When asked where his favorite place to fish in Minnesota is, author Tom Dickson quickly replied “International Falls.”

It was the right answer for an interview with the newspaper from that community.

But Dickson is very familiar with Borderland and says that the Rainy Lake, Rainy River and Lake of the Woods system offers a chance at catching one of his favorite fish — lake sturgeon.

Dickson’s new book, “The Great Minnesota Fish Book,” explains that in the 1800s, Lake of the Woods was the lake sturgeon capitol of the world.

“It’s a fish that’s important to the history and culture of the canoe country,” he explains.

Dickson’s other favorite fishing spot is at the other end of the state — the Mississippi River from St. Paul to the Iowa border.

“The river has more than 100 different species; it’s got warmer water, is more fertile and has incredible diversity. There’s muskie to paddle fish to tiny little dace and darters.”

The range between Dickson’s favorite places to fish is similar to the range of information contained in the 154-page, hard-covered book illustrated by Joseph R. Tomelleri.

Dickson worked from 1987-2001 for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and wrote many stories for the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer Magazine.

In 1989, he co-wrote “Fishing for Buffalo” with Rob Buffler. The book was about fishing for rough fish and it spurred his interest in writing about other fish species.

“There seems to be a fair interest among anglers, not just about fishing, but about knowing about other species that swim in Minnesota waters,” he said. “You go into a bait shop and see sucker minnows, crappie minnows and emerald shiners, but you don’t know where they’re from.”

The book features sections on game fish, rough fish and little-known fish with huge, full-color illustrations of more than 100 species of fish.

Talking about the book from his home in Montana this week, Dickson said his claim to fame in the Minnesota fishing world may be finding the origin of “wall” in the word walleye.

“Everything I read said the ‘wall’ refers to the fishes’ glassy, opaque eye,” he said. “I read everything that’s ever been written about walleye in the last 50 years and there was no explanation other than glassy.”

After searching for an answer, he said he finally found what he was looking for in the Oxford English Dictionary: A Finnish word, “vagl” or “wall” means cloudy eye.

“I was tickled about that,” he said. “My contribution to Minnesota fish culture is to be the first person who finally found where the ‘wall’ came from in walleye.”

A laughing Dickson theorizes that a Finnish guy in the 1800s probably said he caught a “vagl” — a fish with a cloudy eye.

Dickson said he intends his book to be of interest also to non anglers.

“This is a natural history book, for people interested in the outdoors,” he said.

The book tells about the American eel, a fish that lives throughout southern Minnesota yet spawns in the Caribbean Sea; the Johnny darter, which reproduces upside down; and lake sturgeon that can reach 300 pounds.

Dickson noted that northern Minnesotans may find interesting the chapter on the redbelly dace, a colorful, little fish, that swims in stagnant areas and beaver ponds. And, he said the chapter on smallmouth bass may surprise some Minnesotans because the species isn’t native to northern Minnesota and was stocked here.

He said the book may also help to take the mystery out of fishing for non anglers.

“It helps people understand fishing and fishing culture, which is kind of intimidating for non anglers; it’s so pervasive, and kind of an insiders club,” he said.

Dickson said he’s fortunate to have the fine, detailed illustrations of Tomelleri, who he called the preeminent illustrator in North America.

He also noted that the Audubon Society has called Tomelleri “the John James Audubon of fish illustration.”

“He has a masters in fish biology and is an exceptional artist,” Dickson said. “It’s a combination of talents that is unheard of.”

Dickson joked that even if his book was written in Russian, it would sell well because of the wonderful illustrations.

Dickson has lived in Montana since 2002 and is the editor of Montana Outdoors, the equivalent of the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer Magazine.

He admits he gets homesick from time to time and comes to Minnesota to fish and see family.

“This is a great place,” he said of Montana, “but in a lot of ways it doesn’t equal Minnesota for the quality of life. I miss the boreal forests in northern Minnesota — it’s beautiful and refreshing.”