Description
Book SynopsisWhat does the future hold for fish and the people who pursue them? Fishing Through the Apocalypse explores that question through a series of fishing stories about the reality of the sport in the 21st century.
Matthew Miller (director of science communications for The Nature Conservancy) explores fishing that might be considered dystopian: joining anglers as they stick their lines into trash-filled urban canals, or visiting farm ponds where you can catch giant, endangered fish for a fee. But it isn't all bleak. When it comes to fishing, the other part of the story is this: a cadre of anglers is looking to right past wrongs, to return native species, to remove dams, to appreciate the unappreciated fish, to clean our waters and protect public lands.
As an angler and conservationist, Matt removes any and all preconceived notions about what it means to fish in the 21st century in order to see the different visions of the future that exist right here, right now.
Trade ReviewIntrepid, informed, warmly humorous and determined to catch, understand and save America’s fish, Miller gives us an original and desperately needed documentary. He exposes “trash fish” prejudices, fearlessly wades Miami sewer ditches, casts into the Potomac from the Capitol Mall, microfishes for shiners, and strives to save his home streams. This entertaining and edifying book extolls a conservation-minded angling obsession that just might get us through the apocalypse. -- Henry Hughes, author of Back Seat with Fish: A Man’s Adventures in Angling and Romance
A brilliant, urgent dispatch from the tangled front lines between fishing and conservation. A very funny, sad, infuriating, and hopeful book written by someone who truly understands that the simple act of fishing is so much more complicated than merely catching a fish. -- Stephen Sautner, Author of “Fish On, Fish Off” and “A Cast in the Woods”
America needs more outdoor writers like Matt Miller. He understands that fish are wildlife, too, and that there is no such thing as a “trash fish” that wasn’t hybridized or otherwise concocted by humans. In this deeply personal, engaging narrative Miller shows us what’s wrong and right with modern fishing and fish management. But even when he condemns he gives us hope. Anyone who loves nature -- angler or not -- should not miss this important book. -- Ted Williams, outdoor writer and environmental journalist
What’s to become to become of the ancient art of angling in the dystopian world of 21st-century America? Author Matt Miller goes off in search of an answer, casting his line into trash-strewn agricultural canals, wastewater drainage ditches, pay ponds, as well as near-pristine lakes and rivers, chasing a wide range of species, from beautiful native trout and salmon to dime-sized micro-fish and suckers rarely pursued by anglers. Although Miller doesn’t spare any punches, he is optimistic about the future of angling. Fishing through the Apocalypse is an entertaining and enlightening account for anglers and non-anglers alike.
-- Tim Gallagher, author of Born to Fish and The Grail Bird
"This book is a masterful blend of many things: a celebration of diversity and wild, native fish, a page-turning adventure that takes us both wide and deep, and a timely call to “pay attention”. But while there are glimpses of a future as ominous as the title suggests, Matthew Miller also points the way to an alternative future, where angling continues to be a vital antidote to both mental and environ-mental monoculture. Which way it goes is down to us". – Jeremy Wade, River Monsters
