For the 15 million women who fish each year, here is the first book ever to chronicle women"s extraordinary legacy in the sport. Modern sportfishing began in 1496 with the definitive "Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle, " attributed to English noblewoman and nun Dame Juliana Berners. During the five centuries since, women have made--and continue to make--fishing history. Reel Women tells the captivating stories of the daring and the ingenious who have made a lasting impact on sportfishing. More than a hundred profiles include such figures as tiny Mrs. Keith Spalding, who landed a 426-pound swordfish in 1921, plus the living legends of flyfishing, big-game saltwater fishing, and bass fishing: from Helen Robinson, who developed a groundbreaking technique for teasing billfish into striking an artificial fly, to Sugar Ferris, founder of the first bass-fishing circuit for women. Featuring a comprehensive women"s angling resource directory and a bibliography of books by or for women anglers, Reel Women is a great catch for readers on the distaff side of the rod-and-reel world.