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Big Blue Society: Fishtails and Mayhem is a collection of true stories following a group of lifelong friends as they overcome life challenges and live life by one motto: Go for It… and Deny Everything. What inspired you to write this book and share these stories?
We were lucky to be part of a brotherhood that formed in the great outdoors, and we wanted to share that experience with others. But the inspiration to write the book did not take hold until one of our men died. His passing let us in on the unspoken obvious… that we all will pass, and the Big Blue Society along with it. This book is our legacy, and we pass it on to our family, friends, and anyone else who has felt their soul expand in the wild.
How did you balance the need to be honest and authentic with the need to protect your privacy and that of others in your memoir?
The statute of limitations ran out. Seriously, we were involved in some illegal activities back in the day, but some are no longer prosecuted, like smoking marijuana. And there was a time when we had to keep Society activities hidden from our children lest they get the wrong idea, but they are grown now and can handle the truth. Finally, we guarded our reputations in the past, lest we lose employment or get sanctioned in some way. Now, as elder retired statesmen, if you will, we don’t give a hoot about our reputations. We have the liberty of candor and honesty, and in that spirit of full disclosure, we revealed all in this memoir. Let the chips fall.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
For our war-torn hero, Norm Hansen, he found healing in the Big Blue brotherhood. TWe all did. And there was no “political correctness” about it. That mattered because the Society stood apart from the societal standards. We were in revolt against the straight jacket placed upon men these days. Our motto, “Go for IT… and deny everything,” has a certain ring to it.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Guys love each other in unconventional ways. The ties that bind us through misadventures help us endure the hard realities of life. And sometimes, a guy needs to cut loose, get whooped-up and, hell yeah, have a little fun… so they can deal with the daily responsible grind.
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When disabled Vietnam veteran and war hero Norm Hansen returned home in a body cast and suffering from PTSD, he felt helpless, hopeless and lost. He asked his best friend to take him to catch a fish. The one place where fishing success was ensured was posted and patrolled. They got arrested and threatened with jail time if caught trespassing again, which meant they had to take their angling pursuits on the road.
From the soothing silence of the Adirondacks to the roaring heart of Yellowstone, these men chase their dreams with a tackle box, a tent, and a penchant for adventure. Over 40 years of fishing and camping trips, hijinks in the wilderness, campfire stories, raucous initiations… and occasionally catching fish.
Equal parts emotional healing, misadventure and enduring camaraderie, Big Blue Society is about a once-in-a-lifetime brotherhood that formed around Norm, and how it healed them all. Outdoor adventure enthusiasts and fans of camping and fishing humor books will never forget the quiet, reflective, thoughtful moments in the book, as beloved members pass and the remaining members soldier on… for the Big Blue Society lives on so long as one of them draws a breath.
Big Blue Society – Fishtails and Mayhem
Big Blue Society is a wild, hilarious, and unexpectedly moving memoir about a brotherhood of misfit fishermen who find freedom, healing, and a whole lot of chaos in the great outdoors. Told in a patchwork of voices, mostly from Norm (aka Bobby), it follows a group of lifelong friends—war vets, philosophers, drunks, dads, and goofballs—as they blaze a trail from the backwoods of New England to the lakes of Maine and beyond. It’s about fishing, sure, but it’s really about the ties that bind men together through trauma, time, and ridiculous misadventures.
Reading this book feels like sitting around a campfire with guys who have known each other forever—guys who aren’t afraid to laugh at themselves or tell it like it is. There’s something raw and beautiful in how Cavanagh balances the deep with the absurd. One minute you’re cracking up as Norm gets busted by a Don Knotts lookalike for trespassing while reeling in a monster pickerel on a busted leg and a handful of Percodans. And the next, you’re sucker-punched by the quiet weight of what these men carry—especially in Norm’s post-Vietnam recovery, where a fishing trip becomes a lifeline rather than a pastime. The humor never feels forced, and the serious stuff never drags you down.
But the writing is where it hits a different gear. There’s no polish here, no pretension. It’s all grit, whiskey breath, and nostalgia. You can hear the voices, smell the campfire, taste the bad coffee and cheaper beer. I couldn’t help but love moments like the Deliverance joke turned inside out—when Norm becomes “Bobby” because he’s the one who can’t run if hillbillies show up, only to bluff them off with an imaginary gun tucked under his cast. And then, somehow, in all this mess, there’s poetry—like the fire they talk about in the foreword, the one that burns through memory and keeps the stories alive after one of their own is laid to rest.
Big Blue Society is for anyone who misses their friends, loves a good story, or needs to be reminded that the world is a little less lonely with a crew, a lake, and maybe a cooler full of cold ones. It’s not just for fishermen. It’s for sons, brothers, veterans, and anyone who’s ever felt their soul stretch a little in the wild.
Pages: 257 | ASIN : B0DZD6MYZC
LITERARY TITAN 