author

J. Harrington (John Harrington) Keene

Known for practical, hands-on books about fishing, tackle-making, and outdoor skills, this late-19th-century writer turned technical know-how into lively advice for everyday readers. His work ranges from angling manuals to trap-setting and even graphology, showing a strikingly wide set of interests.

1 Audiobook

How to Make and Set Traps Including Hints on How to Trap Moles, Weasels, Otter, Rats, Squirrels and Birds; Also How to Cure Skins

How to Make and Set Traps Including Hints on How to Trap Moles, Weasels, Otter, Rats, Squirrels and Birds; Also How to Cure Skins

by J. Harrington (John Harrington) Keene

About the author

J. Harrington Keene, also published as John Harrington Keene, was a prolific 19th-century author best remembered for books on angling and outdoor craft. Records from The Online Books Page and major library catalogs link his name to titles including The Practical Fisherman, Fishing Tackle, Its Materials and Manufacture, Fly-Fishing and Fly-Making, The Boy's Own Guide to Fishing, and How to Make and Set Traps.

His books suggest a writer deeply interested in practical instruction. Rather than treating fishing as a hobby in the abstract, he wrote about equipment, methods, fish habits, and tackle-making in a way aimed at helping readers do things for themselves. That clear, useful approach is a big part of why his work still turns up in reprints and digital archives.

Keene also seems to have written beyond fishing. Sources connect him with The Mystery of Handwriting, a handbook of graphology, and a Wikipedia list of angling pseudonyms identifies "Grapho" as a pseudonym used by John Harrington Keene. I couldn't confirm a reliable portrait image for him, so none is included here.