Ladyfisher!

Read your story "Dear Mr. Campbell" tonight on FAOL . I visit your site every once in awhile to read about fly fishing a little bit. This story brought back a few memories for me. Back in 1999, we took our children to Rapid City for the state soccer tournament. Two years earlier,while at the same tournament, as I walked along Rapid creek, next to a soccer field,
I realized that there were trout rising to something --little mayflies?

I had no fly rod with me. But two years later I did. Now, to be perfectly honest with you, I do not fly fish a lot. Most of my fishing is for bass, walleye, and pike using spinning tackle. But, fly fishing to me was kind of a special thing, mostly for blue gills. So, I did not know how to catch trout. My son and I I visited the Sheels store and were looking at
flies when a clerk asked us if he could help. I explained that I did not know anything, but I wanted to catch trout. He called a different clerk over to me and introduced him as Al Campbell. Not only did he help me pick out the right flies, but told me how and where I should go. Anyway, to make a long story short, my son and I headed for the water between soccer games and we caught trout. The next day I went back and thanked him. After about
a 15 minute conversation, he invited me to the fish-in that year, soccer used up the vacation time I had and I did not make it. I was sorry to hear that he passed away.

I have been back to the Hills a few time since, maybe, know a little bit more about what I am doing, but I never will forget the help he gave me that year. Anyways thanks for the article and bringing back memories. Maybe someday I will run in to him, "Fishing The Big Waters."


Ray Koerner