The Power of Positive Fishing: A Story of Friendship and the Quest for Happiness

by Michael J. Tougias, Adam Gamble

Michael Tougias and Adam Gamble had good lives: married with two children each, nice homes in the suburbs, jobs that paid the bills, and frequent fishing trips out on the ocean. But those comfortable lives had cracks in them and soon they found themselves hit by a rogue wave of divorce, financial hardship, addiction and career upheaval. What kept them going - and helped them navigate the rough waters of middle age - was fishing and friendship. Alone on the ocean they not only learned some of the successful secrets of striped bass fishing but they were also brutally honest in their advice for each other. They began to see their time spent on Adam's boat, the Scout, as a way to explore new ways of thinking and dreaming big. The two not only discovered ways forward but achieved goals far beyond what they thought possible.

256 pages, Hardcover

Published September 5, 2023

About the author

Adventure is the theme that runs through most of my books, from outdoors titles (The Connecticut River from Source to Sea, Exploring the Hidden Charles) to fiction (Until I Have No Country) to nonfiction sea rescues (Overboard! A Storm Too Soon, Rescue of the Bounty).
One of my current adventures is waiting to see if Disney will begin filming a movie-length version of the Coast Guard rescue book The Finest Hours. Another adventure for me is publishing a funny family memoir with my daughter, called The Cringe Chronicles (Mortifying Misadventures with my Dad).
My friends have been asking if I'll write a sequel to There's a Porcupine in my Outhouse (2003 Outdoor Book of the Year) but I think they just want me to revise their characters so they don't look so dumb!

Reviews

[Robert A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Typical Tougias fashion

Once again Michael Tougias has a winner with his friend Adam Gamble. The Power of Positive Fishing will make you smile and has the reader relating to a friendship that many don’t have. Their relationship takes you on a journey where the reader comes along but finds themselves wanting to seek a relationship where they can share their ups and downs and be encouraging. This book is not about the fishing. It’s sharing and exposing to the reader that one must find a common interest with others to keep each other headed towards their goals, but most importantly laugh together along the way.