Book excerpt: LIKE THE COWBOYS of the old west, the Montauk surfcasters are a breed apart. In a class of his own, Paul Melnyk, the nationally renowned fisherman and originator of the surfcasting technique known as Skishing, includes in his memoir the mischievous, risky foibles of his fascinating youth which created the beginnings of his well worn exciting path of living on the edge. Whether treking through the secluded trails and glens of Montauk's hinterland or rolling on the breakers with his rod and reel hooking a fat striper, Melnyk cranks it all up here in his memoir with rich tales that not only explain the mystique of the Montauk surf scene, but personifies it. Featured and celebrated in FORBES, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, SPORTS AFIELD, ATLANTIC MONTHLY, MEN'S JOURNAL, the WALL STREET JOURNAL, and the list goes on, Paul Melnyk has demonstrated and proven with his ability, stamina, guts and passion, what it takes to be an individualist. With his ears attuned and his eyes forever scanning, a wealth of information and intriguing fishing stories comprise one of the most remarkable books about Montauk, the Fishing Capital of the USA, yet to be published.