A Gorgeously Illustrated Collection of First-Person Stories on the Sublime Joy of Flyfishing

Every fly fisher has one: that moment-that ineffable, transcendent moment-they can point to and say, That's it. That was when time seemed to stop and I felt fully alive. That's why I fish.

Collected and framed by the award-winning writer Peter Kaminsky, The Catch of a Lifetime presents the moving first-person stories of more than seventy anglers recounting their catch of a lifetime. With its tales of brown trout in Montana and bluefish at Montauk Point, smallmouth in Minnesota's Boundary Waters and unforgettable adventures with giant taimen on the steppes of central Asia, bonefish in New Caledonia, white marlin in the Baja, and golden dorado in the tribal lands along the Amazon's headwaters, this gorgeously illustrated anthology is a transporting testament to the call that all anglers heed-to get out there and be one with the water. It distills perfectly the magic of the sport; you can't read it and not want to go fishing.

The contributor list is a diverse who's who of writers, artists, sportspeople, and others who've made flyfishing a singular passion, including Carl Hiaasen, Joan Wulff, Tom Colicchio, Charles Gaines, Rachel Maddow, Mark Kurlansky, Brittany Howard, John McPhee, Verlyn Klinkenborg, and Jared Zissu. Their encounters, their memories, the words they use to describe, say, a forty-pound salmon leaping into the air or the sight of a great blue heron soaring down the creek to steal a catch make this the book of a lifetime for any fly fisher.

“Peter Kaminsky is a master angler, storyteller, and companion on the water. He combines these skills to take you on a memorable pursuit of flyfishing and adventure. He’ll even buy beers if the day goes well.”
 —Tom Brokaw
“Peter Kaminsky is a master angler, storyteller, and companion on the water. He combines these skills to take you on a memorable pursuit of flyfishing and adventure. He’ll even buy beers if the day goes well.”
 —Tom Brokaw
“It’s a miracle of a book: eclectic and full of suspense, wit, and fun. There’s nothing like it.”—Nick Lyons
“It’s a miracle of a book: eclectic and full of suspense, wit, and fun. There’s nothing like it.”—Nick Lyons
"Delightful, inspirational, insightful, and educational."—John Rowen, Booklist (starred review)
"Eager to have a new favorite book that fulfills your fishing fantasies? Legendary angler, journalist, and author Peter Kaminsky has just what you need with his new book."—Flylords
“A book for the ages.”—Kirk Deeter, Trout Unlimited
Peter Kaminsky writes passionately about the world of angling, but he now flexes his curating muscles in this beautiful fly-fishing anthology. —Anglers Journal
"Peter Kaminsky writes passionately about the world of angling, but he now flexes his curating muscles in this beautiful fly-fishing anthology."—Anglers Journal

PETER KAMINSKY is one of America's leading angling journalists and authors. His Outdoors column has appeared in the New York Times for thirty-five years. A recipient of the C.F. Orvis Outdoor Writing Award, Kaminsky has been a contributing editor at Field & Stream, Sports Afield, and Outdoor Life and was managing editor of National Lampoon. His angling writing has also appeared in Fly Fisherman, Condé Nast Traveler, Smithsonian Magazine, GQ, The Field, and Anglers Journal. Among his books are The Moon Pulled Up an Acre of Bass, American Waters, The Flyfisherman's Guide to the Meaning of Life, Fishing for Dummies, and Flyfishing for Dummies. As avid a cook as he is a fisherman, he's written eighteen cookbooks, including three with Francis Mallmann. His television credits include creator and executive producer of The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and The Gershwin Prize for Popular song. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.