One of Musky Hunter magazine’s early field editors, Tom Slomka, died July 21.

The late Tom Slomka with a big musky in a photo taken in 1990.

Slomka, of Grand Island, New York, operated Sure Shot Musky Charters on the Niagara River for many years. His first article for Musky Hunter, “Night Trolling,” appeared in the August/September 1990 issue.

“Tom was one of the original guys guiding on the Niagara River when Musky Hunter magazine started,” recalled MHM Editor Jim Saric. “I had a chance to fish with Tom in the early 1990s. He was a great fisherman who knew a lot about the Niagara River and really wanted everyone to know what a great musky fishery was near downtown Buffalo.

“He wrote many early articles on trolling rivers and was one of Musky Hunter’s early voices of the eastern musky angler.”

Services for Slomka were held July 24 at the Niagara River Fishing Station in Grand Island.

He is survived by his wife, Christine (Markham) Slomka; daughter Sheryl Ryszka; granddaughters Kayley and Katerina; his parents; and many other relatives and friends.