Dr. James A. Henshall

Dr. James A. Henshall (1836-1925) — was the author of the first book on bass fishing, Book of the Black Bass in 1881, and was the sport’s earliest advocate of note. A surgeon by trade, he designed the most popular rod and reel of his day, though he chose to patent neither because he believed his creations should be available to all manufacturers and anglers. He was also an innovator in hatchery management during his time with the U.S. Fish Commission. Henshall predicted the decline of trout fishing and habitat as well as the rise of the bass in sportsmen’s eyes. Though he wrote extensively for several outdoor publications even to the end of his long life, he is probably best remembered for a single line in bass book: “I consider him, inch for inch and pound for pound, the gamest fish that swims.” It is still the greatest comment on the greatest of game fish.