In 1959 Raymond R. Camp put together a comprehensive collection of short stories about the sport of fishing. As sportswriter for the New York Times, Camp had great insight into the quality of fishing literature from his contemporaries as well as the authors who had come before him. The ‘Fireside Book‘ is a great introduction to these folks and their best stories.
Featuring 42 stories from almost as many authors, the Fireside Book was probably the most comprehensive collection of fishing stories in its time. Even today, it offers the chance for the reader to become more familiar with fishing authors that he or she has likely never heard of.
The Fireside Book of Fishing was definitely an interesting read for me. Its 500 pages took a while to delve through, and some stories and authors were better than others. It took a while, but it was well worth it. One thing that caught my attention was that the large number of stories based in the England/Scotland area and the portrayal of fishing as a sport for the privileged class. While many stories exemplified this, others highlighted fishing as the common man’s pursuit. It was particularly interesting to see the sport of fishing from Mr. Camp’s view, as it was seen over 50 years ago. Lots of things have changed in the sport, but the love of fishing and the resulting literature continues to entertain the world today.
Below is a list of the authors included in this book and their stories. My favorites are highlighted with a *. Be sure to pick up a copy of The Fireside Book of Fishing. It’s a great addition to any collection of angling literature.
Robert Allan – Owen’s Adventure
Russell Annabel – In the Rainbow Kingdom *
Thomas Barker – Barker’s Delight
Reverend Thomas Bastard – Fishing (Poem)
Stephen Vincent Benet – Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent
Ray Bergman – Some Field Problems and Their Solutions
William Black – On the Loch
R.D. Blackmore – Crocker’s Hole
Paul Hyde Bonner – The Rajah’s Rock *
Win Brooks – The Shining Tides
Paul Brown – Dirty Work at the Covered Bridge *
John Buchan – The Old Etonian Tramp *
Raymond R. Camp – Stouthearted Men *
Lewis Carroll – The Two Brothers (Poem)
Guy de Maupassant – The Hole
Colin D. B. Ellis – The Devout Angler (Poem)
S. Kip Farrington – Peru
Frank Forester – Trouting along the Catasauqua *
Roderick Haig-Brown – When is a Rainbow…
Van Campen Heilner – Bonefish
Ernest Hemingway – The Big Two-Hearted River *
Jerome K. Jerome – Storytelling on the Thames
Arthur R. MacDougal, Jr. – Bass are Bass *
A. J. McClane – Spinning for Fresh and Salt Water Fish
John McDonald – Introduction, The Complete Fly Fisherman
Vincent Marinaro – Fishing the Dry Fly on Quiet Waters *
W. C. Prime – Three Bottles of Claret
Sir R. H. Roberts – The Silver Trout *
G. E. M. Skues – Mr. Theodore Castwell *
Edmund Ware Smith – Angler, Beware!
Sparse Grey Hackle – The Lotus Eaters
Sparse Grey Hackle – Murder
Arthur Train – Black Salmon *
F. F. Van de Water – In Defense of Worms
Howard T. Waldon – Old Poacher’s Return **
Maurice Walsh – Thomasheen James and the Absent-Minded Professor *
Izaak Walton and Charles Cotton – The Fourth Day
J. P. Wheeldon – The Thames at Halliford
Ben Ames Williams – Chet McAusland of Fraternity **
Henry Williamson – The Redds
Philip White – The Visiting Fire-Eater
Ed Zern – The Truth about Izaak Walton
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