from the "mcclane's new standard fishing encylcopedia"...

i love reference books. i love dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, anthologies, physician's desk references, manuals, almanacs, anything that gathers a bunch of information in one place. on thursday, when i was at krista's house, i borrowed from paul (k's boyfriend) one of the most terrific reference books i've ever happened upon: the mcclane's new standard fishing encyclopedia and international angling guide. from "aawa" (the hawaiian name for the black-spot wrasse bodianus bilunulatus) to "zooplankton" (protozoa and other animal microoganisms living unattached in water), this book is an alphabetized encapsulation of everything you've ever wanted to know about fishing but were afraid to ask, complete with photos, illustrations, and charts.

i'll share a few highlights. there is a strong possibility that more will follow in later posts. enjoy!

types of caudal, or tail, fins:
diphycercal fin (i.e., lampreys)
heterocercal fin (i.e., sharks)
homocercal fin (i.e., sunfishes)
lunate fin (i.e., tunas)
emarginate fin (i.e., trout)
falcate fin (i.e., jacks)
truncate fin (i.e., groupers)

curious about what exactly "scrod" is? because i sure was. and here's what mcclane's has to say: "the market name for a fillet of young atlantic cod (1.5 - 3 lbs), but may also include haddock of similar size."

under "first aid" is a chart for "dangerous, poisonous, and injurious aquatic life". some of my favorite entries:
-- agent: "shark"
prevention: "get out of water if sharks are present. do not antagonize sharks. . . ."
-- agent: "ratfish"
device: "venom apparatus on spine anterior to fist dorsal fin; sharp, platelike teeth."
prevention: "avoid."
(that's it -- that's all the guidance we get for prevention. brilliant!)
-- agent: "crustacea, lobster or shrimp in all oceans"
method: "allergic reaction."
prevention: "avoid all foods to which one is allergic."
(ah, mcclane's! so full of wisdom!)
-- agent: "ciguatera, a type of fish poisoning in the tropical or coral belt"
prevention: "ask local residents regarding edibility of fish"

there's another table under "first aid" called "skin- and scuba-diving dangers". here are some of my favorites in this group:
-- injury: "nitrogen narcosis, aka 'rapture of the deep'"
cause: "anesthesia caused by effect of nitrogen on the brain"
recovery: "spontaneous, as the depth decreases, providing one has not made a fatal mistake."
-- injury: "decompression sickness, aka 'the bends'"
symptoms: (among other things, ) "the chokes"

the book contains drawings of the genitalia of various mayflies!

there are fishes called "dolphins", but the mammalian dolphins, while closely related to, are not the same as porpoises.

under the entry "progressive action":
"the purpose of progressive tapering in a rod, whether applied to glass or bamboo, is to allow the caster a maximum range of casting weights. most rods are designed to assume one load iwth a comparatively small margin or more of less weight. the load factor is critical. the progressive action on the other hand implies that a light weight will bend the rod almost at its tip and very little elsewhere; as the weight (i.e., force) is increased, the point of curvature goes farther and farther down the rod. at the final and most extreme loading and application of force, the bend then, and only then, becomes almost circular."

definition of "supralittoral":
"that area of the shoreline which is ordinarily not covered by water, above the high tide line."

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that's all for now. perhaps more soon. this book is definitely an easy way to kill some time.