I'll come out from under rock for this one, still can't shake this bug. Tom is a dear friend. He had done a lot for me when I did the shows in SLC for three years. He went out of his way each time to pick me up at the airport and get me to my motel. I feel he would do this for anyone that has a need for it. Both Tom and Larry Johnson took care of me when I was in the SLC area. At the time, I did not realize how far they had to travel to come up and haul me around. My thanks to both of these fine gentleman. Hope you guys can get back down to the Sowbug next year. We missed you both this year. Back in my hole. Tony --- Tom Davenport <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Wednesday I decided I was going to try to get my > pontoon kickboat out > for the year and get the still water season kicked > off. I had gotten > it out, inflated and left early Wednesday morning. > On the way up > Weber Canyon I decided to take the Taggert exit and > see how the > river looked (I wasn't even certain that the > reservoir I was heading > for was ice free, so I was hedging my bets). As I > pulled off the > exit onto the road that borders the Weber river > another fly > fisherman was getting ready. He smiled and waved at > me like I was an > old friend, so I pulled over to see if it was > someone I knew (I have > had over 15,000 students in my 31 year career as a > high school > teacher, and am always running into people who know > me but I don't > recognize because they have grown older). > > Well, it turned out to be a stranger about my age > who just wanted to > ask some questions about the river. After talking > for a while I > found out this man was born in Hong Kong and had > contracted Polio > when he was two years old. It left both of his legs > paralyzed but he > has gained partial use of one, and with braces on > both can walk on a > smooth surface. But when he is fishing, he uses > crutches, and has > learned to be satisfied with fishing what ever part > of the river he > is able to reach. > > Well, I decided to bag my trip to the reservoir and > fish with him to > see if I could help him get into some fish. He had > never fished the > Weber before, and I have fished it for 15 years and > know every hole > on this particular stretch. > > I put on my waders and started hunting for my fly > rod (which should > have been in its case at the bottom of all of the > stuff I had piled > in the truck. ) It wasn't there! Then I remembered > that I emptied > the truck (including the rod) before putting in the > pontoon boat, and > hadn't put the rod back in. If I hadn't stopped and > decided to help > Chuck (this fellows name was Chuck Chow) I would > have had an hour and > a half drive for nothing! > > Chuck had an extra rod, an Orvis Trident 3 wt. that > he let me use. It > fished amazingly well for such a light rod, > especially since we were > nymphing with some serious weight to get the flies > down into the deep > holes. He was left handed, so the reel was > backwards for me, but > that wasn't a big deal. > > We were starting early in the day for the Weber , > and neither of us > had a bite for the first hour and a half. So I went > further down > river to the "Honey Hole" and caught a fish first > cast. The access > was a little tricky for Chuck, but it was a perfect > hole for him, > long and deep, so I went back up and talked him into > switching. It > took about 45 minutes for Chuck to make his way the > 100 yards down > stream, but it was worth the effort. I gave Chuck > the best stretch > (I thought) and went 30 feet up to high stick the > fast water at the > head of the hole. I started catching a fish every > other cast, but > Chuck wasn't catching any. I tried to get him to > come up to my spot, > but he wouldn't. After I caught about six fish I > stopped and asked > Chuck to let me see how he was rigged. With his > permission I rigged > him up using my favorite flies for the Weber and > made a cast to show > him how to best to fish the hole. I handed his rod > back at the > beginning of the drift, and he immediately got a > fish! I love it > when that happens! We both got into plenty of fish > after that and > ended catching more than we cared to count (mostly > Whitefish, with a > few Browns now and then) Basically a good old, > Weber river day with > plenty of action. It is amazing how many fish can > be pulled out of > one of the Weber's deep holes on a good day. > > Bu the most fun for me by far was getting Chuck into > some fish, and > we are going to do it again in a couple of weeks. > He is a "kindred > spirit" (yes, I'm man enough to admit I have read > the Ann of Green > Gables books), and I suspect will become a good > friends, (like many > of you I have met on this list). All in all it was > great day of > fishing! > > Tom > > My Daughter's Name Art website: www.wishberrie.com > Home Page: http://homepage.mac.com/tsmd > Webshots Albums: > http://community.webshots.com/user/tsmdav > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ TV dinner still cooling? Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV. http://tv.yahoo.com/
