HAPPENSTANCE & THE LOSS OF A LEGEND

Learned recently that Tony Stezko, Jr., a legend not just among those who follow fishing, but also as an Orleans fixture at Nauset Beach, had died in March. Surreal as Facebook still had Tony posted on my page as a "friend," including IM. As reported recently in the news, Facebook doesn't remove a user's account if the person has died. They assume a family member or friend will discontinue the account. In Tony's case, I'd like to believe that the person or persons chose to leave Tony Stezko's page open for others to post their condolences or stories, which they have. Readers may ask why didn't I know Tony had died through social media, the local papers or his Facebook page. No one posted a story via his site and I missed the announcement in the local papers about his death. Discovering therefore Tony Stezko had died, via a woman I hardly knew on a trip to Boston, floored me.

If I mentioned Tony mainly practiced catch and release, would you dismiss his past-time as being uneventful? Well, besides reading an earlier blog post of mine (FISHING REDUX, 6/23/14) which extols the joy of fishing, you might be interested in knowing that in the fishing world, and I mean the global community, Tony Stezko was and is a legend. He had a talent (holding the World Record at one point) for catching the largest, by weight, striped bass.

Why would someone whom I coincidently had met near his favorite saltwater fishing spot, Nauset Spit (Nauset Beach, Orleans), leave a sorrowful residue as I reflect upon his death? First, I have to credit my boyfriend for sparking the conversation about the best places to fish off Nauset. Neither of us had any idea that the man standing beside us with his clamming rake and bucket was an experienced caster, let alone renowned.

However, those reasons alone don't account for my sadness at his passing. After a brief conversation, he asked that my boyfriend--a fellow, passionate fisherman-- and I "friend" him on Facebook, leaving us struck by Tony's willingness to share. I would later take on the responsibility to befriend Tony as I follow social media, my boyfriend doesn't. Remarkably, Tony's few posts involved his family and friends, not, endless pics of his catches. I did IM Tony occasionally and as expected heard from him in a month or so. He didn't have ulterior motives--he had shared with us he had a girlfriend--he only wanted to answer questions about fishing

No, that day on the beach when I met Tony Stezko, his life-force struck me like a rogue wave breaking over me and catching me unawares. Affable, animated, genuine and generous, I couldn't stop listening to his stories and expertise. Like many notables, I have since heard about his vices and weaknesses which may have led to his untimely death at sixty-four (official cause: pneumonia after a long stretch in Cape Cod Hospital). Yes, a human elevated to legendary status for his passion, not necessarily for his personal behavior. That said, his pride when Tony spoke to us about his son, relatives that day on Nauset spit relayed Tony's endearing love for family.

As a writer, I wrestle with incorporating quirky characteristics Tony displayed and/or his tips about using lures, bait and other priceless information he imparted to my boyfriend about catching his prized stripers. Too soon, I think. Tony Stezko, Jr. died in March 2015. I have only had days to process the belated news. Then, I recall why I admired him. What made him different. He included me in his conversation as much as my boyfriend. I held equal weight, though fatigue had slowed me down and he noticed immediately I needed to sit, which I did. A keen observer, Tony Stetzko demonstrated a trait inherent to the best fishermen, and a skill any author would admire.