Freshwater Fish of the Northeast

Illustrated by Matt Patterson

Most anglers are well aware of the popular game fish that inhabit the Northeast, including the largemouth bass, the rainbow trout, and the yellow perch. But the region’s inland waters boast a much broader array of fish than first meets the eye (or hook). The father-and-son team of David A. Patterson and Matt Patterson have pursued both game fish and bait fish in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York. In Freshwater Fish of the Northeast, they describe more than 60 different species, from the well known to the obscure, including the redfin pickerel, the blueback trout, and the slimy sculpin. This colorful and helpful guide includes detailed information on habits, habitats, history, and more. In order to best capture the look and appeal of these fish in their native waters, most of the images are based on the authors’ own live catches. The pencil-and-acrylic illustrations render each species in lifelike detail, with close attention given to unique physical characteristics. Both art book and guidebook, this volume will stir some fond memories of fish caught—and a few of those that got away.
Cover Image of Freshwater Fish of the Northeast
ISBN-13: 9781584658191
Pages: 144 | Size: 10 in. x 7 in.
Date Published: May 11, 2010
Screenshot-2023-10-11-at-16.51.58

Reviews

  • The most delectable catch is Freshwater Fish of the Northeast by David and Matt Patterson. This father-son team from Massachusetts has packed about 50 years worth of combined angling experience inside a 130-page wrapper. The result is so lovely to look at and informative to read that it deserves a less prosaic title that the one it has . . .The Pattersons don’t just love the challenge of catching (and usually releasing) fish; they seem in awe of the sheer aesthetic beauty of each and every species.

    The Sunday Republican (Waterbury)
    CT)
  • What a job Matt Patterson did with the illustrations. He knows his fish and he knows his art. The illustrations are absolutely splendid: accurately rendered and artistically striking. Moreover, the book’s designer created a handsome blend of art and text, and in places, even creates the appearance of fish migrating through the book. If you're a serious fisher in the Northeast, or if serious anglers come to visit, this is a book you'll want lying on the coffee table.

    National Outdoor Book Awards
  • Combining their shared love of fishing with Dave’s biology background and Matt’s art skills, the result is the lavishly illustrated Freshwater Fish of the Northeast.

    The Lowell Sun and Sentinel & Enterprise
  • Father and son fishing buddies David A. Patterson, a retired high school biology teacher in Billerica, and Matt, a professional illustrator, have produced Freshwater Fish of the Northeast, a guidebook to more than 60 species. Matt based most of his illustrations on photographs taken of live catches he or his father made before they set the fish free.

    Boston Globe
  • Freshwater Fish of the Northeast (University Press of New England, 2010) by retired biology teacher David Patterson gives a glimpse of what lives under paddle. Part field guide, part coffee-table treasure--with pencil-and-acrylic illustrations by David's son, Matt Patterson--this hardcover is stocked with the habits and habitats of more than 60 species found in New England and New York, plus fishing pointers.

    Adirondack Life

About the Author

MATT PATTERSON is a professional illustrator who trained at The Art Institute of Boston. DAVID A. PATTERSON, recently retired, taught high-school biology for thirty-four years in Billerica, Massachusetts. This is their first book.

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