Darwin's Bass

In this sequel to his widely acclaimed "Pavlov’s Trout" – the first book to explore the psychology of fishing – psychologist, philosopher and fisherman Paul Quinnett, Ph.D., returns to explore the evolutionary foundations of fishing, and why so many people are so strongly attracted to this sport. This time the question is simple. Could it be that humans were actually born to fish?

In "Darwin's Bass," Quinnett uses the theories of Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" to examine how people have evolved and, in some ways, "de-evolved" from our fishing and evolutionary partner, the bass. While some people may not buy the idea of sharing an evolutionary history with the fishes, Quinnett suspects those who enjoy fishing might relish the thought. "It is easier for me to accept being descended from a fish than from a monkey," he observes.

So what is it about this sport that so powerfully attracts those who fish? It may be as simple as what one fisherman proposes: Fishing is about "the grab," that thrilling moment when the fish takes the lure and triggers our predatory response. But Quinnett theorizes "the grab" isn't simply a thrill. He suggests that throughout time creatures up and down the food chain have always had to "grab" to survive. "In nature, bad grabbers don't make it," Quinnett observes. "Successful grabbers dine well, enjoy sex and reproduce." Perhaps, he posits, the need to fish is more instinctual than habitual. Perhaps it's a sort of holy quest for the "grab."

"Darwin's Bass" carries many other messages about the human psyche as well, like the deception inherent to fishing, a fisherman's territoriality and consciousness and more. And, as the legion of fans he won with "Pavlov's Trout" know, his insights come served with a delightfully light-hearted philosophy.

This time, though, Dr. Quinnett includes a warning cast. He proposes humans have a special responsibility as the reigning champion in the evolutionary contest and the planet's dominant species. "If information and use of language is power, and deliberate planning is the measure of intelligence," he said, "the let us please grasp the scope of our moral responsibilities – not to ourselves, but to all living things. No other creature is going to replace us in the near future and assume that responsibility."

"Darwin's Bass" shows how tightly intertwined humans are with the natural world from which we emerged. Few may experience this so fully as those men and women who enjoy fishing. As Quinnett writes, "To arrive at that place where you can with confidence sit on a river bank and study the fish below the veil of moving water and know – and I mean know – that what you see is not illusion, but truth, is to arrive in that far and wondrous place where angler and fish become one."

About the author
Paul Quinnett, Ph.D., holds true to his own advice to go fishing often, with frequent excursions to Alaska, Canada, Christmas Island, and his own homewaters around eastern Washington and northern Idaho. He is a nationally recognized authority on suicide prevention, about which he has written several books, including "When Self Help Fails" and "Suicide: The Forever Decision." He also created "QPR, CPR for Suicide Prevention," a national program for the prevention of suicide. Dr. Quinnett likes to say he’s been a fisherman all his life, but a psychologist for only the last 33 fishing seasons; he uses his frequent outdoor pursuits as grist for a prolific writing avocation that has included publication in hundreds of national magazines, including Gray’s Sporting Journal, Sporting Classics, Field & Stream, Sports Afield, Audubon and others.

What they said about Darwin’s Bass

"Even if a fishing trip is your idea of vacation hell, you’ll still enjoy 'Darwin’s Bass.' It’s a witty, informal guide to the human mind." – Psychology Today

"'Darwin’s Bass' is destined to be a classic." – The Fisherman

"'Darwin’s Bass' takes one of the more controversial theories presented to modern science – Darwin’s 'Origin of Species' – and waves it through some float tube philosophy. The result is a highly readable, occasionally provocative and inevitably insightful book about the connection of man, fishing and our place in the natural world." – The Pacific Northwest Inlander