Nat Greene Flyfishers    November 2007

MEETINGS & EVENTS

Monthly Meeting:  N.C.T.U. Rivercourse - Coldwater Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp

N.C.T.U. Rivercourse Director Dick Heald will conduct a presentation on the N.C.T.U. Rivercourse: Coldwater Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp.  Campers receive instruction in entomology, stream restoration, geology, fly fishing and tying. Our club sponsored a camper last year, Grayson Parks, and he will briefly discuss his experience at the camp.  We will also take nominations for a camper for our chapter to sponsor for next year’s camp. Boys and girls 13-15 yrs old are eligible. Where was this when I was a kid???  All are welcome.  Please join us at 7:00 pm on Tuesday October 9, 2007 at the Leonard Recreation Center.  6324 Ballinger Road, Greensboro, NC 27410.

David Dow

“True” Fishing Stories

Molly and I often use road trips as a way to re-connect. Because we are literally trapped within talking range, we cover a range of subjects, usually starting with our grandchildren. After a few hours, I sometimes get to reminisce about fishing in places we pass. Last week we had an unexpected thirteen hour ride to New Hampshire when my brother-in-law suddenly passed away. Our trip took us past Pennsylvania limestone streams, the New York City reservoir system, over the Housatonic River and even past the Thomas & Thomas rod factory, all old haunts of mine. Each of these places evoked memories of true fishing tales, if indeed “true” can be juxtaposed with “fishing.”

My career path leading to living in North Carolina began with dissatisfaction of working on the railroad in Connecticut. The railroad did, however, pay well and offered plenty of time to fish. I took advantage of both opportunities. With money burning a hole in my wallet, I developed an overwhelming yearning to fish with a bamboo rod. I asked friends what brands they preferred and received so many answers I could not focus my search. My research included visits to several rod factories. I drove to Greenfield, MA to visit the small Thomas & Thomas shop. I was greeted by two laid back guys in stained tee shirts, Tom Dorsey and Tom Maxwell. They allowed me to wander freely and take pictures of anything throughout the shop. It was an assembly line operation and rod sections in each work station rested against a center support running down each bench. There were about forty or so operations each rod had to go through on its journey to becoming a fishing tool.

A friend of the Toms from the limestone country was telling stories about Big Spring and the Letort. The discussion morphed into a game of describing the most unusual way a bamboo rod was broken. The friend reviewed the pros and cons of walking through the woods with the rod tip in front of the angler or pointing to the rear. He concluded with a story of two guys in the woods walking back to their car after the sun had set. It was pitch black and you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. The first man out, who was carrying his rod with tip to the rear, was horrified to discover the tip was broken. He couldn’t believe it and almost began to cry. “Oh, that,” his partner said, “That’s what it was. Something was poking me in the eye until I finally snapped it off.”

The Housatonic River in northwest Connecticut is probably the best trout river in New England. Many of my early attempts at fly fishing took place there, mostly slinging a bucktail streamer because it didn’t require much skill. Over the years, the fishing has improved dramatically and a few years ago I caught a pair of three and four pound browns on dry flies.

Back in the seventies I belonged to a conservation group that protected the “Hous,” and it had a cast of characters. One of the most memorable was Lou Sanford, a.k.a. “Big Louie.” He was a die-hard fisherman. His true love was Atlantic salmon fishing so he used the same ten weight bamboo rod for trout that he used on salmon. He preferred wet flies and bucktails, being interested in big fish and eating fish, the bigger the better. The Hous has a reputation of producing best in the low light of morning and evening. Louie often drove up from New Haven before dawn and fished until the sun drove him off the water. One morning he climbed out of the river and resumed his slumber in the car with his rod laying on top. He awoke a few hours later to find his rod was gone. Word got out that Big Louie’s rod was stolen. The hunt was on.

A few weeks passed and a young man walked into Piscatelli’s Gun Shop in Hamden, CT near the New Haven line. The perpetrator probably figured he was far enough from the Hous that no one would be aware the rod he carried was stolen. Unbeknownst to him, he had walked into Big Louie’s home away from home. He announced he had an Edwards fly rod for sale, the Lou Sanford model (Louie had his name inscribed on the rod). He was offering the rod for sale and wanted to know if anyone was interested. Boy, were they! The guys around the coffee pot were trying to be cool and encouraged the young man to hang around for a potential buyer but he suspected something was up. Not only might Louie himself materialize, but a policeman was indeed coming for a box of ammunition. The thief abruptly excused himself, leaving the rod behind. He never returned.

Louie got his rod back, but in typical fashion grumbled at the loss of his reel and line. The reel was a modestly priced Medalist, far less expensive than a new bamboo rod.

As salmon fishermen, Big Louie and his son knew Lee Wulff. Lee even gave Little Louie tying instruction. My introduction to Lee was under different circumstances. I had very limited success on the Hous in the seventies, much of which I’m sure was due to my own incompetence. I often drove across the New York state line to fish in the streams between the dams of the New York City reservoir system. Cold water flowed from the base of the dams providing excellent trout habitat. The East Branch of the Croton River was my favorite. The insect populations were dominated by a light brown midge larva, about a size eighteen or twenty. On my three weight T&T bamboo I fished an eighteen hare’s ear nymph below a small split shot, an act sure to alarm the rod makers. One day I was fishing above the stone arch bridge where we parked the car. I was working my way downstream, bouncing the small fly off the bottom, and doing well. My attention was diverted by a jeep with a bright green canoe crossing the bridge. It was followed by an entourage of vehicles that suddenly halted. Out poured a plethora of people who climbed down the bank toward me.

If this wasn’t strange enough, here comes Lee Wulff. He carried his trademark six foot bamboo rod with a large White Wulff tied to the leader. He stepped into the river, which was maybe twenty feet wide, while his groupies set up a camera on a large wooden tripod. Lee began to cast and read from giant cue cards, something to the effect of ‘you don’t have to travel far to enjoy good fishing;’ this coming from a man who practically lived in Labrador. I was entranced by this scene and not paying attention to my fly when suddenly my reel started screeching. A fish had grabbed the fly, hooked itself and was running around the pool, making so much noise they stopped filming. The director was not upset and commented “You’ve got a good one on.” I said yes and tried to control the fish but lost it instead. Lee resumed casting but I had broken his rhythm and he hooked a bush on his backcast. He trudged back to extract his fly just like the rest of us mortals. I have may lost the fish but seeing a real-life icon catch his fly in a bush was more of an ego boost than I could have ever imagined.

I never did meet Lee personally but I felt a connection through his universal gesture. Nor have I broken a bamboo rod yet, though I’ve had a few near misses. Happily I did get to own four T&T’s, two of which I still have. And I don’t sleep with my rod strung up on the top of the car, although I frequently place it on the tarp over the picnic table while camping. I hope never to experience Big Louie’s disappointment but ownership of anything has its hazards. Perhaps the experiences I’ve related are merely examples of recurrent themes and fishermen are condemned to relive them, like statesmen who don’t understand history. It doesn’t really matter if there is an underlying karma at work or not. I was happy to relieve the tedium of the long drive with memories that brought a smile and made me think of old friends. I have read that what is most important in fly fishing are the people you meet, and perhaps there is truth in that. At least, however much truth you can get out of a fisherman.

Jim Brady

Gary Borger to Appear to 2008 Annual Spring Banquet

Gary Borger has been booked as the special guest speaker at Nat Greene Flyfisher's Spring Banquet and Seminar on Saturday, March 29, 2008 at the Greensboro-High Point Marriott Airport. 

Gary holds a BS (1966), and an MS (1968) from Penn State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1971). He is Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Wisconsin Campus in Wausau where he taught for 28 years. During his career he offered Botany, Zoology lab, Natural History Photography, Writing in the Sciences, Dendrology, Ecology, Taxonomy, and other topics. He was presented with the Teacher of the Year Award on two different occasions. His achievements have been recognized in “Who’s Who in the Midwest,” “Who’s Who in Science and Engineering,” “Men of Achievement,” the “Dictionary of International Biography,” “Who’s Who Among America’s Teacher’s,” “Outstanding People of the 20th Century,” and “Outstanding People of the Millenium.”

He has been a fly fisher since 1955, and since 1972 has taught classes and lectured internationally on all aspects of fly fishing for trout and salmon. A free-lance writer and photographer and a former active member of the Outdoor Writer’s Association of America, Gary is also Midwest Field Editor for Fly Fisherman magazine, Editor at Large for the Virtual Fly Shop, and Fly Fishing Columnist for Midwest fly Fisher. He has written five best-selling books on fly fishing: “Nymphing,” “Naturals,” “ The Borger Color System,” “Designing Trout Flies,” and “Presentation.” Gary pioneered fly fishing video instruction with his release of “Nymphing” in 1982. Since then he has appeared in four videos for the 3M Company; and in cooperation with the Federation of Fly Fishers, produced the environmental video “Where The Trout Are.” His video production company has produced an additional 21, internationally acclaimed videos in the “Skills of Fly Fishing Series.” This production work has earned him a listing in “Who’s Who in Entertainment.” Gary was also a consultant on Robert Redford ’s movie “A River Runs Through It.” With his award-winning CD/cassette tape, “My Madison,” he pioneered fly fishing, nature-music audios. In addition, Gary is a the designer of the Weinbrenner Ultimate Wading Shoe, the Gary Borger Fly Vest, the Gary Borger Signature Fly Lines,, and many other innovative angling products and unique fly designs. He is a founding board member of the River Alliance of Wisconsin, a member of the Board of Governors of the Federation of Fly Fisher’s fly casting instructor certification program, a member of The Order of the Jungle Cock, Trout Unlimited, United Fly Tyers, the Federation of Fly Fishers, the American Museum of Fly Fishing, the Catskill Fly Fishing Center, and other conservation organizations. He is a recipient of the Ross Allen Merigold Complete Angler Memorial Award, the Charles K. Fox Rising Trout Award, the Joan and Lee Wullf Conservation award, and is internationally recognized for his conservation efforts; in recognition of this work he received the first Lew Jewett Memorial Life Membership in the Federation of Fly Fishers in 1979. Gary is currently Executive Vice President of Targus Fly and Feather, Inc.

http://www.garyborger.com

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