Born to Fish: How an Obsessed Angler Became the World's Greatest Striped Bass Fisherman

“This is an extraordinary story of one man’s obsession, a tale of passion, brutality, tragedy, and redemption. It’s a book about a love of fishing that tackles the deepest themes of life and family, of history, education, masculinity, and America, and shows us not only how the natural world can be a place of grace, but a soul’s complicated and beautiful saviour.” –Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk “Born to Fish is an authentic page-turner. A gripping tale about obsession, sacrifice and, ultimately, redemption. It’s the moving story of a tormented child who finds escape in the woods and on the water, alone. His struggle becomes our struggle as we witness this vulnerable boy making wrong and increasingly dangerous choices until, finally … well, I’m not going to give that away. And, oh, it’s also about the largest striped bass ever caught by a recreational fisherman.” – Walter Anderson, former editor of Parade magazine “Born to Fish is the compelling story of an unlikely conservation hero–Greg Myerson, who landed the largest striped bass ever caught by a sport fisherman and instantly regretted killing such an important breeder, just to break a record. Myerson has since dedicated himself to saving the Atlantic Coast striped bass, now devastated by pollution and overfishing.” –Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental attorney and activist “A wordsmith and a fishsmith have collaborated on an important book that will live long in angling literature. Born to Fish is not just for anglers but for everyone who knows one–a study of the demons and angels that drive us. I couldn’t put it down.” – Ted Williams, environmental journalist “Far more than just an excellent book about fishing, this is one of the most compelling portraits of an individual I have ever encountered. It is no surprise that Greg Myerson should be the holder of so many records with regard to striped bass: he himself is an outsize personality, containing raw contradictions such as vitality, courage, grandeur, and pain. Once you have met Greg Myerson you will never forget him: he will stay with you even longer than the memory of all those behemoths that he has hauled from the deep.” –Tony Huston, screenwriter “Perhaps it takes an intense sportsman who has led a wild life himself to tell the story of another one the right way. Greg Meyerson, obsessive angler and mad fisherman, is fortunate in having Tim Gallagher, a falconer and writer who has a past of his own, as his chronicler; two wild men tellling unforgettable stories.” –Stephen J. Bodio, author of Hounds of Heaven, Querencia, and Eagle Dreams “Gallagher is a skilled enough writer to capture the humanity of this complicated man, one who becomes the best at what he does … A compelling biography even if you’ve never picked up a fishing rod.” ?–Nature.org

TIM GALLAGHER is an award-winning author of books about Ivory and Imperial Woodpeckers as well as falcons. The former editor of Living Bird magazine, he lives in Freeville, New York.

GREG MYERSON holds the world record for catching the largest striped bass and owns the World Record Striper Company, which was funded on his appearance on the TV show Shark Tank. He lives in Wallingford, Connecticut.

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