Dogs That Point, Fish That Bite: Outdoor Essays

By Jim Dean

Book Overview

Jim Dean, longtime editor of Wildlife in North Carolina, offers his personal observations on the pleasures and frustrations of hunting, fishing, camping, and other outdoor pursuits. Dogs That Point, Fish That Bite draws together fifty of the best columns that Dean has written for the magazine over the last seventeen years. The witty, sometimes poignant pieces are arranged into a loose chronicle of the sporting year, with a generous allowance for digression: the first is set in April, on the opening day of trout season, and the last tells of a New Year's Day spent alone in a mountain cabin.

At first glance, hunting and fishing are the focus of most of the columns. Often, however, Dean is after bigger game. A crab that escapes the pot leads him to reflect on the capricious nature of life. The restoration of a cabin at the old family farm evokes memories of family and simpler times. And a May panfishing trip takes on the quality of ritual, performed by two old friends. The consistent theme uniting all the essays is the celebration of wild places and rural traditions that have become endangered in our modern world.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807822345
• ISBN13: 9780807822340
• Release Date: September 1995
• Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Made me...

glad to be a sportsman in the Tarheel state. Eagerly anticipating "The Secret Lives of Fishermen".

Outstanding and Entertaining

I came across this book while looking for something to read on a rainy day. The title was amusing and I was somewhat aquainted with Jim Dean's work as editor of "Wildlife in North Carolina" magazine. This is a truly remarkable collection of stories that celebrate the outdoor life. These stories are not just about hunting and fishing, although hunters and fishermen would certainly enjoy them. Mr. Dean has captured a unique way of approaching life. His stories are quite entertaining and will remind you of a time that many think has passed away. A time when life wasn't so complicated and things didn't seem to move so fast. The stories with names such as "The Summers Before Air," or "Dogs Are a Better Class of People" should make you wonder what this man considers important. I highly recommend this book. You will be glad you bought it. These stories will make you feel good, especially on a rainy day. It also makes a great gift for anyone who enjoys the outdoors.