A historic memoir by the noted Alpine climber and journalist who undertakes an epic climb of The Eiger in Switzerland—the very same mountain that not only made his father “Eiger John” famous, but killed him in 1966. In the 1960s an American named John Harlin II changed the face of Alpine climbing. Gutsy and gorgeous—he was known as “the blond god”—Harlin successfully summitted some of the most treacherous mountains in Europe. But it was the north face of the Eiger that became Harlin’s obsession. Living with his wife and two children in Leysin, Switzerland, he spent countless hours planning to climb, waiting to climb, and attempting to climb the massive vertical face. It was the Eiger direct—the direttissima—with which John Harlin was particularly obsessed. He wanted to be the first to complete it, and everyone in the Alpine world knew it. John Harlin III was nine years old when his father made another attempt on a direct ascent of the notorious Eiger. Harlin had put together a terrific team, and, despite unending storms, he was poised for the summit dash. It was the moment he had long waited for. When Harlin’s rope broke, 2,000 feet from the summit, he plummeted 4,000 feet to his death. In the shadow of tragedy, young John Harlin III came of age possessed with the very same passion for risk that drove his father. But he had also promised his mother, a beautiful and brilliant young widow, that he would not be an Alpine climber. Harlin moved from Europe to America, and, with an insatiable sense of wanderlust, he reveled in downhill skiing and rock-climbing. For years he successfully denied the clarion call of the mountain that killed his father. But in 2005, John Harlin could resist no longer. With his nine-year-old daughter, Siena—his very age at the time of his father’s death—and with an IMAX Theatre filmmaking crew watching, Harlin set off to slay the Eiger. This is an unforgettable story about fathers and sons, climbers and mountains, and dreamers who dare to challenge the earth.

After more than 25 years as Outdoor Editor of the Denver Post, Bob Saile has countless opinions and stories to share on the allure and adventure of trout streams and fly fishing. He serves up a compelling collection, with most of the essays set in the West. This is trout country -- the fish, the flies, the people, and the places. In his essay "Heavy Hitters, " Saile recalls as a boy reading an article by Joe Brooks about catching a brown trout on southwestern Montana's Big Hole River. For Saile, it was as if he was there. He experienced landing the trout as well as feeling a kinship with the writer. You will get the same feeling reading this lively collection which takes the reader from the South Platte to the Gunnison to the Pacific Northwest and the wilds of Alaska. "The fight carries out into the main current and the brown jumps, in that wild absolutely reckless way that browns have early in the fight, and I see it is a rather modest-size fish, maybe 13 inches.It looks good, though. Really good. Moments later, I have its black-and-red spotted side flashing back at me in the glint of water-reflected sunlight, and I extract the fly from the top jaw and slide the fish out of my hand into the flow. The first surface-take trout of the summer is in the books, and this pleases me. The rest will be in the gravy category now. And I know there will be more t come, because the river and the day have that look, that feel." The essays range from describing a bracing morning of ice fishing in Colorado, to the thrill of stalking an Alaskan salmon, to thoughts on fish management and its attendant bureaucracy. In Saile's conversations with other anglers, some well known, some not, but all of whom teach the author something about fishing and himself. If you care about rivers, trout, salmon, steelhead and fishing in general,this veteran writer and angler makes for a fascinating companion. For Saile,"the core difference between those who don't fish and those of us who do is as simple as this: We who do fish are especially blessed."

Kokanee fishing is an obsession and as you can see by the name of the book, I am addicted. One of the most frustrating things for a Kokaholic to hear is that the fish are just not biting. Many times I have been at the ramp launching my boat when some forlorn fisherman will tell me that the bite is off. "Should have been here last week, it was real hot." is another statement that I hear fairly often. I am a cup is half full kind of guy, not a half empty sort of person! I always tell my wife after such an encounter, "I just don't think those guys know how to fish for Kokanee." It has always been a frustration for me to hear those words because there is so little information out there specifically targeting kokanee. To date, my only effective method of teaching Kokanee techniques has been to take a non believer out fishing. My hope is that through this book, I can in effect take you fishing without leaving the dock. Kokanee can be a very frustrating fish to pursue, and without a little coaching, there is a long learning curve to get to the point you are regularly catching fish. My goal with this book is to help shorten the learning curve and in a sense give you a running start. By understanding the seasons and the methods that work within those seasons, you can put more and larger fish in the box day in and day out. Tight Lines and Good Fishing! ~Kent Cannon~

When the first edition of Inland Fishes of California was published in 1976, it was a benchmark reference. Since that time, our knowledge of California's freshwater fishes has dramatically increased. This completely revised edition incorporates a vast amount of new information and creates a fresh synthesis of the historical data. Written by the leading expert on California's freshwater fishes and illustrated with beautiful line drawings, this compendium is the single best source for understanding and identifying the state's freshwater fishes. It is an essential resource for anyone who needs to have accurate and detailed information on California's fishes at their fingertips. Since the 1870s, the state's native fishes have been joined by thirty-four alien species, which now dominate many bodies of water. This book treats both native and introduced species, first in a key for identification, and then in individual species accounts covering characteristics, taxonomy, names, distribution, and life history. Each account includes the author's personal assessment of how well the species is doing and problems associated with its management. Most of the native fishes are found only in California and show many wonderful adaptations for living in the state's diverse waters. Unfortunately, many are also in danger of extinction. The message underlying the first edition of this book was that we knew astonishingly little about many of California's inland fishes. Although our knowledge is increasing, full accounts of some native fishes may not be complete before they become extinct. Preventing the loss of native fishes is the major goal of this book, and Moyle makes important suggestions for conservation strategies as well as presenting up-to-date information on ecology, life history, and distribution. With this knowledge, preserving our native fishes becomes possible even in the face of the state's growing economy and population.

The Kootenays a region of rivers, lakes and mountains in southeastern British Columbia is home to the kokanee. This landlocked sibling of the sockeye salmon is an extravagant gift from the Pacific Ocean, an elusive flash of molten silver, a lustful reproductive torrent of fire-engine red, a marvel of interior adaptation, an icon of regional culture, and a pawn of industry. In Kokanee: The Redfish and the Kootenay Bioregion, writer and ecologist Don Gayton tells the kokanee's story, from the cataclysmic Ice Age events that gave birth to the species through its heyday as a sporting fish, to current threats to its existence. The story of the kokanee is the story of the delicate balance between land and water, and between people and nature. Kokanee: The Redfish and the Kootenay Bioregion is Number 9 in the Transmontanus series of books edited by Terry Glavin.

A wolf shifter bent on exposing her secrets, an ex-lover who betrayed her, and a sister asking for an impossible favor, are just a few things threatening a mermaid’s new covert life. Amatheia (Theia) Ayer and her sisters are on earth to prepare for the return of the merfolk. They must do so without other paranormal creatures discovering them, or they will once again be hunted for their ability to create portals between the realms. Theia is doing a pretty good job of staying under the radar until a wolf shifter arrives in town and won’t rest until he ferrets out who and what she really is. As if that wasn't enough, strange magic is messing with the fish stock in Lake Pend Oreille. The timing couldn't be worse, because Theia is also helping one of her sisters hide a powerful magical weapon. And when someone tries to kill her to get to the powerful tool, she is in the fight of her life to stop it from ending up in the hands of the wrong people. Her failure could mean the end of not just her people, but the start of a massive war that would threaten all creatures that make earth their home.