The life and death of a fly-fishing guide. Ian Frazier went fishing with Joseph Adam Randolph, aka “Stealhead Joe,” two months before he took his own life:
“Alex Gonsiewski, a highly regarded young guide on the river, who works for John Hazel, said that Joe taught him most of what he knows. When Gonsiewski took his first try at running rapids that have drowned people, Joe was in the bow of the driftboat helping him through. ‘It’s tough to be the kind of person who lives for extreme things, like Joe was,’ Gonsiewski said. ‘His eyes always looked sad. He loved this river more than anywhere. And better than anybody, he could dial you in on how to fish it. He showed me the river, and now every place on the river makes me think of him. He was an ordinary, everyday guy who was also amazing. I miss him every day.’”