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The Second Fly Caster: Fatherhood, Recovery and an Unforgettable Tournament
From The Second Fly
When I was a boy I thought my father was the greatest fly caster on earth, so I grew up dreaming of following in his way and not of becoming, as my mother wanted, an accountant.
Today, I am a man who often relives the important events in my life, but when I think back to the five state casting tournaments my father won, most of their images and sounds have melted and flowed into downstream memories, except for the images and sounds of one special tournament. Instead of fading over time, they ripened in my mind in more than just a visual way, and now they are almost as vivid as the moments of today. …
e-Story
Erik, a young boy, is proud that his father, the winner of several state championships, is probably the greatest long distance fly caster on earth. But then a threatening prelude and an unexpected outcome of a casting tournament leave Erik reeling with unanswered questions about what once seemed to be only a sport.
These questions linger and then, years later, deepen when Erik’s idealistic plans and actions are crushed when he experiences combat in the Vietnam War. He struggles, unsuccessfully, with his demons, until a seemingly accidental discovery lead him back to the ways and new meanings of fly casting. Through their prism Erik learns to see himself and the world in a forgiving light.
When I was a boy I thought my father was the greatest fly caster on earth, so I grew up dreaming of following in his way and not of becoming, as my mother wanted, an accountant.
Today, I am a man who often relives the important events in my life, but when I think back to the five state casting tournaments my father won, most of their images and sounds have melted and flowed into downstream memories, except for the images and sounds of one special tournament. Instead of fading over time, they ripened in my mind in more than just a visual way, and now they are almost as vivid as the moments of today. …
e-Story
Erik, a young boy, is proud that his father, the winner of several state championships, is probably the greatest long distance fly caster on earth. But then a threatening prelude and an unexpected outcome of a casting tournament leave Erik reeling with unanswered questions about what once seemed to be only a sport.
These questions linger and then, years later, deepen when Erik’s idealistic plans and actions are crushed when he experiences combat in the Vietnam War. He struggles, unsuccessfully, with his demons, until a seemingly accidental discovery lead him back to the ways and new meanings of fly casting. Through their prism Erik learns to see himself and the world in a forgiving light.
18 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2011
4 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Randy Kadish
8 books16 followersI'm a native New Yorker. After a good deal of disappointment, I gave up writing. Then my mother passed away, and I found that fishing helped ease my grief. Almost accidentally, I wrote and sold a fishing article. Afterwards, my articles and memoirs appeared in many publications, including The Flyfisher, Flyfishing & Tying Journal and Yale Anglers' Journal.
To me, much of my writing is about how the challenges of fishing and the beauty of the outdoors helped me come to terms with loss and with a world I can't always understand. In a sense, my writing is autobiographical, as it reflects my own gratifying, but at times, difficult journey of emotional and spiritual recovery.
On the long road of my journey, I slowly learned that, even when I don't have answers, I must strive to find forgiveness and self-worth and to connect to the good in the world. (This is how I define spirituality.) I therefore love books where the main characters struggle against inner and outer conflicts and then try to do what's right.
My most recent book is, The Way of the River: My Journey of Fishing, Forgiveness and Spiritual Recovery
To me, much of my writing is about how the challenges of fishing and the beauty of the outdoors helped me come to terms with loss and with a world I can't always understand. In a sense, my writing is autobiographical, as it reflects my own gratifying, but at times, difficult journey of emotional and spiritual recovery.
On the long road of my journey, I slowly learned that, even when I don't have answers, I must strive to find forgiveness and self-worth and to connect to the good in the world. (This is how I define spirituality.) I therefore love books where the main characters struggle against inner and outer conflicts and then try to do what's right.
My most recent book is, The Way of the River: My Journey of Fishing, Forgiveness and Spiritual Recovery
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 4, 2011
Back in February, I had the chance to review one of Kadish’s other novelettes entitled The Bad, The Good, And Two Women Fly Fishing. This time, Kadish asked me to review his latest book, The Second Fly Caster.
Once again, Kadish has managed to create characters that are so real, you can imagine hanging out with them as if they were your friends.
As children, we often look at our parents through rose colored glasses until something happens to shatter the lenses. That is exactly what happened to Erik. Afterwards, he could not deal with his father.
It wasn’t until after going off to fight in Vietnam did he finally reach the realization that his father wasn’t this villain that he had made him out to be.
I really enjoyed this extremely quick read.
In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
Once again, Kadish has managed to create characters that are so real, you can imagine hanging out with them as if they were your friends.
As children, we often look at our parents through rose colored glasses until something happens to shatter the lenses. That is exactly what happened to Erik. Afterwards, he could not deal with his father.
It wasn’t until after going off to fight in Vietnam did he finally reach the realization that his father wasn’t this villain that he had made him out to be.
I really enjoyed this extremely quick read.
In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
July 14, 2016
The second fly caster
A good short story of a young boy watching his father fly casting in tournaments becoming the best and dreaming the same for himself.
A good short story of a young boy watching his father fly casting in tournaments becoming the best and dreaming the same for himself.
April 19, 2019
Randy's writing improved immeasurably over the years.
I more or less know Randy's real story. We were friends in college. I know his upbringing was nothing like the story. I appreciate how imaginative this book is. Very well crafted and carefully written. You do not need to know anything about fly fishing to enjoy this book.
I more or less know Randy's real story. We were friends in college. I know his upbringing was nothing like the story. I appreciate how imaginative this book is. Very well crafted and carefully written. You do not need to know anything about fly fishing to enjoy this book.
January 28, 2013
I enjoy reading short stories because they usually tell a great story, have a lesson involved and move on. This story is no exception. A boy idolizes his father and feels threatened when a better fly caster comes along. While he loves watching his father cast his rod, he doesn’t see the real value of the patience and practice until he meets another, more skilled caster than his dad. But instead of dethroning the father as a hero in his son`s eyes, the new fisherman gives the son a better perspective on why casting meant so much for his father. After practising, he honoured his father by breaking the record he was never able to.
My father was a fly-caster. While I was too young to appreciate or even remember his skills, I remember my father`s face when he would talk about fishing and pour over magazines to learn how to make his own flies. I enjoyed this story because it mentally put me in a place where I could appreciate my father`s love of his hobby and mourn the fact that he never went fishing again during the last 20 years of his life – it made me very sad for him.
Marianne Curtis
Author
Finding Gloria
Moondust and Madness: A collection of Poetry
Finding Gloria ~ Special Edition
Behind Whispering Pines
Brian's Last Ride
My father was a fly-caster. While I was too young to appreciate or even remember his skills, I remember my father`s face when he would talk about fishing and pour over magazines to learn how to make his own flies. I enjoyed this story because it mentally put me in a place where I could appreciate my father`s love of his hobby and mourn the fact that he never went fishing again during the last 20 years of his life – it made me very sad for him.
Marianne Curtis
Author
Finding Gloria
Moondust and Madness: A collection of Poetry
Finding Gloria ~ Special Edition
Behind Whispering Pines
Brian's Last Ride
June 20, 2011
I don’t fish. I don’t know anything about how winds might spoil a fly-casting tournament (though okay, I can probably imagine). I don’t know anything about baseball either. But Randy Kadish’s short story, The Second Fly-Caster, soon pulls me into the world of a young American boy, caught between his mother’s desire for him to do well in school and his father’s love of fly-casting and the great outdoors.
The story’s told through the young boy’s words and the voice is beautifully beguiling and consistent, from youth to adulthood. Images of Roman gladiators striding to battle, churches weighed down by silence, and snowmen mayors make the narrator and his memories seem vividly real.
“God, even though I don’t always believe in you…” the young boy prays, and his fears are fervently real. He loves his dad, he hates the foe, and he dreads the thought of failure.
In the end the enemy’s not entirely unexpected, the sadness not entirely salvageable. But a child can still be a hero, and the memory of his father can be a hero’s memory. The story spans America and Vietnam, accountancy and the casting of a line, to come full circle, to a place where a man can thank God and truly become all he can be.
Disclosure: The author gave me a free ecopy of this story after I reviewed an earlier, equally enjoyable, book.
The story’s told through the young boy’s words and the voice is beautifully beguiling and consistent, from youth to adulthood. Images of Roman gladiators striding to battle, churches weighed down by silence, and snowmen mayors make the narrator and his memories seem vividly real.
“God, even though I don’t always believe in you…” the young boy prays, and his fears are fervently real. He loves his dad, he hates the foe, and he dreads the thought of failure.
In the end the enemy’s not entirely unexpected, the sadness not entirely salvageable. But a child can still be a hero, and the memory of his father can be a hero’s memory. The story spans America and Vietnam, accountancy and the casting of a line, to come full circle, to a place where a man can thank God and truly become all he can be.
Disclosure: The author gave me a free ecopy of this story after I reviewed an earlier, equally enjoyable, book.
July 8, 2011
A man must realize his tournament winning fly-fishing father is just an obsessive and compulsive human being with flaws before he can overcome self-doubts to deal with his own alcoholism and mature as a man.
***
Author Randy Kadish draws parallels between main character Erik’s and his tournament winning fly-fishing father’s battle with alcoholism, unspoken horrors and feelings of failure as they both pursued unattainable goals. After cancer and alcohol took his father’s life, Erik picks up the fly rod and obsessively practices fly casting, sacrificing his studies so he can cast over 100 feet to win the next tournament for his father. For both, fly-fishing became an out, a way to side step the bottle rather than face their own demons.
Although the author’s vivid descriptions of certain scenes engage the reader and generate interest in the main plot, the three main characters could have been more fully developed. This reader was left wondering whether the author deliberately left out what demons the father failed to face and what were the fly casting techniques left by his father.
Overall it was a quick paced coming of age story.
***
Author Randy Kadish draws parallels between main character Erik’s and his tournament winning fly-fishing father’s battle with alcoholism, unspoken horrors and feelings of failure as they both pursued unattainable goals. After cancer and alcohol took his father’s life, Erik picks up the fly rod and obsessively practices fly casting, sacrificing his studies so he can cast over 100 feet to win the next tournament for his father. For both, fly-fishing became an out, a way to side step the bottle rather than face their own demons.
Although the author’s vivid descriptions of certain scenes engage the reader and generate interest in the main plot, the three main characters could have been more fully developed. This reader was left wondering whether the author deliberately left out what demons the father failed to face and what were the fly casting techniques left by his father.
Overall it was a quick paced coming of age story.
June 19, 2011
This is a very interesting short story about a young man coming to terms with his reality. As a child, we all believe our parents are perfect, but as time goes on, we begin to realize that they too have their faults. This is a nice, short, coming of age story in which the main character takes longer than puberty to come to terms with his father’s flaws and then, overcoming those of his own. The imagery in this short story is, again, breathtaking, just like that of Kadish’s novelette, The Bad, The Good and Two Fly Fishing Women. Whether you are a fly-fisher or not, this is a wonderful short story with great themes for all ages. Three and a half stars.
To read my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
To read my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
May 21, 2011
This novel is very short, but well-written. The characters really serve to draw the reader into the novel, the reader will soon come to know them as friends and be able to predict their actions and thoughts. This novel contains a universal truth: parents cannot be as perfect as their children would like to believe. The author finally understand this when he fights in Vietnam, an important lesson that should not be dismissed or taken lightly. Flaws are a fact of life, the sooner we realize this the better off we will be. The reader will enjoy the author's journey from a more oblivious childhood to a realistic, competent adult. The novel moves along fairly fast, the reader will not have to drag through scenes. This book is great for young adult and adult readers.
I received this book to review, my opinions stated here are mine alone.
I received this book to review, my opinions stated here are mine alone.
April 15, 2012
When I reviewed Randy Kadish’s other short story, The Bad, The Good and Two Fly Fishing Women, I was lukewarm. Kadish had done so much right: getting me to like his characters, weaving an interesting story and drawing me in, yet when I finished I was left thinking I’d missed something. I didn’t get it.
The Second Fly Caster suffered no such problem. All the good I saw was still there, but I also intuitively understood the point of the story. One line jumped out near the end as the “heart” of the story. The note I made while reading it called it exactly that. Rather than quote that line (and maybe give too much away), I’ll say that the main lesson is one about competition, in any form, and how we should measure success. There are also some secondary lessons about parental relationships.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
The Second Fly Caster suffered no such problem. All the good I saw was still there, but I also intuitively understood the point of the story. One line jumped out near the end as the “heart” of the story. The note I made while reading it called it exactly that. Rather than quote that line (and maybe give too much away), I’ll say that the main lesson is one about competition, in any form, and how we should measure success. There are also some secondary lessons about parental relationships.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
October 23, 2011
A short but interesting look at a son's coming of age and learning lessons that were hidden to him as he grew up. The perfect father has flaws and in later life the son learns those flaws must have come about from some hurt in the past as the flaws in his character are brought out by the life experiences that he is affected by. He learns that perfecting a cast was more then trying to win a competition or casting further then others. It turns out to be a way to concentrate and to try to overcome the flaws that affect our lives.
An excellent read. Well worth the few minutes it takes to read it. ( )
An excellent read. Well worth the few minutes it takes to read it. ( )
May 21, 2011
really short but well told story. I could picture the tournament. comming from from a family of alcholics and fishermen hit close. I am glad he was able to overcome it. its good memory and how important small things we say and do can mean a lot. i was given the ebook in exchange for honest review.
December 23, 2012
a nice father son story, being a father myself, makes me want to spend more time with my kids, and try to work with them on fly fishing more.
April 29, 2011
This book by Kadish is a short one but a very interesting and warm, human one. It was an enjoyable read.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
August 9, 2014
More of a short story than a book,but worth the read. A bit cheesy, but makes you feel good.
March 22, 2016
Randy does not disappoint
Life through the eyes of a son of a man who casted to fill that void in the soul all too many of us know. I Recommend all of his good work.
Life through the eyes of a son of a man who casted to fill that void in the soul all too many of us know. I Recommend all of his good work.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews