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Summary: The antics of the anadromous
Review: John McPhee, "a registered curmudgeon", was fishing for shad on the Delaware River one afternoon when he felt a tug. Nearly three hours later, amidst a serious debate over what was on the end of the line, a concerned wife's inquiry forwarded by a policeman, and cheers from interested spectators, McPhee pulled from the river a 4 - 3/4 pound roe shad. Clearly not a record-setter, nor an exotic species - the debate suggested bass, sturgeon and even tarpon. What prompted McPhee to relate this event in opening a lengthy account of what, to some, remains a mediocre animal? Surely, John McPhee, who has written of continental movement and extended vistas, must have a compelling reason to deal with such a mundane topic.McPhee's reputation as a writer should need no introduction. However, if you are unacquainted with his work, you can start here with confidence. He deftly presents a melange of scientific information, "folk wisdom", history and personal experience. As with his work on geology, he entices researchers, fishermen, guides and legislators to provide him their views, which he relates with sympathy and clarity. Throughout this narrative, his own experiences are told with wit and compassion. Fishermen are great whingers, but McPhee brings a new level of sensitivity to his personal accounts. He knows there's a god when a nearby fisherman nets six fish while his hook remains empty - only a god could permit such arbitrary antics in nature. The research and folk tales centre on a particular form of fish. Anadromous ["running up"] fish, among which salmon are the most famous, can move from an ocean environment up fresh water streams to spawn. This talent requires bizarre body chemistry, bearing immense costs. Salmon die after spawning, partly because they don't feed on the upstream run. Shad, too, remain hungry heading "home" to breed, but some shad return to the sea after mating. In some regions they may make three or four trips in a lifetime. McPhee, accompanied by fishermen and researchers, traces the history and physiology of the American shad. Other piscine species are touched on, including, of all things, a hammerhead shark. The shad, however, keeps centre stage. Once scorned as "just shad", chiefly due to its bony nature, many now acclaim its flavour when it reaches the table - hence the species name "Alosa sapidissima" - "most savoury". Books about sports are a major industry. They suffer a common fault - they're universally inwardly focussed. Baseball fans don't read about cross-country skiing. Golfers don't read about ice hockey. And fishing? There's divided opinion about fishing among sportsmen. Golfers, baseball fans, or hockey buffs often view fishermen with kindly disdain. Up at ungodly hours, thrashing through damp woods to take up stations at a bug-infested stream or foggy lake. Not something reasonable or civilised people should do. McPhee's experiences, brought to light by his superb prose, bring fresh breadth of vision to the world of fishermen and fish. Always an unmatchable read, this latest publication of McPhee must join his other works on your shelves. You may not be a John McPhee fan when you encounter this book, but you will be when you finish it. Then pass it along to your children who will find riches and insights he provides. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
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Summary: Excellent reading from beginning to end
Review: Pulitzer Prize winning John McPhee provides a wonderful saga of his love affair with the American shad in "The Founding Fish". He masterfully draws the reader into this love affair and into the minds of those who pursue the shad. He reveals how the shad played important roles in American history and economics including roles in the lives of such historical figures as George Washington, General Pickett, and John Wilkes Booth. Through masterful writing McPhee deepens our understanding of the shad and shad afficianados with detailed visits with a fish behaviorist, master shad dart maker and similar professionals. With McPhee we learn to appreciate the fish as well as the hunt, we learn to stand is awe of those that are truly proficient at catching the shad, and even thrill in the pleasure of the catch. Easy reading that artfully takes the reader into the mind of those who would wait all year for a few weeks of opportunity to seek and catch the American shad. It is truly a wonderful piece of prose that is so well written that even those who do not engage in the art of fishing find the book a fascinating read. A highly recommended read and a fine example of one of the most engaging writing styles today.
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Summary: A revealing, intriguing coverage
Review: This blends personal, natural and American history and will prove hard to easily categorize, but provides a fine account of a shad fisherman's obsession, fish research, and insights. This is more than a fishing book: McPhee fishes with and visits the labs of ichthyologists and learns about shad in-depth in his pursuit of the game. A revealing, intriguing coverage.
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Summary: All McPhee all perfect all fabulous.
Review: You can always count on a John McPhee book to be worth your time and money. He is an amazing author in his ability to extract interesting content from just about any topic. I am no Shad angler and this book doesn't make me want to be one, but I am a teacher of environmental policy and this book is one I have recommended to my students in both fisheries policy and water policy. There were large sections of the book I skipped because it seemed a bit over done, but that is a matter of taste. Probably if you are a dedicated angler you will find them interesting.
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