Trout and Salmon of North America

This beautiful and definitive guide brings together the world's lead leading expert on North American trout and salmon, Robert Behnke, and the foremost illustrator in the field, Joseph Tomelleri.

North America is graced with the greatest diversity of trout and salmon on earth. From tiny brook trout in mountain streams of the Northeast, to cutthroat trout in the rivers of the Rockies, to Chinook salmon of the Pacific, the continent is home to more than 70 types of trout and salmon. How this came to be, how they are related, and what makes them unique — and so breathtaking — is the story of Trout and Salmon of North America.

The more than 100 illustrations of trout and salmon by Joseph Tomelleri showcased here exhibit a genius for detail, coloration, and proportion. Each portrait is made from field notes, streamside observations, photographs, and specimens collected by the artist. The result is a set of the most accurate and stunning illustrations of fish ever created. Robert Behnke has distilled 50 years of his research and writing about trout and salmon in completing this book. No one understands better than Behnke the diversity and conservation issues concerning these fishes or communicates so lucidly the biological wonders and complexities of their particular beauty.

Also included are more than 40 richly detailed maps that clearly show the ranges of populations of trout and salmon throughout North America.

An irresistible delight for anyone who appreciates natural history, Trout and Salmon of North America is a master guide to the natural elegance of our native fishes.

"A definitive text by Behnke and stunning, detailed portraits by Tomelleri combine to create a book that is both beautiful and authoritative. There are few works that inspire browsing and daydreaming about the natural world, and this is just such a book." David Allen Sibley, author and illustrator of The Sibley Guide to Birds

"In this beautiful new book, Robert Behnke has proved once again to be the primary source of information for all those who care about preserving our native trout and salmon. One cannot praise enough the great work he has done in the more than 60 years since he caught his first brookie in a small Connecticut stream and fell in love." James Prosek, author and illustrator of Trout

"...[A]mazingly illustrated by Tomelleri...whose fish seem to shimmer on the pages....[A] fascinating read for those interested in the natural world. For the last word on trout and salmon, look no further than this guide." Publisher's Weekly

"Tomelleri's are, perhaps, the best nonphotographic illustrations available in books of this kind, and Behnke's text reflects his expertise." Library Journal

Robert J. Behnke, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus of Fisheries and Conservation in the Department Fishery and Wildlife Biology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. He is the author of more than 100 articles and papers regarding fish and fisheries in North America and has served on numerous advisory boards for state and federal agencies. He writes the quarterly column "About Trout" for Trout Unlimited's Trout Magazine and is the author of Native Trout of Western North America. Behnke lives in Colorado.