The Barbless Hook: Inner Sanctum of Angling Revealed
By Dennis D. Dauble
Nonfiction, 160 pages, 8.5" x 5.5"
Softcover
ISBN 978-1-879628-41-0
These stories, drawn from a lifetime of fishing experiences, explore a range of topics anglers often don’t discuss – trespassing, giving up a secret hole, losing fish at the net, competition between buddies and taking turns when on guided trips. While sometimes exposing what might be considered the “dark side of angling,” author Dennis Dauble manages to both entertain and inspire anglers in The Barbless Hook.
How does he reconcile angling misbehavior with the funny and inspirational moments that the sport so often provides? Says author Dauble: "Only by reflecting on good and bad behavior can we hope to become better anglers, better fishing buddies and better people." Here are a few lessons from The Barbless Hook:
- Never sleep next to a cat box.
- Your fishing buddy might forgive, but he will never forget.
- It’s easier to rationalize getting skunked when fishing alone.
- Arguing with a blowhard makes you appear as a killjoy.
- It’s hard to manage your feelings when getting the short end of the deal.
- One purpose of fishing is … to catch fish.
A retired fisheries biologist, Dennis Dauble is author of the award-winning natural history guidebook, Fishes of the Columbia Basin (also by Keokee Books) as well as numerous articles for sport fishing magazines and scientific journals. When not fishing, he enjoys relaxing with wife Nancy and family at their circa-1940 log cabin in Oregon’s Blue Mountains.
Praise for Dauble from his first book, Fishes of the Columbia Basin
“Over the past century, nothing in the Columbia Basin has changed so much as the movement of water and the mixture of fish. Dennis Dauble reconstructs the drainage from the earliest geology to the tiniest sculpin, piece by piece. He has created a guidebook not only for anglers but for anyone who wants to peer into the liquid soul of the Interior.”
–Jack Nisbet, author of Sources of the River and Visible Bones
“What fisherman hasn’t had the experience of trying to identify the strange fish that decided to take a lure? Dennis Dauble’s Fishes of the Columbia Basin can answer that question, and perhaps even help you settle a bet with a friend. As a scientist, Dennis provides enough detail to help you identify the various species Northwest fishermen may encounter, as well as interesting tidbits of history about the species and their role in the region’s rich history of fishing. As an avid angler and newspaper columnist, he’s also able to provide this information in a manner that even the layman can understand. I wish this book had been in my tackle box when I moved to the Northwest 30 years ago.”
–Rick Larson, Managing Editor, Tri-City Herald
“This field guide is unique in that it not only describes and identifies the fish of the Columbia Basin region but also provides a historical perspective about fishes of the region including early explorers and scientific expeditions, basic ecology, and fish introductions. This is a well-written guide that should be useful to both students and people seeking information on fishes of the region.”
–Dan Landeen, author of Salmon and His People: Fish and Fishing in Nez Perce Culture and Steelhead Fly Fishing Nez Perce Country
“In Fishes of the Columbia Basin, Dennis Dauble has taken a lifelong passion for fish, placed it in historical context and laid the groundwork for a fish-informed public. He conveys the enthusiasm scientists have for fish, gives you the background to appreciate fish diversity and asks you to join him. I hope you will because, as he says, ‘Life is too short for anyone not to have a book on fishes.’ ”
–Douglas F. Markle, Professor Emeritus
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University
“Dennis Dauble’s authoritative guide to the natural history and identification of the fishes of the Columbia Basin is an essential addition to every angler’s library. But it a much more than a field guide, in that it offers all readers the gift of insight into how geology, human history and ecology shaped the Columbia River Basin into one of the most extraordinary places on this earth.”
–James J. Anderson, Professor
School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, University of Washington
Northwestern Outdoors Radio host John Kruse interviewed book author, biologist and educator Dennis Dauble in a segment airing on affiliate stations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana Sept. 6, 2014. Click on the clip below to hear Dennis Dauble give his opinion on why we are seeing huge returns of salmon coming up the Columbia and Snake Rivers the last two years.