We know all your PTO couldn’t go toward a globe-trotting kayak fishing tour. Hey, family time is a close second. While you’re enjoying that summer vacation—hopefully waterside at a lake house or resort beach—you might as well enjoy some of the most inspirational reading for your next days of angling. Here are a few of our recommendations for your summer reading list.
Best Summer Reading for the Armchair Angler
All the Time in the World
By John Gierach
The living legend of fishing’s literary canon is back. In All the Time in the World, John Gierach takes readers on a fly fishing journey across North America. Gierach opens his book by speaking to the idea that no matter where you are in the world, you’ll find anglers. From his home range in Colorado to Alaskan lodges, the author spins yarn with the splash of humor that makes him one of the greatest tellers of fishing tales in our time. And don’t write Gierach off as a poetic flyfisher wading in small streams. Kayakers will appreciate Gierach’s essay on the fjords of Labrador and the author’s entertaining story cast from the seat of a canoe.
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ABE BOOKS ALIBRIS AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE BETTER WORLD BOOKS BIBLIO BOOKSHOP.ORG THRIFTBOOKS WALMART
Fishing the Edge: Techniques and Tales from Surf, Boat, and Kayak
By John Skinner
It’s rare to see a new title geared toward kayak anglers. John Skinner’s latest book is an exception. Skinner is one of our favorite anglers to watch on YouTube. He brings an understated calmness and depth of understanding to his content. This is likely because he is also a longtime columnist for various fishing and outdoor publications. The salty sportsman splits his time between Long Island, New York and South Florida and shares his years of accumulated knowledge in his latest book, Fishing the Edge. As the subtitle states, Skinner shares techniques and tales for surfcasting, boat fishing, and of course, kayak angling. For the aspiring sportsman who calls their kayak a second home, you would be remiss not to dive into the lessons Skinner shares over the course of these pages.
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Casting Seaward: Fishing Adventures in Search of America’s Saltwater Gamefish
By Steve Ramirez
An angler’s journey in search of the saltwater gamefish of North America as only a naturalist can reflect. Steve Ramirez, a marine veteran and author of two previous books, doesn’t just take us on a fishing trip. He writes a narrative through the perspectives of the people of these waters and the aquatic world we treasure. He also articulates the far-reaching societal challenges of today through a common ground—fishing.
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ABE BOOKS AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSHOP.ORG THRIFTBOOKS WALMART
Freshwater Fishes of the Northeastern United States: A Field Guide
By Robert G. Werner
Who doesn’t enjoy getting lost in a good field guide? Robert Werner is a career researcher and professor in zoology and has held posts at field stations from New York to Scotland. Werner’s comprehensive guide to the Northeastern U.S. will tell you more than you wanted to know about some 162 freshwater fish species, from bluegill to sturgeon. Keep this reference in your truck or pack it for the weekend. It’s the perfect field guide to open up for reference and a bit of continuing education.
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ABE BOOKS ALIBRIS AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE BETTER WORLD BOOKS BIBLIO BOOKSHOP.ORG THRIFTBOOKS WALMART
Hook, Line and Supper: New Techniques and Master Recipes for Everything Caught in Lakes, Rivers, Streams and Sea
By Hank Shaw
Take your catch of the day and turn it into something magnificent with Hank Shaw’s cookbook Hook, Line and Supper. Shaw is a lifelong angler, former chef, and James Beard award-winner for his website Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. In Hook, Line and Supper Shaw creates a toolkit for hook-to-table cooking. The author does so in a way that a recipe fits several species, whether your catch comes from the stream or the sea.
Buy from:
ABE BOOKS ALIBRIS AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE BETTER WORLD BOOKS BIBLIO BOOKSHOP.ORG THRIFTBOOKS WALMART
Feature photo: Tim Mossholder/Unsplash
