The Long Journey Home

An Angler's Memoir of Passion Realized and Redeemed



Moving back to Wisconsin for the first time since leaving in 1974 has put Brian Ellig squarely on memory lane as he begins to write this memoir spanning the last 45 years of his life. Although the book covers a lot of ground, balancing memories of his coast-to-coast career in procurement with his passion for fly fishing, this synopsis of one man's journey in life doesn't dwell on personal travails or the "how to" of fly fishing. Instead, it tells how one man's love of nature and the angle has aided his pursuit of life, liberty and happiness - and the life-changing experiences that came along the way.

Brian had just turned 40 when he went on a fishing trip in 1992 with business associate Keith Yenets, an experienced fly fisherman and instructor. The first chapter finds Brian in prime fishing waters among the rolling hills of northwestern Pennsylvania, where although buoyed by 17 years of solid contracted procurement experience and a good marriage, he remains haunted by a basketball career cut short by a serious knee injury in high school that eventually requires knee replacement surgery.

This down-to-earth memoir also provides emotional moments such as the despair over his failed athletic dreams and the unlikely coincidence of witnessing the devastating 9/11 attack on the World Trade Towers on Brian's second day in a new work location just blocks from "Ground Zero." To survive the stress of everyday successes and failures, Brian turns to his passion for fly fishing, angling (both on stream and in print) the relaxing waters and experiencing the joy of meeting nature head on.

This is the first book for author Brian Ellig, who recently retired from a 37-year career in procurement encompassing the construction and operational support of nuclear and fossil power-generation facilities across the country. He spent the last 18 years of his career in and around New York City working for Consolidated Edison Company of New York's Indian Point Nuclear Generating Station and later in support of their power grid servicing the five boroughs and Westchester County. The avid fly fisherman collects vintage fly fishing books and split-cane fly rods and belongs to the American Museum of Fly Fishing, Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum, Trout Unlimited and River Wildlife. He is currently in the early stages of research for a second book, involving the serendipitous discovery of an endearing network of trout streams in the Black Hills of what was then known as the Dakota Territories - and the elite fraternity of personalities who once fly fished "The Black Hills Circuit."