Fishing Through the Apocalypse: An Angler's Adventures in the 21st Century

by Matthew L. Miller

What does the future hold for fish and the people who pursue them? Fishing Through the Apocalypse explores that question through a series of fishing stories about the reality of the sport in the 21st century.

Matthew Miller (director of science communications for The Nature Conservancy) explores fishing that might be considered joining anglers as they stick their lines into trash-filled urban canals, or visiting farm ponds where you can catch giant, endangered fish for a fee. But it isn’t all bleak. When it comes to fishing, the other part of the story is a cadre of anglers is looking to right past wrongs, to return native species, to remove dams, to appreciate the unappreciated fish, to clean our waters and protect public lands.

As an angler and conservationist, Matt removes any and all preconceived notions about what it means to fish in the 21st century in order to see the different visions of the future that exist right here, right now.

Fishing Through the Apocalypse offers one of the widest-ranging looks at fish conservation in the United States, and also includes some of the more unusual adventures ever featured in a fishing book.


Features fishing adventures


Idaho

Colorado

Wyoming

New Mexico

Utah

Texas

Florida

Iowa

Minnesota

Illinois

Washington DC

Virginia

Pennsylvania

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Nature

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2019

About the author

Matthew L. Miller is director of science communications for The Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest conservation organization. He is editor and lead writer the popular Cool Green Science blog and is one of the most prolific writers in the organization’s 65-year history.

He has traveled across North America and to five continents to cover stories on science, nature and outdoor recreation. He’s worked for the Conservancy for 17 years, previously serving as communications director for the Idaho program. Matt received a degree in English – Creative Writing from Penn State, where he also worked as a publicity writer early in his career. As a freelance writer, he’s written about the outdoors for Sports Afield, Bugle, Quality Whitetails, Backcountry Journal, Living Bird and many other publications.

He’s an active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, and has received numerous awards including Outstanding Board Member and several awards for blogging. He’s an avid angler, hunter, naturalist and distance runner, and lives in Boise with his wife and young son.

Reviews

[Randal White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your typical fishing book! Miller explores fishing in places most people have never tried, or even thought of. From catching fish in a garbage filled, toxic drainage ditch to fishing for salmon in Alaska, he tries it all. Golden trout, ciscos, suckers, gars, eels, sturgeon, every species you can imagine. Even exploring a type of fishing that I had never heard of, "microfishing", or fishing for tiny, tiny little minnow like fish.
I think that Miller's point is that, wherever there are fish, people will fish for them. And if it gets too expensive to fish for the well-known "trophy" species, or they become too rare, or places get too crowded, people will find another species. His quote from Chief Sitting Bull summed it up nicely, "When the buffalo are gone, we will hunt mice, for we are hunters and we want our freedom:".
This was a fun read, reminding me that the fun is in the act of fishing, rather than the pursuit of bigger or more fish.

[Josh Leisen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written account of the state of fishing, featuring adventures throughout the United States. Miller blends pessimism and optimism about what the future of angling may become. I guess that’s for the rest of us to determine, isn’t it?

[Rus So · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book opens in a familiar place, somewhere I’ve actually fished through the apocalypse faced with the same emotions highlighted by the author. Ironically it ends in a place even closer to home, somewhere I’ve never left, experiencing the same frustrations laid out in the pages firsthand. Despite drawing direct parallels to my life right down to people I’ve fished with personally, I can tell you this book pulls no punches. Fishing through the apocalypse is an accurate portrayal of what fishing in 2019 and beyond looks like. Each page expresses a personal contrast of what fishing is and ideally should be or what it could devolve into if we’re not careful. The book highlights the unique time in which we’re alive where we can still experience the indescribable grandeur of the natural word. In direct contrast to this the author points out what we’ve lost and how the wildness can be commercialized and neutered into a pay attraction on the side of the road.

This book is set in present day and seeks to urge the author that there’s still time to right the wrongs or at the very least enjoy what’s left of the ever changing natural world. No matter what path you choose you’ll enjoy every page!

[Joe Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Miller’s fishing adventures in Fishing Through the Apocalypse. As an avid fisherman, it is refreshing to read an account by someone who is clearly experienced in the hobby and with writing skills adept enough to portray everything accurately and entertainingly. I found myself excited for each new chapter on a different, obscure fish. Many fish that I have personally targeted, which only made the events hit that much closer to home.

While Miller certainly does entertain and captivate in this series of fishing adventures, it is clear that there is a very common theme in the novel: conservation of our public land, and in particular, our waterways. He uses example after example of what fishing has become in some places through lack of protections, juxtaposed against examples of the conservation successes. He shows many examples of previously exploited waters or fishes, to show that nature has an intense propensity to rebound if given the help it needs in a post-human contact world. Given modern political events, it only makes the message more dire and more clear. I am aware this was written a few years ago, but the message seems even louder today.

[Tommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oddly named fishing travelogue. The author uses his fishing experiences to introduce readers to species management and mismanagement. His main point in the title is to determine if human impact is going to wipe out certain fisheries around the US.

He travels the country fishing in gorgeous protected waters and casts lines in polluted mud holes and drainage ditches. Each fish he catalogs along the way have been impacted by human actions (typically both negatively and positively).

For the most part, we are attempting to fix damage that has been done to fisheries in the past. But at the same time, we will have to live with those past decisions that cannot reasonably be repaired.

[Ethan Haefner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would not say this book is well-written, but it was enjoyable. As a fisheries management student, I can confirm that Miller’s writing encapsulates how the new generation of fisheries management people feel about non-native fish and conservation. He covers some of the newest movements in fish management and fishing including life-listing, micro fishing, and the protection of non-native fish in a way that’s easy to read, which I appreciated.

[Sull McCartney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting.

[Toniann Keiling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the diversity of the species, landscapes, and environmental issues raised. Makes me want to go on special guided fishing trips in the future!

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very engaging and informative.

[Andy Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about fishing that deserves to be on every person’s shelf, even if you don’t like fishing.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if this book would interest me as I'm not an avid fisherperson, but I very much enjoyed it. We’ve taken fly fishing trips (husband and daughter fish while I usually read) to a few of the places mentioned and I was familiar with some of the fish species. We even went to Wyoming so they could try their hand at Cutt-Slam, which is mentioned in the book - you try to catch, take a picture, then release each of the four native cutthroat trout species in Wyoming. The book is very readable and I enjoyed the descriptions of scenery and the folks the author met along the way. It was interesting to learn how each fish species fared having either been introduced to the area, or if it was a native species, having non-native fish in the ecosystem. A very good book for fisherpeople who have a passion for environmental (and fisheries) conservation, but also for those of us just interested in good nature writing.