TALES OF FISHES. By Zane Grey.

1919 1st edn -later printing Ppxii,267. Colour frontispiece and b/w photographs. Light blue cloth, spine and upper board, tipped-on b/w photograph illustration on upper board.

"...a well written description of ocean fishing. The writer's fish stories describe the mental and physical demands of trying to land the largest and most numerous catches of swordfish, marlin, tuna and several other species of deep water fish. Imagine listening to story after story of fighting a three hundred pound fish for several hours only to have it break the line as it was being brought in... It was quite a departure from the typical stories of the old west. Maybe he wanted to do something different. The book does end with an essay on the importance of being environmentally conscious as one fishes the oceans. Even in 1918 when this was written there were indications that some species were becoming overfished and were in danger of disappearing altogether." (Gerald Matzke)