["The Western Angler: An Account of Pacific Salmon and Western Trout in British Columbia"] is one of the few authentic classics of North American angling literature….

Make no mistake, this is an outstanding book, worth the careful reading and prayerful consideration of every sportsman and conservationist—yes, and legislator too….

Those chapters which deal with fishing techniques and methods are first-rate of their kind—succinct, informed, thoughtful and full of suggestion for the prospective angler in western waters, or indeed anywhere else. Other chapters cover the lives of these Northwestern fishes—their spawning, growth, feeding habits, and complex migratory patterns. This is natural history of the highest order, based on the author's own observations as well as the careful studies of many scientists, and set forth with luminous clarity and fascinating detail.

But perhaps the finest chapters of all are those in which Mr. Haig-Brown steps from the...