Sale [hidden]

The Outer Banks, barrier islands off the coast of northeastern North Carolina, have long provided inhabitants with ready access to clean water and bountiful wild fisheries. In the 1930s, these locals recognized they could make a living full time by taking out paying parties of sport anglers. At this time, entrepreneurs built oceanfront piers to get these sport fishermen closer to migrating schools of fish. An act of Congress preserved the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which promoted the pastime of surf fishing. As the industry of charter fishing developed, captains working out of Hatteras and Oregon Inlet ventured farther into the Atlantic Ocean to reach the Gulf Stream, the home of the ultimate fishing trophy, the blue marlin. This book chronicles the history of sport fishing on the Outer Banks. Whether fishing is a livelihood or a pastime, fishermen and fisherwomen invest in more than just catching. They commune with a seascape that is both inspiring and potentially dangerous. And what locals and visitors alike have found on this sliver of sand is simple: paradise on earth.

Today, it is hard to conceive that at the turn of the 20th century Miami, Florida, was a sleepy town of 500 inhabitants. Over the years, many influences have shaped Miami into the cultural, educational, tourism, and commercial center that it is now. One of the primary reasons for the city's growth was the development of sportfishing. It all began in the 1920s, and by the beginning of World War II an entire industry was born. This is a pictorial of those days.

Yarmouth, founded in 1639, has always had close ties with the sea. From shore whaling, fishing, and boatbuilding to sailing, salt making, and other maritime pursuits, almost everyone dealt with the ocean. A 160-acre Indian reservation existed until a smallpox epidemic in the 1770s. Later, a substantial Friends community (Quakers) grew in South Yarmouth. Yarmouth slowly leaned toward tourism after the Civil War, with railroads providing the transportation. Automobiles created even more tourism. People no longer stayed for the summer but could now spend just a night or two. Restaurants, dance halls, and cabins changed the landscape. There was little growth during the Depression; however, it was explosive in the years following World War II. Townspeople grudgingly adapted to these changes. The one constant has been the Bass River and its influence on the town.