First, I must confess that I do not use they type of lures that are featured in this wonderful book. I gave up this type of fishing years and years ago and only trout fish using flies now. Never-the-less, fishing gear, any fishing gear, absolutely fascinates me and I love looking at the stuff. But that is not the primary reason I own this and quite a number of other books of its ilk.

I have for years bought and sold these things; in part to make money, but more so because it is a nice hobby and I get to meet many nice people. When you buy and sell such things, I have found it is best to know a bit about them. This work goes along way in assisting me in this need for knowledge. There is a lot of money to be made in this hobby, but conversely, there is a lot of money to be lost if you know not what you are doing.

Secondly, I paint and draw. One of my primary subjects for still-life paintings and drawings is fishing lures. Now always having the actually lure in front of me is a bit of a handicap, and to be frank quite impossible because some of these fishing lures are quite rare and I have absolutely no access to them, but lacking the best thing, i.e. the actual lure, the photographs in this work are by far the second best thing to use. The color is extremely accurate as is the quality of the photographs; sharp, clear and detailed. I have found that the measurements provided by the authors to be extremely accurate. Using this work, I am able to reproduce very nice reproductions on canvas, paper or what ever material I choose…I have even used gourds from time to time. The clear and concise text accompanying each photograph provides invaluable information, both technical and background wise.

I like my paintings to be as accurate and authentic as possible and this work gives me the edge I need.

Now the only warning I might give to those who contemplate purchasing this work is that the prices or worth assigned to each lure can be misleading. As with any other collectable or antique, any given piece is only worth what someone is willing to give for it or willing to part with it for. Yes, the prices given here do give you a ballpark figure and a starting point, but just because the book states the lure is worth a thousand dollars and you find one in your grandfather’s lure box, does not mean that you will be able to run out the door and sell it for that much. Likewise, if you plan to buy a particular piece, I certainly would not start the bargaining process at the prices given here. But all that is common sense and really does not distract from this work what so ever. NO BOOK gives you prices that are written in stone! Trust me, I know about such matters. Another warning her for the would be collector: Due to the price of some of these objects, there is a very large knock-off and counterfeit market out there right now…do be careful and do your homework. Some of these people are quite good at what they do!

The book is well arranged by manufacturer, maker or company and it is rather easy to find what you are looking for. Do keep in mind that no one book can possibly cover all of the thousands upon thousands of lures that have been manufactured or hand made over the years, but hey…you have to start somewhere. I also like the way the authors have included the history of these item which is an education within itself.

On the less practical side, this is just a fun book for those interested in such things to simply brows through. Many wintery evening can be spent going over this work using it as either a “wish list” or just for the pure joy of seeing and learning. You know, if you look at it from a certain angle, the reader can learn much concerning the minds of men and the minds of the fish he or she pursues just by looking at what has been created to try to lure these tricky critters onto the stringer.

If this is an area of interest for you, then this is one of those must have books to add to your collection and I do highly recommend it.

Rating: 5 / 5

Charles
Rating: 4 / 5

He doesn’t spell out exactly what hole to drop which lure into, but he does give some great suggestions based on fishing, scenery, and wilderness experience. And in an area where 90 percent of the fishermen are going to 10 percent of the fishing areas, he gives some great alternatives to being shoulder to shoulder on the Russian or lining the Kenai. He does cover those areas well, but he suggests other options like hiking up to the Russian Lakes and fishing their outlets for trout.

Whether you are a tourist planning a trip to the Kenai or a resident of South Central Alaska, you should get this book. It has a lot of great area experiences that get overlooked in the shadow of the Kenai, the Russian and the saltwater charter fishing options. Try one of his hike in float tube lakes some time.

Rating: 5 / 5