New Encyclopedia of Fishing
This revised edition of DK's Encyclopedia of Fishing is a very pretty book, well illustrated, attractively priced, and easy to read. Unfortunately, it does not improve greatly upon the previous edition, nor does it really serve the purpose of a fishing encyclopedia. It is divided into seven sections "Tackle," "Bait," "The Fly," "Species," "Techniques," "The Water," and "Appendices" with photographic displays of natural and artificial lures, for instance, and of over 200 freshwater and marine fish. Alas, organizing the material into such broad categories can make locating information difficult; an A-Z arrangement would have been preferable to DK's typical pictorial format. The failure to treat conservation, catch-and-release angling, and developments in tackle (such as the circle hook) is also disappointing, as is the scant coverage given to the history of fishing or famous fishermen. That said, the book is certainly a visual treat. Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia remains the top choice as a reference work, but libraries should consider owning a copy of this attractive publication for their circulating collection if they do not already own the previous edition. Jeff Grossman, Milwaukee Area Technical Coll.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.