Father’s Day Gift Idea: “America’s Bountiful Waters”

Chances are good that your father introduced you to fishing. Here’s a chance to say “thank you” with a book celebrating the history and culture of fishing.

Father’s Day Gift Idea: “America’s Bountiful Waters”

Above left: One of 700 images found in the book shows bass from Lake Mead, Nevada, circa 1942.

If you’re looking for a unique gift this Father’s Day for the man who taught you how to fish, consider “America’s Bountiful Waters.” This large-format hardcover book celebrates the history and culture of fishing.

Here’s the backstory: Fish and Aquatic Conservation (FAC) in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) is the direct descendant of the U.S. Fish Commission, founded in 1871. In 2021, FAC marks its 150th anniversary, the oldest conservation agency in history.

To commemorate this milestone, USFWS is publishing a compelling history to celebrate the broad-thinking scientists, writers and artists who led sportsmen and women through the gilded age of American ichthyology into the present day. Readers will find stories about fish — trout, bass, salmon, pike, muskie — and a few many anglers have never heard of, all crafted by the USFWS biologists who know them best.

“America’s Bountiful Waters” is biography, evocative memoir, natural history, and human history supported by fresh dramatic photography and compelling historic images from the National Fish and Aquatic Conservation Archives.

“America’s Bountiful Waters” Book Specs

  • Hardcover
  • 8.5 x 11 inches
  • 320 pages
  • 700 images
  • Available June 2021
  • $49.95

Praise for “America’s Bountiful Waters”

“This inspiring book celebrates the passion of countless sportsmen and women who have achieved monumental conservation successes on behalf of all Americans and serves as a powerful reminder that each of us has a responsibility to ensure the wise management of our natural resources.” – Johnny Morris, noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder

“No other book so thoroughly and insightfully connects the history and culture of fishing with the species themselves. It’s brilliantly edited and perfectly packaged for anglers of every level and all who care about our natural resources.” – Kirk Deeter, vice president of Trout Unlimited, and editor-in-chief of Trout Magazine

Readers will learn about fish and fisheries conservation from across the United States. Show above are channel catfish brood pens, Tishomingo, Oklahoma, 1955.
Readers will learn about fish and fisheries conservation from across the United States. Show above are channel catfish brood pens, Tishomingo, Oklahoma, 1955.

About the Author

Craig Springer is a fish biologist and writer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and former editor of the agency's Eddies magazine. His writings on conservation, nature, and history have appeared in the New York Times, ESPN Outdoors, Farmers' Almanac, TROUT, Sporting Classics Daily, and Wild West, and he has co-authored two history books, “Around Hillsboro” and “Spearfish National Fish Hatchery.” He lives in northern New Mexico.



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