Christmas book reviews

 

Jordan The Rodmaker by William H. Jordan. Published by The Whitefish Press, 4240 Minmor Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45217. Large format, 194 pages with index, b/w and color photos, and patent drawings, hardcover with dust jacket, and only 600 copies of this trade edition were published. Contact the published at www.whitefishpress.com for more information. $53.95 postpaid.

The story of famous bamboo rod maker Wesley D. Jordan is lovingly told by his son, William H. Jordan, in this biography that deals with his father’s career. In most cases, the story of Wes’ early life is one of a young boy and young man who loved to fish. Sadly, as was true of most people around the turn of the 20th Century, young Jordan loved to fish but money was scarce and he had to walk everywhere.

His make-shift gear was simple, but as he fished lakes and ponds around Lynn, Mass., the area was scenic where he caught his first trout at the age of five years. Wesley Jordan was born in 1894, and this serious love of fishing led him to learn the many nuances of building quality bamboo fly rods and some of the hardware found on such rods.

His first trout was caught on a bent pine, and from that day forward, he would learn how to solve fishing and other problems. He wasn’t much on schoolin’, and would rather spend time outdoors, but his was an inquisitive mind. He would determine and isolate a problem, and set about finding a way to eliminate it or improve an existing product.

The years from 1919-1926 found Wes Jordan working for the Cross Rod & Tackle Company, and he recalls: “The Cross years were a very fruitful and experimental time for me, as I was given the freedom to follow rodmaking ideas wherever my imagination might take me. This included triple-built rods a full inch in diameter, both four- and eight-strip rods, hollow built, and steel core models. Quality designing was very important to me throughout my rod making years.”

He preferred a rod with a smooth action that works down to within three or four inches of the grip. This was based on comments from those who purchased fly rods that he designed for Cross and South Bend. He felt that fly rods built in this manner are more comfortable to cast and offer better line control. Some of these early Cross rods were advertised in the April 1922 issue of Forest & Stream magazine.

The Cross Rod and Tackle Company, run for years under the guidance of W.F. Forsyth went up for sale in 1925. Jordan could have bought the business for $12,000 from the Forsyth heirs, but he couldn’t afford it. South Bend Bait Company bought the Cross business and equipment, and Wes Jordan moved to South Bend, Ind.

Jordan went on to invent and patented a screw locking reel seat and other things. His contributions to improving the quality and performance of South Bend-Cross rods was immeasurable. This book shows in fine detail the quality of these reel seats. As time went on at South Bend, Jordan also invented a bamboo bow that famed archer Howard Hill used in archery tournaments.

Eventually, Wes Jordan was employed by the C.F. Orvis Company from 1939-1971, but it appears that Jordan and Orvis owner Leigh Perkins really didn’t see eye to eye with Jordan on many things. Perkins wanted more rods built, and Jordan said it was impossible to do and maintain the quality anglers had come to expect from Orvis.

Wes Jordan died on Sept. 18, 1975 after a successful fishing trip to a small upstate Vermont lake. And thus ended the lengthy career of one of bamboo rodmaking’s most well-known and respected men.

Turkey Hunting by Bob Humphrey.  Published by The Lyons Press, Guilford, CT. Paperback, 129 pages, color photos.  For more information phone (800) 962-0973 or go to www.lyonspress.com . $19.95.

The author is no stranger to the sport of turkey hunting, and this book will fill some of the gaps a hunter may have in his turkey-hunting education. Chapter topics include; gobbler guns & ammo; gobbler gear; turkey calling; tactics & woodsmanship; scouting; implementation;  running & gunning; teaming up; tough toms; bow hunting and fall hunting; ethics and safety; and care and handling.

This book will be a welcome addition to the library of any turkey hunting. The information is solid, and the color photos are well focused. The tips in this book can help anyone become a better turkey hunter.



Steelhead & Salmon by W.H. “Chip” Gross. Published by The Lyons Press, , Guilford, CT. Paperback, 129 pages, color photos.  For more information phone (800) 962-0973 or go to www.lyonspress.com . $19.95.

Anyone who knows me understands that steelhead fishing is one of my great loves, and over many years, I’ve written three books on the topic. Having this background  for 50 years gives me the experience and knowledge on how to fish for salmon and steelhead in the Great Lakes and their tributaries.

Chip Gross is a friend, and a longtime angler. He also has great photographic and writing skills, and this marriage of two outdoor writing needs makse him a natural for this book. Not only does he know how to catch these great game fish, he has the skills to do it with passion and skill. A great book to add to your library.


Fur, Fortune & Empire by Eric Jay Dolin.  Published by W.W. Norton Company, 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110. Cloth hardcover, dust jacket, 442 pages with index, b/w & color photos, drawings and mapsplus map endpapers. For more information go to rsalzman@wwnorton.com or phone (617) 487-8660. $29.95.

Subtitled The Epic History Of The Fur Trade In America, this book lives up to its advance publicity. The map endpapers show the  routes of trappers  as they headed out from St. Louis on the Mississippi, River, and headed southwest to Santa Fe, New Mexico; northwest to Canada’s Fort Mandan, Fort Union and Fort McKenzie; and west to Fort Vancouver, San Francisco and San Diego during the early 1800s.

This fine and comprehensive look at the fur industry points out how the trapping and the continuous search for fur helped expand what would eventually become the United States. Some of the author’s book deals with trapping in Canada, and Henry Hudson was credited with sailing up the Hudson River in a search for fur.

It was the exploration for fur that helped open up the western territories, and trappers moved up and down major rivers into large and small tributaries, climbed mountains and crossed the plains searching for bears, beaver, bison, otters and seals that could be shipped back to Europe to supply the wealthy with fine furs.

This book captures the romance of the trappers who pursued their trade with the native Indians, and who allowed an exploration into uncharted lands. Here they found the fur, and as the country expanded, some of the animals that were trapped or shot began to decline in number. But the fur trade was largely responsible for finding new routes to the Pacific Ocean, through Canada and throughout much of the American southwest.

It is a great book, filled with names and places of interest 300-400 years ago, and it details an era we’ll never see again. A good read.


Ice Fishing: The Ultimate Guide by Tim Allard. Published by The  Heliconia Press, 1576 Beachburg Road, Beechburg, Ontario K0J 1CO. Paperback, 214 pages, color photos. For more information contact the publisher at (888) 582-2001 or by email at www.helipress.com . $24.95.

Finally, ice fishing has come of age. No longer are we treated to books with well-padded chapters, too little information and more where-to than how-to.

This book will set the stage  for giving others a heads-up on what an ice fishing book contains. This book by Ontario native Tim Allard is a great book to learn from. The color photos are imaginative, tell their own story, and Allard’s text is filled with hard-earned knowledge that can help any ice fisherman catch more fish.

The author covers fishing for many species, including: bass, bluegills, crappies, eelpout, northern pike, perch, sunfish, walleyes, whitefish and all trout species.

Readers will get the latest information on which lures to fish, and when and how; close looks at specialized techniques and methods that produce; data on sonar units and how they can help locate and catch more fish. This book doesn’t list just a single lure for various species, but several different lures from many manufacturers. Learn how to look at a new body of water and determine where to go to catch the most fish. All the latest in electronics, rods, reels, lines and other gear.

If you enjoy hard-water fishing, look no further than this book. It is honestly the best ice-fishing book  I’ve ever seen.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors