Sheridan R. Jones

I recently purchased one of the small Outdoor Life Recreation Library books, titled Bait Casting, authored by fishing writer Sheridan R. Jones. The Recreation Library was a series of paperback books released by Outdoor Life back in the 1920s. Several months ago I reviewed The Fly-Rod for Bass by Cal Johnson, one of the books in the series. My intention was, and still is, to review Jones’ Bait Casting book, but first I thought I should bone up on the life of Sheridan Jones, and to that end I purchased The Life and Legend of Sheridan R. Jones, a biography written by Joseph Hilko and published in 2011. So, this piece will look at Hilko’s biography and Jones’ life story, and I’ll get to Bait Casting at a later date.

Hilko’s does a very nice job outlining the life, work and “mystery” of Sheridan R. Jones. Mystery is a good word to use because apparently around 1929 or 1930, Jones, arguably the most popular fishing writer and authority of his time, simply disappeared from the pages of outdoor magazines. Until then he had written profusely, and had been the editor of more than one outdoor publication. Many readers wondered what became of their favorite fishing author. Hilko lays it all out, but let’s start at the beginning. Of course I’m presenting the cliff notes version gleaned from Hilko’s biography.

Sheridan Ross Jones was born in August of 1881, I believe in Wisconsin, though the text isn’t precise about this. The Jones family eventually moved from Wisconsin to the Dakota Territory and settled there. Hilko provides a fair amount of background on Jones’ family life, education and family history. Education was important to the Jones family, with Sheridan’s father, Augustus Sheridan Jones, working as a teacher and lawyer. A.S. Jones was also a prominent figure in the Dakota Territory political scene. Sheridan also shared his father’s love of education but divided that pursuit with a passion for hunting and fishing. He was quite a good wingshot and an angler with a scientific mind, as evidenced by the content of his many of his articles.

Jones found a home at Ellsworth College in Iowa Falls, Iowa, where he became the head of the Biology Department and the Dean of the school. He not only taught biology, but several other science classes as well, and he also had a side business as a taxidermist. Many of his wildlife mounts are still on display at Ellsworth College. When not teaching he would invariably be found fishing for bass in the Iowa River, where he and his wife had a cabin. 

In 1918 he also became the angling editor for Outer’s Recreation Magazine. According to Hilko, 

“The second article published in this issue was ‘Black Bass and Bass-Craft: An Introduction.’ The first column began a series of in-depth articles on tactics and techniques of Bass fishing through the eyes of a scientist, and began to cement Jones’ reputation as one of the nation’s most preeminent experts on bass angling.”

After several years worth of columns, in 1924 the articles were collected, revised somewhat and published into a book, Black Bass and Bass Craft. The impact and importance of Jones’ book is hard to overstate. Hilko writes that the book,

“was one of the most authoritative resources for bass fishermen during its time. It helped create interest in bass fishing with insights into the science of bass fishing. Its chapters contained information on black bass, their habits according to different bodies of water, and baits and lures appropriate for various conditions. There are especially fine chapters on lures, tackle,m casting methods, and reel use. This book received national recognition as being one of the first presentations for the layman in its scientific field and it was later put into foreign publication. The previous authoritative treatise on the [sic] bass fishing was The Book of the Black Bass by Dr. James Alexander Henshall, first published in 1881 and then republished multiple times up to 1939.”

I am preparing to write a full review of Black Bass and Bass Craft for later publication on this site.

Jones began freelance writing for Outlook magazine and Field and Stream. He also wrote three paperback books in the Outer’s/Outdoor Life Recreation series: Bait Casting, Fly Casting, and Fishing Facts. He also wrote fishing articles in promotional publications for companies like South Bend, Hastings (makers of the famous Wilson Wobbler) and the Johnson Motor Company. Sheridan R. Jones was indeed the leading angling authority and was very much in demand. He was a legitimate celebrity in the angling world. Jones also wrote gardening articles for Better Homes  & Gardens! And all this he did while working a full-time job at Ellsworth College. Life was busy and life was good.

And then in 1929 he “disappeared,” as Robert Page Lincoln described him in his own 1952 book, Black Bass Fishing. What happened to cause Jones to abandon his editorial duties and all angling writing assignments? The date, 1929, should offer a clue. The answer is, The Great Depression. Once the Great Depression took hold of the nation it spelled bad news for many academic institutions. Jones made saving his beloved Ellsworth College his priority. He maintained not only his job as a teacher and the dean of the school, but he also jumped in as a recruiter, promoter, secretary and whatever else he needed to do to keep the college afloat. 

Jones’ work for the college was monumental, and his positive impact on not only the college and his community was immense. Ellsworth College is still around, of course. Thanks in no small part to the efforts of Sheridan Jones. “For 48 years (1908-1956),” writes Hilko, “Sheridan R. Jones was the heart and soul of the biology department at Ellsworth College in Iowa Falls, and one of the most popular professors on campus.” He was much beloved by the city of Iowa Falls and received numerous accolades both before and after his life. Hilko writes that he found people living in the city who still fondly remember Professor Jones.

Sheridan R. Jones passed away from heart failure in 1958. His wife, Vivian, passed away in 1999 at age 105. Before she died, Vivian bequeathed the Jones home to the city and college.

Following this biography, Hilko delves into Jones’ fishing lure collection, which would make for a fantastic story as well. Given that a written word from Sheridan Jones could make or break the success of a fishing lure, companies sent Jones an incredible amount of new lures and other angling items. Some sent entire lines of lures in every available color scheme. Jones literally could not use all of the lures he received, so he kept them, in their original boxes with original paperwork, untouched and in pristine condition. The author, Joseph Hilko, purchased the Sheridan Jones lure collection in 1997, which no doubt compelled him to write this book. He relays that the Jones Lure Collection has been called “the finest collection of pre-1925 lures of all time.” The photos are amazing. I don’t know if there’s a book floating around out there that documents all of the lures in the collection, but I hope there is.

Jones received multiple lures almost daily at his home in Iowa Falls. So many in fact, that he had a large mailbox installed into the wall of his house which could hold several deliveries at a time. Amazing. Hilko also reprints several of Jones’ better known articles at the end of the book, which is an extremely nice touch. These are well worth reading and really give an insight into the flavor of the time and the history of bass fishing.

Hilko’s book gives you a great sense of what kind of man Sheridan Jones was, and it’s clear that Hilko has a lot of respect and admiration for his subject. His attitude comes off in his writing and makes for some very enjoyable reading. There are a few holes in Sheridan Jones’ life history, and I wouldn’t necessarily call this a complete biography. But it is a very enjoyable read and sheds much needed, and welcome light on the story of an important figure in the history of bass fishing and outdoor writing. The photos of the lures and other paraphernalia are outstanding and a joy to behold. The book is available on the secondary market, on sites like Abe Books or eBay and it’s well worth adding to your fishing history library.