Trout and Salmon of North America

"In this beautiful new book, Robert Behnke has proved once again to be the primary source of information for all those who care about preserving our native trout and salmon. One cannot praise enough the great work he has done in the more than 60 years since he caught his first brookie in a small Connecticut stream and fell in love."
- James Prosek, author and illustrator of Trout

"Robert Behnke has given the trout and salmon of North America a plurality of remarkable voices; Joseph Tomelleri has enabled us, astoundingly, to see them."
- Thomas McGuane, author of The Longest Silence

"A long overdue – and remarkable – book! This crowning achievement of our greatest trout biologist is wonderfully authoritative, clear, complete, and the illustrations are exactly right. No trout or salmon fisherman should miss this treasure."
- Nick Lyons, author of Full Creel

"A definitive text by Behnke and stunning, detailed portraits by Tomelleri combine to create a book that is both beautiful and authoritative. There are few works that inspire browsing and daydreaming about the natural world, and this is just such a book."
- David Allen Sibley, author and illustrator of The Sibley Guide to Birds

"Arguably the most important sport fish in the world, members of the family Salmonidae include trout, salmon, whitefish, grayling, and char. Behnke, a fisheries biologist, has produced an encyclopedic yet very readable guide to these fishes. Ranging in size from the 7-inch brook trout of the East to the 40-inch chinook (or king) salmon of the Pacific Northwest, all are noted for their popularity with both anglers and epicures. Every species and well-defined subspecies of salmonid is covered in its own section, with a detailed range map and description, and information on biology, distribution, evolution, classification, and conservation. This last part may be the most important, as most of the trout and salmon in North America are threatened, suffering vastly reduced numbers from overfishing, pollution, damming of rivers, and, perhaps the most insidious, the introduction of trout or salmon species to watersheds where they were not native. Tomelleri's luminous pencil drawings illustrate multiple types for each form, making this an indispensable source for any library located near a trout or salmon fishery."
- Booklist (09/15/2002)

"In ichthyology, the genus Oncorhynchus includes the world's 10 species of trout and salmon. To the everlasting thankfulness of America's 35 million anglers, North America is home to nine species of these elusive and delicious fish (five salmon and four trout). Behnke (Native Trout of Western North America), professor emeritus of fishery and wildlife biology at Colorado State University, has brought his more than 50 years of studying, and fishing for salmon and trout, to wonderful effect. He provides readers with an authoritative compendium of the evolution, biology, ecology, habitats and behaviors of these prized game fish. A capsule legend that includes scientific name, other common names, habitat, size, life span and diet accompanies each entry, amazingly illustrated by Tomelleri (Fishes of the Central United States), whose fish seem to shimmer on the pages. Habitat maps, which include coastal waters, rivers, streams and lakes, are detailed and specific enough to be taken on fishing excursions. The book includes a good deal of fishing lore, as in the notations that describe the best flies, bait and lures for specific types of fish and locales. Behnke also ponders some of the more philosophical aspects of ecology and human responsibility for the environment. Along with full and clearly written scientific explanations, statistics and analysis, the author provides anecdotal and historical details that make this not just a field guide, but a fascinating read for those interested in the natural world. For the last word on trout and salmon, look no further than this guide."
- Publishers Weekly (07/29/2002)

"Behnke (emeritus, fishery and wildlife biology, Colorado State Univ.) has served on numerous advisory boards for state and federal agencies. Noted illustrator Tomelleri has traveled over 135 000 miles to collect fish for his extraordinary drawings. Their new book is an authoritative, easy-to-use guide to the more than 70 types of trout and salmon of North America. Chapters are arranged by type: Oncorhynchus (Pacific salmon, rainbow trout, and redband trout, Gila, Apache, and cutthroat trout); Salmo (Atlantic salmon and brown trout); and Salvelinus (brook trout, lake trout, bull trout, Arctic char, and Dolly Varden). Other salmonids included are the Arctic grayling and mountain whitefish. Each section contains an overview of the species, a side bar summarizing physical information, and a description of the fish and its biology, distribution, evaluation, classification, and conservation requirements. Tomelleri's are, perhaps, the best nonphotographic illustrations available in books of this kind, and Behnke's text reflects his expertise. If Behnke's Native Trout of North America and David Carroll's Trout Reflections are already a part of your collection, then this book is a highly recommended addition. General collections needing an excellent field guide and reference for serious anglers and naturalists will also find this a terrific choice."
- Library Journal (09/01/2002)