Visions of a gill-compulsive

Trout of the World

James Prosek

Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $32.50

As a scientific profile of one of the world’s most adaptable life forms — species of brown trout in Ireland alone have five times the genetic diversity of human populations throughout the world — the 100 exquisite watercolors and succinct essays in this volume make for an impressive achievement.

But its author is an even more fascinating study. Obsessed with trout by age 9 — “Everything I ever do, whether it is fishing or not, is fishing” — James Prosek is a man out of a time, a mad Victorian scholar who circles the globe (Norwegian, Afghan and Japanese trout are among international stock represented here), painting and examining the most minute details of his quarry. At 27, he has written six eloquent books on fishing and become a strange kind of national treasure. If you have an interest in trout or fly-fishing, this colorful book is indispensable.

-- Chuck Thompson

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Go fly a lake with

an old float tube

Fly Fishing California Stillwaters

Bill Sunderland

Mosca Loca Inc., $27.95

The subtitle for this book should read, “the best trouting guide for fly-fishing in a lake.” This is a singularly informative guide to California lake fishing with a fly, and it can entice the novice and titillate the pro. Heck, I’m enticed and titillated all at once.

I’m a freestone fly-fisher by preference, but the book is 129 pages of the right stuff for the fly-mad — maps and directions to lakes and reservoirs throughout the state; the pros and cons of float tubes versus pontoon boats, equipment and safety tips, basic lake entomology with fly recommendations, great shots of vintage fishing stuff (my personal weakness) and trout-to-drool-for photography.

The photo on the contents page sums up the prospects: a thickly shouldered rainbow that should really watch its carbs. It’s enough to get me into the garage to dust off my old float tube.

-- Darrell Kunitomi

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This niche is crawling with opportunities

Earthworm Buyer’s Guide 2004-05

Shields Publications, $6.00

www.wormbooks.com

The spirit of enterprise isn’t squashed under a “big box” outlet. It’s actually alive below it, as well as in turf from sea to shining sea. I’m talking about worms, the bait that keeps on wriggling despite the best efforts of lure manufacturers and manifest pavement destiny.

This guide to earthworm hatcheries in the U.S. connects you to a rollicking world of worm distributors doing what made this country great, making up nicknames for products and pitching their superior qualities. You’ll find dealers for “huge, strong California redworms” and “the European Nightcrawl-er,” a name given to one robust strain discovered by a wholesaler on a trip to Azerbaijan.

But there’s more than cheap bait on the line here. From worm bin rejuvenators to a book by rabbit expert Howard “Lucky” Mays on the exciting niche of raising worms under rabbit hutches, you may just feel the earth move under your feet at the prospect of a career in vermiculture.

-- Joe Robinson

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Hightailing it

in a golden realm

Hiking California’s Golden Trout Wilderness

Suzanne Swedo

Falcon Guides/Globe Pequot Press, $18.95

Not far up the road lies one of the spectacular scenic benefits of living in the Golden State — the Golden Trout Wilderness in the southern Sierra Nevada. This pristine realm of backcountry lakes and streams is named after our state fish. Goldens make their home at altitudes above 8,000 feet, which means a fishing trip here gets you into unspoiled high country, an area best explored on foot.

With 43 well-mapped excursions, this guide has something for everyone, from 4-mile jaunts to details on the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs through the wilderness on its way from Mexico north to Canada. It also provides information on geological features and flora and fauna. The only things missing are color photographs, but you should be inspired to take those in person.

-- Michael Koehn