Reviews for Bait Casting With A Thermometer

The average rating for Bait Casting With A Thermometer based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-09-03 00:00:00 Elijah Hodges The Compleat Angler is a book that has been continuously in print for more than 350 years. Indeed, about five years ago I saw a nearly 300-year-old copy of it in the glass case at Half Price Books being sold for a steep figure. It's now freely and easily obtainable online, via Project Gutenberg and in other PDF editions as well as in audiobook form via Libravox. So what could possibly be interesting about a four-centuries-old fishing book? A lot, as it turns out. Izaak Walton's objective was not only to craft a "how to do" book, but a "how to live" one. He separates the world into men who stop by the river to look and contemplate versus those who foolishly pass it by in pursuit of their temporal greedy concerns. In many ways, it is one of the first environmental treatises ever written. Walton was a religious man and, for him, to not stop to smell the roses, or to not sit and cast one's line into a gently babbling brook and drink in the wonders of God's creation is nothing short of a sin. The book takes the form initially of a dialogue between a fisherman, a hunter and a falconer, each describing the wonders of his outdoor sport. The angler, named Piscator, seems at a disadvantage, and is slightly chided by the other two for having the most boring and least sporting of the avocations. In wonderfully rambling monologues, he defends the nobility of what he calls his Art, explains its history and cites its origin in ancient texts, muses on its various aspects, and touches on numerous related philosophical, Biblical, and naturalistic concerns. Walton sees fishing as nothing less than a religious experience, as pious an act as praying or bestowing the sacraments. For him, fishing is a sane act for sane men, and for those seeking sanity in a chaotic world. It is the essence of morality. In short order, the hunter Venetor, impressed by Piscator's knowledge of fish and fishing, requests to be his student, allowing Walton a framework to describe types of fish, ways of catching them, the accouterments and baits needed to do so, and their proper cleaning and culinary preparation. The lessons occur over five days and have the flavor of a memorable outdoor adventure. Some of the loveliest passages in the book are reminiscences of deceased friends, remembered in their moments of bliss at the water's edge, observed in the storyteller's minds-eye and spoken about with love and respect. There but for the grace of God go I, the teller intimates. The book is a classic of English literature, a paean to the beauty of English pastoral life, and a contemplation of the human place in the natural order as well as a call for responsible and respectful stewardship of those wonders. Walton, in one example, decries the practice of overfishing, predicting future disaster from it. Some of the book's advocacy for questionable hunting practices (the poor otter is not especially liked herein) do not stand up to contemporary animal-rights scrutiny, but for its time shows overall enlightenment. The Compleat Angler is, most poignantly, perhaps, a celebration of friendship and fellowship, particularly among those engaged in convivial shared activity. And it reminds us, too, of the need for tolerance of differences and for charity. Particularly important messages in our time of growing hatreds. It is a lovely book. I hope to read it again. (Kr@Ky 2016)

Review # 2 was written on 2011-08-10 00:00:00 Darrol Jones If you want to find an answer to the question what is to be preferred 'angling or hunting' you should have a closer look into this book. In form of a philosophical dialogue the Piscator convinces the Venator (who regards the Piscator as his master) of the superiority of angling. You'll learn about the different ways of angling, come to know about proper fish and get the right attitude of the compleat angler. If you go to Marlow (UK) then you can go to the bar of the Perfect Angler Hotel, have a pint and enjoy all the marvelous illustrations of the book and you'll even find a small sculpture on the main characters of this book. Excellent prose, hypnotic writing (even though the book is very old) and really recommended (even for non-anglers like me). This classic was a huge bestseller back then and if you reading now you get a hint why it was so popular!