INTRODUCTION

Congratulations. You have just purchased the first Fisherman’s Bible ever published. It is our intention to publish a new, updated, and expanded edition of this compendium every year, starting right now. You are in on the ground level. You have bought the first edition!

To give some background, Skyhorse Publishing publishes many fishing, hunting, shooting, and outdoor books. One of our most popular books, and one of our bestsellers, is the Shooter’s Bible. The Shooter’s Bible was first published in 1925 and has been published annually, and in some cases bi-annually, ever since. More than seven million copies have been sold in that time, and it continues to be the ultimate reference book for millions of people who want information on new guns, ammunition, optics, and accessories, as well as up-to-date prices and specs for thousands of firearms.

According to recent statistics, there are approximately 15 million hunters in the United States. That pales in comparison to the number of anglers in the nation. A 2011 survey conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service found that there are more than 40 million fresh- and saltwater anglers in the United States—and that doesn't even include the millions of anglers not required to have licenses in many saltwater angling states. It is, as Kirk Deeter notes in his foreword, a $48 billion industry—bigger than golf!

The Fisherman’s Bible is the result of our editorial team (a tip of the hat to head researcher Lindsey Breuer) gathering information on all fresh- and saltwater rods, reels, lines, and lures that are currently in production. Just as the Shooter’s Bible provides up-to-date information on in-production firearms, ammunition, optics, and reloading equipment, the Fisherman’s Bible does the same on the angling side. In this tome, you will find specs and figures for everything fishing. The New Products section, in the front of the book, highlights everything new, every rod, reel, line, and lure that has been introduced in the past twelve months. Photos of every piece of gear are included, with the New Product section featuring color photographs.

HERE I TRY OUT AN ORVIS HELIOS ROD ON THE WEBER RIVER, EAST OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

Products in the Fisherman's Bible have been arranged carefully to make it easy for readers to find what they're looking for. As mentioned, new products are featured in the front color section, while the rest are listed in detail in black and white. Each section is organized by Rods, Reels, Lines, and Lures. After that, we classified products to make it easier for, say, a freshwater flyfisherman to find exactly what he or she is looking for with ease. So, Rods, Reels, and Lures are divided by Spinning, Spincasting, Baitcasting, and Fly. Then, freshwater and saltwater gear are listed separately within those sections.

As we do with the Shooter’s Bible, next year we will take all of the new products that appear in this edition and incorporate them into the main section of the book. All rods, reels, lines, and lures that are no longer in production will be removed. All prices will then be double-checked and updated. There will be a new New Products section next year, featuring everything that has been introduced by the tackle companies from the date this first edition was published to the date the second edition comes out.

Our research team has made every effort to get all specs and prices correct. We have scoured all of the websites, we have attended ICAST, the trade show of the American Sportfishing Association held annually in either Orlando or Las Vegas, plus we have gone to as many regional angling-related shows as possible. As I write this column at the end of January, I’m still unpacking luggage and brochures after getting back from the 22nd annual Fly Fishing Show held in Somerset, New Jersey. It was there, for example, where I had the opportunity to examine some new graphite rods being offered by the up-and-coming Rise Fishing Company.

STEVE BECHARD, OWNER OF THE RISE FISHING COMPANY, SHOWS ME ONE OF HIS COMPANY'S NEWEST RODS, A 9-FOOT, 4-PIECE, 5-WEIGHT IN-STREAM FLY ROD THAT RETAILS FOR $199.

As you thumb through the pages of this Fisherman’s Bible, please understand that we have made every effort to include every tackle company on the planet. If anything is missing, and I'm guessing we may have missed some, we want to know about it. Please contact us at www.skyhorsepublishing.com, and we’ll make sure to include any missing information in next year’s edition.

Good fishing!

Jay Cassell

Editorial Director

Skyhorse Publishing

New York, New York

January 26, 2014