Jerry Kustich
With writing that Nick Lyons has described as “quietly but fiercely independent, free from the commercialism that cloaks the fly-fishing world like a fungus” author Jerry Kustich tackles a range of subjects in his latest book, from fly-fishing contests and world records to the difficult subject of the death of loved ones. But whether writing about epic catches of memorable fish, pristine wilderness rivers, or the Booboys’ controversial departure from R. L. Winston Rod Company, for Kustich the story of loss is linked to the story of hope, and both are reflected in the water we fish: “Peace flows through rivers, these ribbons joining one generation to another in spiritual unity, but also pain.”
Although Around the Next Bend, the third book in a trilogy that spans the author’s life spent fly fishing and working in the fly-fishing business, is in part a somber look at the ways all things must come to an end, it is also about beginnings—whether that is starting a new company; making a new life in the small town of Twin Bridges, Montana, after having been robbed by backwoods Idaho thieves; or the act of storytelling itself. And as Kustich points out,despite the constant change around him, which can sometimes be chaos, he is still able to find brief moments of timeless perfection on the water. And the ability of wild places and rivers to transport the spirit long after one has experienced them is a controlling theme in this collection of essays.In this intimate and lyrical book, Kustich shares with readers his “sense of journey, place, and wonder” that are part of what he calls the “fly fishing state of mind”: catching forbidden fish in anEdenic wilderness, night fishing for giant browns on the Big Hole River, fishing in Alaska for “tarpon of the north,” or simply recollecting moments in which the mood on the river was just right and full of promise—when the “warmth of a passing day lingered with the sweet fragrance of new beginnings as hordes of caddis danced like there was no tomorrow.”
Review
“Jerry Kustich is one of the most readable and engaging writers I know. He’s an expert at virtually any subject he touches, but he’s never ponderous. Instead he’s a consummate storyteller and humorist who happens to care deeply about fishing.” (Marshall Cutchin, Publisher MidCurrent and Skiff Republic 2013-08-01)
“Jerry Kustich is one of the most readable and engaging writers I know. He’s an expert at virtually any subject he touches, but he’s never ponderous. Instead he’s a consummate storyteller and humorist who happens to care deeply about fishing.” (Marshall Cutchin, Publisher, Midcurrent and Skiff Repubilc 2013-10-01)
“Jerry Kustich is one of a vanishing breed of fly fishers. Fly fishing shapes his view of the world, it’s not just one of the things he does. It’s fishing that has led him to pursue a broader vision of what living in a truly functioning wild ecosystem would feel like. We need him out there poking around on the edges, exploring, fishing, and reporting back with unwavering honesty what he observes.” (Ed Engle, Author of Fishing Small Flies and Splitting Cane 2013-10-01)
“Jerry Kustich is at his best in this collection of stories and essays recounting a lifetime in fly fishing. He leads us up the river of life through tranquil pools and treacherous rapids of experience, from the joy of catching a huge trout to the incomprehensibly tragic and premature death of a loved one.” (Norm Zeigler, Author of Snook on a Fly and Rivers of Shadow, Rivers of Sun 2013-10-01)
About the Author
Jerry Kustich is author of At the River’s Edge: Lessons Learned in a Life of Fly Fishing (978-0963310927), A Wisp in the Wind: In Search of Bull Trout, Bamboo, and Beyond (978-0963310941), and coauthor of Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead (978-0963310910), all published by West River Publishing. His articles and essays have appeared in Fly Fisherman, Big Sky Journal, Fly Rod & Reel, and many other publications. He splits his time between Baltimore, MD, and Twin Bridges, MT.
Ebook available in two formats: Kindle and Epub.
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