I love fishing and have many stories, some that still make me laugh decades after the events, and some pretty harrowing, so this book was a natural draw for me! I also enjoy shortish stories to read when time is too short to indulge in a longer tale. These ones are just the right size and, must be the right lure, for me! I enjoyed the book very much!

FISH STORIES, TALL TALES, LIES, AND TRUTHS

Anglers and hunters are world renowned for creating legends and telling tall tales. Never Eat Stink Bait is chock full of stories of a small town man and rural life. Cast a line anywhere among these short stories, and you’ll be sure to snag a keeper.

Bryan Mellage sharpened his wit and wisdom growing up in southeast Nebraska–from the deeply rutted roads, to human nature, to fatherhood, and living off the land. In these short stories, you’ll find nuggets of wisdom, insights into the deep thinking of a guy who really just wants to fish, and funny stories about life.

Somewhat interesting stories. I love fishing, and reading about it, but I just could not get into this book. Not much else to say about this one.

Thank you NET GALLEY for the ARC

You may laugh at this book, if you are "country" you will laugh a lot because everyone will be familiar! These tales will be re-told by anyone who takes the time for "stink-bait".

There are a lot of different ways to view fishing: finding food, spending time with friends, trying to reel in the big one, and the less popular wasting time. You can learn some things if you observe what goes on, and Bryan Mellage shares some humorous observations from his life of fishing in Never Eat Stink Bait.

The observations cover a wide range of subjects from marriage to friendship to actually not eating stink bait, which is a very important one and should not be learned the hard way. He uses his experiences on the water to save others some trouble in a tongue-in-cheek manner, but mainly to share the laughs.

The humor in this book is going to be funnier for some than for others. Unless you have at least a passing interest in fishing, the stories may not be as entertaining. I am not as big a fisherman as Mellage, so there were times that the stories weren’t as funny, but there were several that caused me to laugh out loud.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Why did I bother to read Bryan Mellage's book? Fishing isn't one of my favorite past times. The book is listed under the Sports genre. I hate sports! It's not an appealing title, except, look at that title. Never Eat Stink Bait: Lessons Learned from the Creek Bank. How can you not be drawn to something like that? At least, wonder about it. My love for the bizarre and good humor drew me to this book like a catfish getting a good whiff of a well cured batch of stink bait. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into but it turned out that I loved every word in this crazy little book.

Bryan writes about his love for fishing in his own little corner of Southeast Nebraska along the Missouri River. Okay, wait a minute now. This isn't your typical Field and Stream type reporting that would have you running out the door if fishing isn't your sort of lifestyle. Oh, no! This is real, down home storytelling that keeps you captivated from beginning to end and still wanting more.

When I find myself fully immersed in a book, I tend to start visualizing the whole thing in my head as a movie. In this case, throughout the entire book I could hear Wilford Brimley, or some other old country codger type, narrating this story. You know, that grandfather you loved, or wished you had, who filled you full of a lifetime of fish tales and other stories to last you well into your own personal elder years.

But then, only a few chapters in, the script takes a whole new turn, at least, in my twisted head. It took on a tone of a Mike Judge cartoon, ala King of the Hill but with more cow bell. Oh, yes, it's that crazy. Driving along the roads of Southeast Nebraska can be a bit of an adventure and not always one you were hoping for. Roads, apparently, aren't always a priority for those controlling the budget at City Hall. Not for the faint of heart, especially after a good soaking rain. Throw Bryan's good friend and brother-in-law, Gar-Bob, into the mix and things get even crazier. After their pick-up truck veers off the road down the riverbank, it's up to the boys to find a way to get back up on the road again. Let's say, for me, it was reminiscent of Werner Herzog's filming of Fitzcarraldo. More importantly, the documentary about the filming of the movie, Burden of Dreams; albeit, much less daunting, but daunting none the less.

Mellage then goes on to regale us with tales about Christmas shopping as he compares it to a fishing or hunting expedition. Here's where he learns a thing or two from his wife, whom he refers to as the Redhead, and sister, Gar-Bob's wife. We also read about the acquisition of his first vehicle, the art of the zinger, how to pick a good wife and yes, even how to make your own batch of stink bait. There's more but best you sit by your own river (or virtual river) and read them all for yourself. It's a fairly fast, easy and definitely enjoyable read. Happy fishing!


Thanks to Netgalley for the copy of the eBook in exchange for a fair and honest review.