Encouraged by the reports on this list, I picked up a copy of Trout and Salmon of North America from the local county library. This book is also available from some sources new at around $26, used as low as $13, and list at $40.
While this book is commonly referred to as by Robert J. Behnke, I don't think there is any question that the real attraction of the publication is the illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri. Behnke on his own has produced a commendable, scholarly publication, but that in itself would be an academic book. Tomelleri's work is what makes this book soar above the ordinary and into the realm of collectibles.
Trout and Salmon of North America <http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0743222202.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg>
Tomelleri, who also has a masters degree in biology, traveled 135,000 air miles to capture and photograph most of these specimens. The rarest fish were returned to the water. Some specimens were flown back to his studio, and a few were photographed by other people. From his observations and photographs, Tomelleri rendered each of the trout and salmon illustrations using Prismacolor pencils. He has truly made an unbeatable contribution to the legacy of fishing literature.
Beyond the illustrations, it was nice to read Behnke's comments and statistics about the various species of Salmonids. I was able to discover two trout native to the Southwest that I thought were quite beautiful: Rio San Lorenzo Trout and Arroyo la Sidra Trout (pg. 188 and 119). It was fun to see a drawing of the trout I most often fish for: the Eagle Lake rainbow strain (pg. 101). Just weird to see something you know in the flesh rendered accurately by a skilled artist.
From a fishing perspective, the extreme maximum sizes of these species really got me bug-eyed: Brook Trout - 28", 14.5 pounds, for example! Or how about Arctic Grayling at 30", 15 pounds-15 oz.? In our area, a Klamath Lake/ Williamson River redband at 36" and 20 pounds. *whew*
Anyway, a gorgeous book as advertised!
Folks may not be aware that Joseph Tomelleri also produced a book called:
Fishes of the Central United States
Mark E. Eberle (Contributor)
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and a continuing series of calendars:
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Wes Wada Bend, Oregon
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