FISH IN A FLASH!

In joyful text and expressive drawings, an artist-naturalist makes vivid the bliss of a favorite sport. Arnosky is a strong advocate of keeping both land and water pure and of throwing back what won't be eaten (pointers on how not to hurt the fish are included). His instructions on using rods, reels, and all sorts of lures (``spinners, spoons, floating-diving and deep running...flashing, wobbling, jerking, twitching or wriggling'') are careful and thorough. His spirited descriptions should lure anyone to try—and feel confident of success. Arnosky's own fishing adventures are chronicled in prose as colorful as his illustrations. Soft, detailed drawings identify those that got away and the beauty of the waters where they swim; there are also clear illustrations of technique and equipment. All that's missing is how to kill a fish—one suspects that what this gentle artist likes best is to admire his fish and then set them free. (Nonfiction. 9-14)