Life at the End of the Rod: Tales of a Fisherman is the lifelong journey of Robert Veltidi as he grows into a man. The outdoors was an important part of his upbringing, and he transported that love of the outdoors into his way of life. This book begins with his earliest recollection of fishing, takes us through a time of self-discovery and exploration, then to a rebirth of his love of fishing. Then the author leaps back into fishing as a means of relaxation and camaraderie between him and his father and brothers. Later on, after the death of his father, his son joins the group, along with a host of friends of all the Veltidi boys. Each story is the tale of one time that the author feels either fishing has affected his life or that he affected somebody else’s life by fishing.
“My Fishing Beginnings” is the author’s first recollections of his fishing life. It introduces you to the boy that he was and later the man he would become. Like the prologue, “My Fishing Beginnings,” gives you the background information about the people in the rest of the stories. “The Home Pond” is a tribute to the author’s grandparents. They played a huge role in his early childhood. Although the story takes place on one brief day, it depicts life in a rural area in the early 1950s. “Huck Grows Up” takes place over two summers and tells of the fishing adventures of the author when he was first given his independence and allowed to go out fishing and into town on his own. It was a turning point in his life when childhood dreams change and his life takes a new direction. “The Norma K” is the author’s first experience into ocean fishing. It’s interesting because the story is divided into three sub-chapters: “The Norma K,” “The Norma K II,” and “The Norman K III.” All three were party boats out of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, that the author fished on in various times in his life, first with his father, then with his wife, and finally with his son. All three experiences were surprisingly similar in some ways and subtlety different in others. “The Norma K” is the last story of the author as a child and it finishes up with him as an adult. The remaining stories depict the author as an adult or as near to one as he can be while still having as much fun as he can while fishing.
“My Turn” is the first story the author ever wrote. It came after the death of his father, and it was part of the grieving process the author went through. The story tells of the changing of the guard when the son becomes the leader, and mentor, and fulfills one of his father’s lifelong dreams with surprising results. “Fixing a Roof” is a whimsical tale of grown men deciding to play hooky for the day and go fishing. This is where you meet Alan, the author’s brother, and are introduced to one of Alan’s friends. “Lake Ontario” is an ongoing process; it started in 1987 when the author’s father died and chronicled the first eight years of an ongoing trip that continues even to today. In this tale you become more acquainted with Doug, the author’s son, and he becomes a vital part of the rest of the saga. “New Jersey Trout” is the exploration into new waters and the discovery of a whole new fishery. Along the way, the author meets new friends and bonds closely with his son. “Tiger Muskies” is the start of something new; the author has stepped up and bought a bigger boat. The small lake fishing and wading by the edge of the streams has been replaced by fishing for trophy sport fish. It is also the second story written by the author.
“Thoughts on Retirement” is a reflective essay that was written one afternoon in August when the author was sitting down in his shed by the lake and was a little scared of what the future would bring. For the first time in fifty years the author was free of any obligations. “Shark Fishing at Montau
