one hundred of the world’s most eminent authors and fishermen, including: John McPhee Howell Raines Ted Leeson Jimmy Carter Lefty Kreh Dave Barry Norman Maclean Rudyard Kipling And many more!

Fishing is many things to many people. To some, quietly dangling a worm for a sunfish in a local farm pond is not only exciting, but relaxing and reflective. To others, it’s all about the adventure of traveling to exotic locales and fishing for ten-pound rainbow trout in Alaska or 100-pound tarpon in Central America. To others, it’s an integral part of life, not just a pastime but something to live for. Still others feel compelled to write about it, to try to understand this sport that grips so many. In this collection, you’ll read works from celebrated writers that aim to explore the mysterious grip that fishing has held on so many of us. Within these pages, the reader can: Join Rudyard Kipling as he chases a cow that has stolen his minnow Examine the philosophical side of angling with Thaddeus Norris Fish the Ohio River with John James Audubon Learn what it’s like to fish for Great Lakes steelhead with Jerry Hamza Get used to fishing alongside Alaskan brown bears with Richard Chiappone And many more fishing escapades! With more than three dozen photographs and illustrations that masterfully bring these stories to life, Incredible Fishing Stories is a must-have for every angler looking to share in the joy of their chosen sport.

The author of Incredible Fish Stories turns his attention to young anglers who have their own stories to tell. Each tale has been verified by Morey and works both as exciting entertainment and as a you-can-do-it-too lesson to kids who are just starting to take their fishing--and reading about fishing--seriously. Two-color photos & illustrations.