Arkansas Sportsman

Outdoor books great stocking stuffers

I read a lot during the long hours on the deer stand and in the pop-up blinds, and some of the books I've read this year are worthy as Christmas gifts.

Here are some of my favorites:

STEVE PRICE

This veteran writer has published thousands of articles and photographs in every sporting journal that matters. He's also a prolific author of fishing books.

His latest, The Fish That Changed America, chronicles the history of largemouth bass fishing in America.

The most conspicuous theme in this book is how prominent Arkansas is in the growth of bass fishing. Price nails the start of this national love affair to the hour. According to him, it began just after daybreak June 6, 1967, at Beaver Lake. That's when Bill Dance caught the first bass in Ray Scott's inaugural All-American Bass Tournament.

That event launched the organization that became the Bass Angler Sportsman Society, or BASS. An entire industry -- from PRADCO to Ranger Boats to Bass Pro Shops -- flowed from that single 2 1/2-pound Beaver Lake largemouth.

Price also pays homage to Cotton Cordell of Hot Springs, who he claims "may have designed and created more fishing lures than any single individual in history."

Another chapter covers Scott Suggs of Bryant, the first angler to win $1 million in a bass tournament. It happened on Lake Ouachita in 2007.

Price covers all of the major personalities, in his words and theirs. He covers all of the trends on boats, lures, products and media. He also examines the subculture that is obsessed with catching giant bass. There is also a chapter on George Perry, whose 22-pound, 4-ounce bass that he caught in 1932 in a Georgia backwater set the still-standing world record.

I loved the vignette about Leroy Brown, perhaps the most famous bass of all. It was the pet of Tom Mann, founder of Mann's Lures. When Leroy Brown died, 500 people attended the funeral. It was covered worldwide. Even Pravda, the Soviet Union's state newspaper, covered it.

Depending on the outlet, the price ranges from $20 to $25.

BILL HEAVEY

It's always nice to put a face with a name, so it was a real pleasure to hunt four days with Bill Heavey this fall after years of reading his material in Field & Stream.

His new book, You're Not Lost If You Can Still See the Truck, is a compilation of articles that previously ran in Field & Stream and other publications. I hadn't seen most of it before, so it was fresh to me.

Every writer has an angle, and Heavey explained his unique niche during our time together. He said the magazine industry is dominated by "experts" who cover every facet of the hunting and fishing world. Heavey said established writers have a headlock on their respective niches, but the incompetent end of the spectrum was wide open.

He portrays himself as a clueless but enthusiastic sportsman whose life is an endless series of larks with a dubious cast of real-life characters.

He pulls off this maladroit act very well considering the experiences he's had, like hunting caribou in the Northwest Territories and fishing for landlocked tarpon in Nicaragua. His skill afield seeps through all the mishaps and miscalculations until you start to suspect he's really just a humble expert.

It's an excellent read that costs less than $20 from most outlets.

GAME AND FISH COMMISSION

To celebrate its centennial, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has released two new books in time for Christmas.

One is A Century of Conservation, and the other is A Celebration of Conservation, 100 AGFC Recipes.

A Century of Conservation covers the highlights of wildlife and fisheries conservation in Arkansas from 1915-2015. It features the peerless outdoor photography of Mike Wintroath, the agency's photographer, but also contains historical photos.

Books like this often get bogged down in bureaucratese, often with tedious recitations of meeting minutes. This one, thankfully, avoids that trap to make a quick and lively read.

The Game and Fish Commission was born in an era of scarcity and helped bring us to an era of bounty. As its name implies, this book celebrates our conservation victories without belaboring them.

You can't go wrong with a cookbook, especially one compiled of recipes from people who work in game and fish management. There are also non-game recipes, as well as recipes for desserts.

You can get them both for $30 online at agfc.com

ANOTHER OPTION

I also recommend one book of crossword puzzles and a book of Sudoku puzzles. When you crack a really tough, Level 4 Sudoku in the woods, the triumphant vibe that follows is almost guaranteed to make a deer or turkey appear.

Get them in the checkout line of any grocery store.

Sports on 12/11/2014

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