James Prosek
'Nelson Trout'

James Prosek
'Brook Trout'

In every age, there are those individuals who, through their unique vision, insights and talent, distinguish themselves early on as one of the most important voices of their generation. James Prosek is just such an individual. While just 20 years old, and still a student at Yale University, he conceived, wrote and illustrated the world’s only complete study of trout, Trout, An Illustrated History. This highly acclaimed work, now in its ninth printing, depicts every species of North American Trout from popular Rainbows and Cutthroats to rare and extinct species like Bluebacks and Aurora. It’s been compared as an accomplishment to Audubon’s classic Birds of North America - and in fact, The New York Times described James as “The Audubon of the Fishing World".

His singular achievements have been reported and chronicled in all the major media including: Sports Illustrated, People Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Associated press, The London Telegraph, Sporting Classics, Sports Afield, Men’s Journal, Esquire and Yankee Magazine. The CBS Morning Show and the NBC Evening News identified him as one of the most important new sporting authors in America. Also, he is the only person ever to appear on the cover of the Yale Alumni Magazine while still an undergraduate student.

James’ passion for fishing and art began at the age of nine. Since then he’s caught and released a remarkable 3,000 fish—studying, photographing and painting many along the way. Today he continues to travel the globe widely in search of new species to observe and record.

His second book Joe and Me chronicles his unique relationship and adventures with professional woodsman Joe Haines, who promises to show him how to fish but, in the process, teaches him many lessons about life.

A Connecticut Yankee Follows the Footsteps of Walton describes his pilgrimage to the home of Izak Walton, the 17th-century author of The Compleat Angler, the first treatise on the joys of fishing. An ESPN television film production of these travels narrated by James won a prestigious Peabody Award. Fly-Fishing the 41st chronicles his adventures fishing and traveling along the 41st parallel around the world. Early Love and Brook Trout describes his earliest adventures with fishing and romance.

His newest book Trout of the World continues in the spirit of Trout of North America, illustrating and chronicling well-known and obscure species of trout from some of the most popular and remote waters of the world.

The critically acclaimed watercolors that James painted to illustrate each of these volumes has only added to his reputation as one of the rising creative talents of our time we will be hearing from for many years to come. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt wrote in the New York Times “James Prosek can paint with language as simply and refreshingly as he does with watercolors.” By all accounts he is a unique artist and author.