Master story teller Charlie Elliott says it perfectly in this book for all fishermen: "Whether you are a fresh water Walton or the owner of a yacht, plowing the depths beyond the sight of land for a long-billed monster of the sea, you are seeking out the quiet aquatic spaces of the earth for a reason more compelling than to satisfy your stomach juices. "Whenever you assemble your tackler, there are latent questions in your mind. What adventure awaits you just beyond the river bend, or when you beach your boat where the forest marches down to meet the lake? What delightful memory will you bring home, or what bizarre hair graying thrill could encounter you unexpectedly where the water trails run out and stop? "Those are not the only reasons you fish, by any stretch of nylon thread. Whether you are out for salmon or for lunker bass, of grayling or bonefish, your premeditated design of the day calls for out-thinking, out- maneuvering and then out-battling some wary old mossback of the depths or shallows. But as an adjunct to this high ideal, you are also seeking many other things which add immeasurably more to your day than meant on your table. You're looking for sunshine on the water, the refrigerated glades, the bonds of friendship between strong men. Your diversions of the day include a hundred adventures not listed in a fishing guide."

After graduating from the University of Georgia, Charles Elliott joined the U.S. Forest Service, moved to the National Park Service, and then returned to his native state of Georgia where he was appointed Director of the Game and Fish Commission. A prolific writer, he has authored eight books and scores of articles. He is currently (1953) a Field Editor for Outdoor Life Magazine.