Friday, August 09, 2013

Big Game Fishing This Week

Did you hear about the 920-pound, 9-foot long tuna recently caught in a Massachusetts harbor, as reported by CBS News?



Or, did you miss out in participating in this year's Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament? In its 54th year, the tournament is held off the Kona coast and ends today. (A video from Sunday's opening ceremonies is below.)

Do these stories inspire you to grab a reel, sail into the open waters, and fish? If so, you need to read the soon to-be-released THE BILLFISH STORY.

Unlike other books on specific members of the billfish family, THE BILLFISH STORY is a passionate, readable, informative account of all billfish—sailfish, marlin, spearfish, and swordfish—and the bonds formed with this unique group of fish by anglers, biologists, charter-boat captains, and conservationists through their pursuit, study, and protection of these species.

This accessible book is for those readers who want to take the next step in understanding billfish. Anglers and armchair adventurers alike will read of the continued fascination of catching a trophy billfish within the modern-day angling community, as well as the angling adventures of noted luminaries such as Zane Grey and Ernest Hemingway.

THE BILLFISH STORY is not only intended as a tale of the most important billfish discoveries, but as a means of demonstrating that billfish occupy a position of unique importance in our culture and society. Select chapters focus on sustainable fishing practices with regard to ocean resources, as well as the influence of climate change on marine ecosystems. Billfish are more than discreet objects to be probed and measured, caught and discarded, but rather they are at the center of a story that links natural history, angling adventure, and human history.  This multi-faceted approach will allow readers to achieve a higher level of appreciation of billfish, which will only enhance their journey into the natural world.