Jerry Hamza

Jerry Hamza has spent decades putting himself in positions to live an outdoor life. For thirty years, he was part of the management and good friend to legendary comedian George Carlin, during which time he traveled to every inch of North America, hunting and fishing the whole way. He has literally traveled the whole world, fly fishing and hunting on every continent except Antarctica. In 2014, Jerry was awarded Fly Rod & Reel's Robert Traver Award.  He is also the former President of the Cat Fanciers' Association. 

In his book, Outdoor Chronicles: True Tales of a Lifetime of Hunting and Fishing, Jerry takes up the gauntlet of the storyteller to take nature lovers away for a little fun and relaxation. His stories will not make you a better caster or shooter, but they will make you want to spend more time fishing or hunting. It's a collection of outdoor stories wrapped in the human condition. They were written with an eye toward honesty and cynicism.

 

The stories cover the gamut from a fishing trip to northern Canada to a little stream that was actually better than remembered, to how the baby boomers almost trampled a sport to death, to a solitary trek along railroad tracks during a cold, dark, and dreary February, and many more. 

 

According to Hamza, "One of my favorite areas of American literature is the short story. In the works of Poe, Twain and Hemingway we see the story tellers spinning a tale that entertains us and very subtly chronicles the times while delivering a moral. In my book, I try to carry on the tradition of the short story with a collection of stories that I will hope entertain the reader. These are stories of the human condition set against an outdoors backdrop. They were written to be enjoyed by everyone, especially those of us who love the outdoors."