Reviewed by J. Castwell
Ok, ok, this is supposed to be a fly fishing web-site. I will not let that stop
me from bringing you a review on a knocked-out, way-out, and all too often left-out
book that you will find interesting, intriguing, irresistible, indispensable
and fun. I have met a lot of people in my lifetime. Two which I did not (it is
now too late, they are gone) were George Leonard Herter and this guy.
This guy (Francis H. Buzzacott) wrote prolifically and his name became
a 'household' word in 'Outdoor Recreation.' He was a world traveler
and a full member of most any outdoor organization in existence at the
time. Included in his vast wealth of knowledge was of course, information
on fly fishing. You can read an excerpt from the Fly Fishing section
in our Lighterside section.
It's titled, "Buzzacott on Fly Fishing." You will be surprised.
Can you envision a book (small enough to be carried in a pocket) with
the auspicious title of, "The Complete Sportsman's Encyclopedia?" Think
he could do it? Only one way to find out, spend the $16.95 and find out
for yourself. (I do recommend you do so) 517 pages of the most important
and almost absolutely necessary information on outdoorsy stuff a guy can
imagine, and even some you can't. In short, the thing is a 'hoot'! Oh, by
the way, the contents are only a bit out of date, it was written in 1913, and
this is a re-print, but, what the heck, some things never really change, right?
Call it what you might like, history, 'outdoor-lore,' 'balder-dash,'or whatever,
you really will find hours of fascinating reading. Each page stands on its own,
covering every outdoor subject in vogue in those days. His writing style is a
bit 'in-yer-face,' he is unsure of absolutely nothing! You will begin to understand
that in short order. Enough said, go to the sponsor page, click on Lyons Press,
and take it from there. At that price, you could even use it to start a campfire,
one page at a time. (But I bet you won't.) Let's see, 517 fires . . . yup, still a
bargain.~ JC
The Complete Sportsman's Encyclopedia
517 pages, Black and white photographs and drawings
7 1/2" x 5 1/2"
Softcover, $16.95 U.S
ISBN 1-58574-127-2
Published by The Lyons Press.
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