Outdoor Life has been re-publishing some  classic articles from the 50-70s which I have been really enjoying. The articles are less "how to" guides and more celebrations of the adventure and romance of fishing. I just read one from Ben East (from the 50s) which was all about an exciting expedition to find seldom fished muskies on Isle Royale. There's also been great stories about old school cane pole fishing for bass and home made lures for big bass. The through line has been solid prose and exciting fishing. 

 

There's got to be more excellent outdoor angling writing, hopefully about bass, out there, right? What authors, books, or magazines should I read? I'm happy to see if my local library system has them or track them down through the  vagaries of the web. 

Not fishing specific but Robert Ruark is awesome.

Plenty of good information to absorb here on the forums. If you go to the menu tab in the top left of the screen, you’ll see there’s an article page too. 

15 hours ago, Rucksack said:

The articles are less "how to" guides and more celebrations of the adventure and romance of fishing.

 

I prefer these kinds of articles.

Bassin with the best is a Good one. Found it on Amazon. Written in the late 80 s . All the pros wrote a chapter. Good read 

Katie, @Swamp Girl is a wonderful writer!  Lee Wulff and Lefty Kreh are awesome.

I like going to the local used bookstores and picking up old Bassmasters from the days when there was actually some good articles in them. 
 

“Think like a Fish” by the late, great Tom Mann is a good read as well.

John Geirach writes about fly fishing, but I find all of his books to be very good.  His books fit into what you described in the original post.... A window into the adventures, misadventures, and day to day life of a hardcore angler.  

Wrote a article for In-Fisherman “Rare Chance for a World Record”, maybe not  up to good writing standards but written in the old style that you might enjoy reading.

PM email and will send it to anyone who wants to read it.

Tom

22 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

I prefer these kinds of articles.

Me to! Even in life, to me it’s more about the journey than the destination. I enjoy learning techniques, lures and whatever else from articles but I need more than meat and potatoes. Since reading Thoreau decades ago, the quote “Many men fish all of their lives without knowing it’s not the fish they are after.” means more and more to me. Like @Lottabass mentioned, I enjoy your writings a great deal.

46 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Wrote a article for In-Fisherman “Rare Chance for a World Record”, maybe not  up to good writing standards but written in the old style that you might enjoy reading.

PM email and will send it to anyone who wants to read it.

Tom

 

I dug this up once -- look at that pic of young Tom!

1 hour ago, volzfan59 said:

Like @Lottabass mentioned, I enjoy your writings a great deal.

 

Thanks, guys!

Anything written by Homer Circle. and like everyone else here, I love reading Katies' writing.

A River Runs Through it by Norman Maclean.  I know it was a movie, while the movie is a movie about life with some fishing thrown in, the book is about a fisherman's life.

 

I was working as a big game guide in Alaska when a client gave me this book.  He said he gives them to people every time he goes on hunting or fishing trip.  Within a week every person at the camp had read A River Runs Through it, and said it was one of the best books they had ever read.  Two years later the movie came out.    I haven't met a fisherman yet that doesn't like this book.

A classic is "The Compleat Angler By Izaak Walton"

1 minute ago, king fisher said:

A River Runs Through it by Norman Maclean.  I know it was a movie, while the movie is a movie about life with some fishing thrown in, the book is about a fisherman's life.

 

I was working as a big game guide in Alaska when a client gave me this book.  He said he gives them to people every time he goes on hunting or fishing trip.  Within a week every person at the camp had read A River Runs Through it, and said it was one of the best books they had ever read.  Two years later the movie came out.    I haven't met a fisherman yet that doesn't like this book.

I agree.  It seems like trout anglers always have the best books for some reason.   I really liked the movie also.  When Norman comes home after being away at college for a few years and looks out over the river,  the expression on his face spoke volumes to me.  

 

The places I've fished in the past are like old friends.  It's special when you get to visit with one of them after being apart for a while.  The movie captures that beautifully.  

 

 

27 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

A classic is "The Compleat Angler By Izaak Walton"

Heck yes Ken!!! I’ve got a copy of the book. Wasn’t the easiest book to read, but I sure enjoyed it. One of my favorite quotes too, see below 

The magazines I read as a youngster were Field & Stream Jason Lucas editor and Outdoor Life Robert Lincoln Page editor, both published bass books in the 50’s. Lucas on Bass and Black Bass Fishing are worth reading, good but not classics. I also recommend In Pursuit of Giant Bass by Bill Murphy if interested in catching adult size bass and good overall behavior habits.

Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea is a classic, not about fishing, it’s about life.

Tom

Not what quite what you're asking for, but two (completely different) novels I enjoyed. Neither is really about fishing exactly, but both have fishing as a central part of the story:

• Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen -- a very funny murder mystery/detective story and conspiracy caper involving a pro bass fishing tournament circuit. Crazy characters and wild twists.

• The Fisherman by John Langan -- extremely creepy horror story about a widower who takes up fishing after his wife's death, and discovers a mysterious creek with a dark history and a curse. Very weird and haunting.

@MIbassyaker, I’ve read Double Whammy. Good book, really enjoyed it.