University of Tennessee Press

From Out of the Smokies - Charlie Tombras

Knoxville native Charlie Tombras may be best known for founding nationally recognized advertising firm the Tombras Group, but in his moving memoir, From out of the Smokies: Stories of Fly Fishing and Life, he chronicles his personal journey, letting business take a backseat. Born and raised in the Smokies, Tombras grew up exploring mountains and streams, fostering an appreciation for nature and fly fishing that would follow him through a tour of duty in Vietnam and into adulthood. With a relatable, often humorous storytelling style, Tombras recollects adventures spanning eight decades and the resulting lessons of friendship, loss, and love that he learned along the way. Emphasizing the value of hard work and perseverance, Tombras thoughtfully examines his lifelong love of fly fishing and leaves no stone unturned as he takes readers from childhood to adulthood with impressively vivid memories and captivating prose. From exhilarating tales of white water canoeing in Northern Labrador to grief-stricken seasons of loss, Tombras’s memoir explores a vast array of spirit and adventure that provides a nuanced portrait of a successful man—in business and in life. Through his sporting adventures and other personal experiences, Tombras continues to learn how to weather storms in whatever shape they may take and how to grow in the face of adversity. Much like Tombras’s beloved rivers, From Out of the Smokies will inspire readers to accept and marvel at forces beyond our control.

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