Reddit mentions: The best biology of fishes & sharks books

//This is a summation of several months of recent reading...it sounds like a lot, but it isn't as much as it sounds like.

Just finished reading The Phantom Toolbooth to my 5-year old for the 3rd time (first time was more to $spouse when the kid was still nursing, but I'm counting it anyway). It's an awesome book to read when you are a kid, and doubly-awesome to read aloud to a kid.

For me, I recently finished The Founding Fish by John McPhee (one of my favorite writers).

I just started reading Rust: The Longest War which seems good so far (similar in style to McPhee).

I've also recently read:

• Flagship by Issac Hooke,
  
• Outsystem by M. D. Cooper,
  
• Nightblade by Ryan Kirk,
  
• The Shadow Order by Michael Robertson
  
• Columbus Day by Craig Alanson
  
  All as part of some sort of Amazon Prime Kindle deal. I can't really recommend any of them. The first two are formulaic in the extreme, and because everyone is the best supersoldier/pilot/captain/hacker ever, and there's no question they will "win," and I just didn't care. I couldn't finish the 3rd, although it wasn't bad; I just wanted to read something else. I honestly can't remember anything about the 4th, it was that bad. The last one (Columbus Day) didn't suck.
  
  Also from Amazon:
  
  
• Red Hope by John Dreese, which so far is like a not-as-good version of The Martian by Andy Weir (I DO recommend The Martian, but think it is one of the very rare cases where the movie is better than the original source material).
  
• Meta by Tom Reynolds was decent.
  
  Most of the Amazon Prime Kindle selections are the first of a series, and while I like a good series as much as the next guy, I'm not going to bother with any of them, except for Columbus Day and Meta. Maybe.
  
  I mistakenly read Echopraxia for the second time, but it's good enough that I didn't mind. It has some pretty creepy parts, but I like what I've read of Peter Watts so far, and it's a fairly deep book in parts, so a second read wasn't a waste.
  
  The local library has some Terry Prattchet as a digital loan, so I read one or two Discworld books too.
  
  Anyone have any suggestions for a good biography of Eisenhower?

It's an older book but one I am very partial to because it got me started: Great White Shark by Richard Ellis and John McCosker http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HQMZQ0E/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1458936067&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=great+white+shark+ellis&dpPl=1&dpID=51701uVuhcL&ref=plSrch

Another interesting read is The Lady and the Sharks by Eugenie Clark. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s_ss_i_0_19?k=the+lady+and+the+sharks&sprefix=the+lady+and+the+sh This was about setting up Cape Haze Laboratory (now Mote Marine Laboratory) which studies sharks primarily. She has a great writing style and the focus on the research is interesting. During this time Genie was running tests on lemon sharks which ultimately proved sharks were capable of being trained and learning to feed at particular targets. Her papers on this subject are fascinating too. Those are on Google scholar if you're interested or PM me if you need help.

Fora general field guide or handbook on sharks I'd go with Dr. Greg Skomal's guide: the shark handbook http://www.amazon.com/The-Shark-Handbook-Essential-Understanding/dp/1604330074
Most overall shark books tend to be geared more towards kids but Dr. Skomal does a great job not dumbing things down. The photos are great too.

TO THROW A TUNA, BE prepared to hold the fish by the tail and spin. That’s the way it’s done in the city of Port Lincoln in South Australia where “tuna tossing” isn’t just some unconventional salad preparation. The tuna toss is part of an annual festival called Tunarama that celebrates the town’s seafaring history—and the wealth it’s created.

If Port Lincoln is known for anything, it’s seafood. This small seaside town of 14,000 may be geographically isolated but has the largest fishing industry in the country. Reputedly, the prevalence of high value fish like southern bluefin tuna has helped the city go from a sleepy port town into a place with the highest number of millionaires per capita. Richard Ellis writes in his book, Tuna: Love, Death, and Mercury, that nearby Japan buys “the entire catch of the Port Lincoln tuna fleet”. As Japan’s demand for fatty bluefin tuna rose, so too did the income of tuna fishermen—often referred to as “tuna barons.”

📷
Matt Staunton, 2015 winner. (Photo: Erin Staunton)

In 1962, the town decided to create a festival at the same time of year the fishing fleet was put out to sea—on Australia Day weekend at the end of January. This being the southern hemisphere, the timing puts it right in the middle of the continent’s summer.

By 1979, festival promoters decided that the annual Tunarama needed an extra kick. Something that was flashy but also related to the town’s fishing business. At the time, the method of unloading fish from the boats was a very hands-on job. As the official Tuna Toss history states, “Men would stand on the decks of the boats, and throw tuna up onto the waiting trucks.” Hopeful fishermen were often hired on the basis of how far they could throw one of these slippery tuna that weighed an average of 20 pounds. The best got to work; the rest went home. The festival committee decided to rebrand this trial as a “local sport” and add the tuna toss to the lineup of events at Tunarama.

Observation is your best friend. Learn to recognize what's on/in/under the water. Check out Handbook of Hatches by Dave Hughes for a good basic guide to what trout eat and flies to match them. The Mayfly Guide by Al Caucci (PA fishing legend) is more specific but a beautiful little book. Trout Streams of Pennsylvania by Greg Landis is a great guide to our wonderful state's streams and often gives specific advice regarding what hatches may be found on a particular one. Edit: No Hatch to Match by Rich Ostoff is a great guide for all those times that there aren't bugs on the water.

I'm also in SE PA (Philly) and would be happy to meet up and wet a line. Drop me a PM if interested.

Start here: 49.637572, -114.492626

This is the start of highway 40 - the Forestry Trunk Road. Locally, it is called the 'Trout Highway'. For almost the entire stretch, it is Crown land (which is essentially public access, but God Save the Queen and all that noise), except for the times when you are in practically pristine provincial or national parks.

https://www.amazon.ca/Albertas-Trout-Highway-Fishing-Forestry/dp/0968860303

At the start, it is probably one of the busier sections in Alberta, but gullible cutthroat trout are worth being around a few extra people.

As you go north of the Trans Canada highway, you enter the area of Alberta's wildly underrated brown trout streams. The scenery is just as good, but brown trout are not as easy to catch. But with the practice acquired on the first leg of the trip, you will be prepped.

And as you get close to Highway 16 (also a trans-Canada highway, but not THE Trans Canada highway), the quarry changes from browns to fully native rainbows (often called athabows) and grayling. And bull trout.

Local fly fishing legend wrote this book: https://www.amazon.ca/Trout-Streams-Alberta-Guide-Fishing/dp/0921835175/ref=pd_sim_14_1/130-1085907-3153402?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=APRVCGD6QTPB5RDTC3PG

It breaks down the fishing based on the river basins, which is why the species change.

This drive is filled with breathtaking scenery. Once you are as far north as you would like. On your drive home, you can hit all the big rivers. The Bow River being the best spot to hit in Alberta. Or take Hwy 16/Trans Canada back to Vermont. It is pretty dry between Alberta and Ontario in terms of trout streams, but once you hit Ontario, there are hundreds of angling options, even without a boat.

But you have to be aware that Canada is not as cheap as US, even considering the difference in our dollar. Anything that is a 'vice' has a pretty big tax on it, like booze. You will find food to be about the same price.

My biggest warning is that you might not ever want to leave. :)

Here's the report on the Tenkara rod:

I picked up a selection of flies from Tenkara Fly Shop. The owner hand ties the flies, and was incredibly responsive. He contacted me after my order, and changed things up to suit the area I was fishing in. He was very knowledgeable of the area I would be in and had great suggestions. Turn around time was very quick.

The Stuart Fork was great and easy to fish. Once I learned some different techniques, like Bow and Arrow Casting I was catching everything in the water. I got tangled up in the trees for a bit, but quickly learned where my line would go during the cast.

The lakes (Emerald and Sapphire) were incredibly productive, and I was definitely outfishing the people with spin outfits. I couldn't get the distance they could, but I caught some 10" brooks for dinner and an 18" rainbow which I released.

Overall I really enjoyed using the rod. It was durable, easy to use and setup, and had me fishing a lot more then if I had to setup a spin outfit. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to fish while backpacking.

Also, I read this book on the trail and it helped immensely.

There are a handful of decent books on this, and a few websites.
The book that got it started was Carp on the Fly by Brad Befus and Barry Reynolds, waaaay back in 1997.

More recently Kirk Deeter did a guide book for Orvis that's actually very good; I've never been very fond of Orvis, but it's a solid book.

Finally, check out The Best Carp Flies by Jay Zimmerman. He talks about presentations, water types, and more - and the tying instructions are first-rate.

Finally, give it a good Google...but make sure you check out the Fly-Carpin' website. Trevor has largely stepped away now and isn't making frequent updates, but there's a TON of fantastic information still available there. Start here with his How-To section and tear it up.

Oh...and welcome to the revolution....

Software wise, Subsurface is a fantastic open source dive logger. It runs on mobile and Mac/Windows. Both sync to the cloud so you can access the same data on either. You can also use it to publish your logbook to https://www.divelogs.de/.

For books, at least for the west coast, I'd highly recommend:

Coastal Fish Identification: California to Alaska (the same author has published excellent guides for other regions as well)

A Guide to the Rockfishes, Thornyheads, and Scorpionfishes of the Northeast Pacific (Milton Love's other fish books are also well worthwhile, and downright hilarious. He's a marine biologist at UC Santa Barbara, and if you ever get a chance to hear him talk, don't miss out.)

It could be a combination of all of the above, or none of the above. Depth is important, size is important, too. If you are still fishing winter conditions, the takes are very subtle and you may be getting bites that you don't even realize. I set on everything that has a remote chance of being a strike this time of year.

If you can take a class or go on a guided trip, it will help you out immensely, especially as you are learning new water.

I also got a lot of benefit from getting a net seine to see what bugs are actually in the water and then using that to match my flies. Another great resource that I've used is The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing

Keep at it, the best way to improve is to keep practicing!

Sounds like a good start, lol. r/bettafish has lots of good info in their sidebar - just cycle the aquarium first - which the sidebar here has the info. 5.5gallon sounds great. Only exception being the petco "king" bettas which I'd suggest 10g or larger. Get a good pellet (omega one or new life spectrum) add once a week frozen daphnia (prevents bloating and is yummy).

Also, if you want to put yourself through another emotional wringer with fish read What a fish Knows by Jonathan Balcombe.

Is your trip centered around fishing? Or are you there for other reasons? I ask because if you are there for other reasons, I would suggest hiring a guide to take you out for a day to increase your chances.

Your line should be a weight-forward, floating, salt water fly line. Make sure it is clean (so it shoots through the eyes better). Have plenty of backing on your reel as well. There are leaders made specifically for bonefish with a stronger butt-section to turn over the flies. I'd suggest having a few of these and some extra fluorocarbon to add to your tippet throughout the day. 9 foot, 10-12 lb leaders will work well on windy days. Longer leaders can be used for calm days.

Bonefish can be difficult to spot, so a good pair of polarized glasses is a must. They spook easily and can run in large groups. If you have the time to read up on them, I'd suggest this book.

If you really want to test your equipment, try to catch a permit while you're there (hell, go for the "grand slam" and catch a bone, permit and tarpon in the same day!).

Flies.

I've been on this search before, and sadly, there aren't many options out there. I linked below the book I ended up buying. It isn't that big, but it's full of pictures and general descriptions. I really like it, although a large species-specific book would be nice. I haven't done an in-depth search for three years, so maybe there's something else out there by now. Either way, I hope you get something you like!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1593730209/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have Trout and Their Food by Dave Whitlock and Colorado's Best Fly Fishing by Landon Mayer. Both books are nearly brand new. I received a duplicate as a gift and I re-bought the Whitlock book at last year's Fly Fishing Show in Winston-Salem to have Dave sign a copy.

I'm looking to trade pretty much anything fly fishing related--tying materials or tools, other books, etc.

Thanks for lookin'!

You can download / torrent the PDF for the book, but I'd suggest buying a copy as well to support the author.

Really good book. They have another book for creatures as well.

The circling behaviour, or "carouselling" is one of a series of escalating steps cichlids use to assess the size/fighting ability of their opponents. Pretty much, the fish start by looking at each other, and if one is clearly bigger, the dispute ends. If they're similarly sized, the bout will escalate into some series of gill flares, carouselling, and finally jaw locking. By doing this, the fish are able to prevent wasting energy/injury unless they really need to - i.e. they are actually really closely matched. If you're interested in this stuff, I strongly recommend reading "The Cichlid Fishes" by George Barlow. It's an easy and really interesting read.

Here's a fun one on cetaceans. I love this book more than anything!

I tried finding something similar for fish and found this... the pictures seem awesome.

This one is a bit more wordy... but still encyclopedia format, which is simple, easy, and straightforward. Your niece can find one she likes and read about it.

I am too excited about this so I figured I'd share with all of you. It looks fascinating and the reviews are great. I can't wait to read it!

Oh, and George is in the background. I had to step back from the tank because apparently he did not like pictures of the fish on the cover and whenever the book got near the tank he would thrash the water surface. Maybe it's a South American / African feud thing.

Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Cichlid-Fishes-Experiment-Evolution/dp/0738205281/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned yet but I highly recommend the book What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins. It goes into great depth about how a fish perceives.

Sure thing. These are my favorite guides.
Pretty exhaustive, good details on habitat, color, and range, and lots of pictures of different phases and regional color morphs.

Don't know of a great app, but there are lots of great books on the subject. They are all location-specific, so recommendations may be based on where you dive.

For the Caribbean, I can highly recommend this book:

Reef Fish Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas - 4th Edition (Reef Set)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1878348574/

It is part of a set that includes books on fish identification, other creature identification, coral identification, and then a book on fish behavior.

PETA has long had a campaign against fishing.

["What a Fish Knows"] (https://www.amazon.com/What-Fish-Knows-Underwater-Cousins/dp/0374537097/) is a really great book about how fish should get greater consideration. I highly recommend adding it to your summer reading list.

Check out "What a Fish Knows" by Jonathan Balcombe (https://www.amazon.com/What-Fish-Knows-Underwater-Cousins/dp/0374537097). I just started reading it, but so far it's been a fun look at fish intelligence.

Yeah, there is something better. Being in that beautiful place AND catching a fish. "When you're fishing, nothing beats catching fish!" - Unnamed New England Shad fisherman quoted in this book

Yup, this is a Plainfin Midshipman. They're pretty neat little critters.

Don't shoot things you can't positively ID. I'd suggest picking up a book like this and going over it until you can ID most of what you see on a normal day out.

That's cool! You ever read Founding Fish about shad in the rivers? Awesome

Poor fish.. Please educate yourselves about fish sentience and sensory systems. A great resource on the topic: https://www.amazon.com/What-Fish-Knows-Underwater-Cousins/dp/0374288216 A free read to start getting to know our scaly fellow earthlings: https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/factory-farming/fish/fish-feel-pain/

I really liked this book, and it's counterparts. This one has all the related books in the "users also bought section"

Reef Fish Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas - 4th Edition (Reef Set) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1878348574/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_gkowxbSEPQ258

It's got full color pictures of fish, and a bit of information on them. It's also easy to search for what you saw, and if you want more info, it can give you a name to Wikipedia.

I read this book a little while ago and was pretty surprised by it. You might find it worth considering.

It's a good example of a controversial position.

For more fun, check out this thread:

http://animalstudiesrepository.org/animsent/vol1/iss3/1/

The start is an article about fish not feeling pain. It has about fifty responses, including one from the guy who wrote that book "What a Fish Knows."

It seems a moral precautionary approach is called for. If you don't know, don't kill.

If anybody is interested in how fish think and feel then I recommend 'What a Fish Knows' by Jon Balcombe.
Although there are more than thirty thousand species of fish more than all mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians combined we rarely consider how individual fishes think, feel, and behave. Balcombe upends our assumptions about fishes, portraying them not as unfeeling, dead-eyed feeding machines but as sentient, aware, social, and even Machiavellian in other words, much like us.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Fish-Knows-Underwater-Cousins/dp/0374288216

> They do not, and are far more cognitively simplistic than most people like to imagine.

Actually, the opposite is true. But don't take my word for it, take the words of someone who is an expert in the field.

Barry Reynolds Carp on the Fly The OG carp bible

The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp: Tips and Tricks for the Determined Angler

Dan Frasier's new book The Orvis Beginner's Guide to Carp Flies: 101 Patterns & How and When to Use Them

You're also going to have better shots at carp on foot, rather than in a boat anyways.

And you do realize that John Montana Bartlett does 90% of his fishing on the Big C, as in the Columbia river, right? Thats PNW

https://www.amazon.com/Reef-Fish-Identification-Florida-Caribbean/dp/1878348574/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550494892&sr=8-2&keywords=caribbean+reef+fish+book

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It's a lot more fun if you do it yourself, and you learn more.

I’m midway through the book “What a Fish Knows,” which pulls together much of what is currently known about some of your questions. You might enjoy it: https://www.amazon.com/What-Fish-Knows-Underwater-Cousins/dp/0374537097/ref=nodl_

Ive got the "little red book of fly fishing" if you're interested in swapping for the whitlock book.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0061QUQM4/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1

I recommend the book "What a Fish Knows": https://www.amazon.com/What-Fish-Knows-Underwater-Cousins/dp/0374537097

This is THE book.

I have it from diving. My girlfriend has an abridged waterproof copy that's printed on synthetic paper that she has actually taken on dives with her.

You can also buy a 3 volume set that includes coral and other reef creatures.

Edit: I just looked at mine. It's great but it talks more about how the fish will respond to divers. I don't see much help on whether or not they're tasty.

Recommend the 2016 book, What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins by Jonathan Balcombe.

The fish I thought had the the most inquisitive look was a ancient 1.6 m Humphead (Napoleon) wrasse, who followed our group and looked at our equipment with its eye. Sadly, endangered in its home waters due to overfishing, including with explosives & cyanide, in Indonesia, the Phillipines, and Sabah Malasia.

I have a fly fishing book called Trout and Their Food written by a fisherman/biologist/artist who would snorkel with a weight belt in rivers and observe the trout and where they held, how, what and when they ate, etc. It's very eye opening. Anyone who fly fishes should read it. Totally changed how I approach fishing.

this book, along with "tactical fly fishing" both changed the way i fish

https://www.amazon.com/Trout-Their-Food-Compact-Fishers/dp/1602396930

You might find this book interesting : https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Fish-Knows-Underwater-Cousins/dp/0374288216 by ethologist Jonathan Balcombe.

Also this: http://animalstudiesrepository.org/animsent/