What do you get when you take a larger-than-life personality and mix it with a celebrity filled fish fest? It's called "The Mad Fisherman." Charlie Moore, who has also been dubbed "The Codfather," is the driving force behind two popular cable shows, "Beat Charlie More" and "Charlie Moore Outdoors." The shows, airing on ESPN2 and NESN, star Moore along with a host of other fishing aficionados. This local, cigar chomping, fishing legend has recently penned a book about his life up to now, his projects and his famous fishing buddies, appropriately titled, "The Mad Fisherman."
His wife, Angela, describes Moore as "crazy, funny and zany." She is not the only one with those opinions — anyone watching Moore's shows will agree that his crazy, unpredictable nature are definitely part of his appeal. However, life wasn't always about hanging out on the lake with rock legends and sports stars.
In his book, "The Mad Fisherman" himself recounts how, newly married with a young family, he had lost his bait-and-tackle shop in Massachusetts and had to fight his way back to provide food and diapers for his family. He was so focused and driven he turned his fishing passion into profit and managed to have a great time doing it along the way.
His shows have become so popular on their networks that Moore has earned two New England Emmy Awards for Best Sports Series. He was also inducted into the New England Sports Museum. He has gone from a man who had to take odd jobs such as landscaping to feed his family to a man who has a Brigham's Ice Cream flavor named after him, the proceeds of which go to HIV/AIDS programs at Boston Children's Hospital.
You may be surprised to find out that Moore's main ingredient for a successful episode is not actually catching fish, but having fun. He doesn't believe you have to catch fish to have a great episode; for him it's about entertainment. In his book he recounts various episodes and gives anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories of what happened during filming. Moore has had everyone from Ted Nugent to a water-skiing Mitt Romney on the boat, along with former New England Patriot Drew Bledsoe and former Boston Bruins Bobby Orr and Cam Neely. Moore recounts how he got to fish with "Batman" Adam West and members of the rock band Godsmack. Incidentally, the Godsmack and Nugent shows were the ones that garnered him the Emmys.
Moore has worked hard to make his shows a success and he wouldn't take NESN's "no" for an answer. He is passionate about his business and everything he does and he has instilled that in his children as well. He told them education is the foundation for what you wish to do later in life, and you need to pursue it all with passion. Not a bad lesson for the rest of us, either.
So, if you're in the mood for a few funny fish stories, take the ride with Moore in his new book. Don't be surprised if you learn a few lessons on perseverance as well!
Melissa Rossetti is the director of the Chester Public Library. The Chester Public Library is located at 3 Chester St. For more information on library events, call 887-3404 or visit the library's Web site at www.chesternh.org/library.html.
Chester Public Library events
— The library will be closed Wednesday, May 14, and Monday, May 26.
— Summer reading sign-ups begin at the end of June.
— The library is participating in the Robert and Karin Finlay Foundation membership challenge. The library, historical society and museum that increases its membership the most between now and Oct. 31 will be awarded $25,000. Residents of Chester who don't yet have a library card are encouraged to come in and sign up.
