The Bottom Line
The American shad, a species beloved of sportsmen since George Washington, is the remarkable focus of this book, a history and biology of this great fish.
Pros
- An excellent read for the shad angler
- An equally excellent read for the history buff
Cons
- I did not find one!
Description
- Historically accurate account of the fishery
- A comfortable rambling fishing story
- An excellent portrayal of how ordinary things can tie so many people together.
Guide Review - The Founding Fish - a book by John McPhee.
Pulitzer Prize winning author John McPhee takes us on a two hundred year long fishing adventure as he traces the origins of the American shad fishery from the time of our American forefathers. He expertly crafts the story of his literal obsession for shad fishing around fishery biologists, environmental experts, and other excited anglers. His knowledge of the fish itself is obvious as we learn the life cycle of this sought after "most savory" - the meaning of its Latin name. From Maine all the way around to the Pacific Northwest, McPhee teaches us how and why the shad run in a particular river. I took away substantial fishing information I plan to use this next spring when the shad run once again. This is a really great book!
