THE BOOK OF FLORIDA FISHING FRESH SALT WATER

By Gordon Lewis '23.New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1956.90 pp. $1.50.

It is likely that a Florida-bound fisherman would read avidly about Florida fishing, not missing a word of such a guide as Mr. Lewis has written or failing to study intently its scores of illustrations and tables of information. That a snow-bound reader who has no plans (or hopes) for going south from New Hampshire, where "the great white cold walks abroad," has done so is testimony to the excellence of this readable and informative book.

The author makes a number of convincing points in his intioductory pages. A lot of people think of Florida more in terms of Miami Beach and motels laid end to end along Route i than of vast areas of wilderness. As for fishing they may understandably envisage well-fed citizens strapped into boat chairs battling a leaping tarpon or sailfish. There's all this, but Mr. Lewis emphasizes the great "lonely stretches of wilderness waters in Florida, waiting for the venturesome, more proficient angler with ample time and funds who wants to fish unfished areas with light or medium tackle." These words sketch an inviting picture for outdoor enthusiasts who most enjoy their sport in open and uncrowded spaces.

For each of the very numerous salt and fresh water fish of Florida, Mr. Lewis concisely presents names, identification, location, edibility, and weights. On the matter of eating qualities his judgments range like (but we'll bet more honest than) reports from northern resorts on skiing conditions, from "none," through poor, fair, good, to "excellent." You can see how complete are the results of his painstaking research and thorough coverage.

It is really something for a fisherman to give away so many secrets all at once.