Who Is The Oldest Fly Angler That You Know?

[flymaker2]

Last week I was fishing some private waters in NorCal. I was told that "Joe Cooper" was going to arrive one afternoon to fish. I was casting along one of the ranch's Northern pools when a fellow strolled briskly up to me and greeted me with much enthusiasm. It was Joe Cooper. He gave me a few tips and we swapped some info on the bite and flies to use.I told Joe that he could fish the rest of the pool that was yet unfished that morning. Joe was fishing size #28 Midges on a 3 WT. He had hired a Gilley to carry his rods and net and release his fish for him and also keep his log as he caught the fishes. His Gilley showed and Joe began to fish. I watched from across the pool as Joe got into some good fish too.

Now Joe had driven into the ranch's back counrty solo in a fairly new 4X4 SUV. He was dressed to the gills in fishing garb; waders, hat, gloves, protective wear. He just looked "right" and in his element. Joe is 89 years old and has been fly fishing full time for the past 45 years. I was told his house is a fly fishing shrine. Meeting Joe and seeing for myself that there are many fine years of angling ahead of someone my age (55) was inspirational.

Who is the oldest Fly Angler that you know?

Rich

[D. Micus]

evil dave....

actually it's richard khan. i know he's been fly fishing in the salt for 50 years, but i'm not sure of his age. in previous lives he was a gourmet chef and a professional opera singer--quite the interesting guy.

[dudley]

At the pay to fish pond I worked this past spring we had a bunch of regulars who were older gents.
The short walk, no trees, and no wading was attractive to the guys who don't get around as well as they used to.
Harry was there every week. Fished a two handed 6wt sitting in a lawn chair. With a long handled landing net, he never had to get up. Harry is 85.
There were plenty of other guys in their mid to upper 80's. Most could cast very well. Most used fiber glass rods.
I collected licences so I noticed the older guys ages. The oldest gent this year was 92!
He only fished for a short time, then sat in a lawn chair watching his family.
I hope that I'm still able to fish at that age.


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"Nick's heart tightened as the trout moved. He felt all the old feeling" ...Ernest Hemingway

It had been Harry Tobe. He fly fished till the age of 85. In fact, we fished together on a nearby river. Then, shortly before he died and although not with a fly rod, he landed an 11 pound brown trout out of Seneca Lake. That was about 4 years ago. He always fished a leader with 3 flies.

Allan

[fcch]

It'd have to be two gents I met quite by chance on the #8 one sunny October day.

Both of them named Fernand. (I call 'em the two Fernands since I only know the real name of one of them (F. Auger). The younger of the two was 81 (he drove) and I believe the other was 8 years his seniour)

They were coming up off the beach and I asked if they had any luck. They said they'd been coming here for years and never caught a single sea trout.

I looked at their rods, leaders and flies and mentionned they MUST be from Quebec City and get their stuff rigged at the XYZ fly fishing shop. They looked at me quizically and said yes.

The shop in Quebec city gets the seasons on my homewaters mixed up and riggs folks for adult trout. The juvi's chase after different flies.

I offered them some rods and flies and ferried the younger one a ferry across to the back eddy. In a dozen casts, he landed 3 and lost 4.

When I first arrived they both looked a bit down and showing their age. When I brought the fellow back to the beach, ... he looked 20 years younger.

I see the two of them off and on pretty well every year. They always treat me to a warm conversation and a smile.

Back on that first day I met them, ... the fellow who caught some trout tried to slip me a 20$ bill for my trouble. I (politely) declined ... two months later I got this in the mail



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Christopher Chin, Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://pages.videotron.com/fcch/:524b1]Fishing the Ste-Marguerite[/url:524b1]




[This message has been edited by fcch (edited 30 August 2005).]

[ohiotuber]

Chris,
What a well deserved keepsake!......."What goes around, comes around".

Hard for me to say the oldest, but was probably an older gent named Bob (late 70's?) who I visited with years ago when I fed the gills & carp bread on a small creek during lunch every day. He was always out there ith his flyrod & made it look easy. In fact, that's when I took up flyfishing again............
THANKS BOB...wherever you are!
Mike

[This message has been edited by ohiotuber (edited 30 August 2005).]

[Rich Ward]

Good morning, My dad will be 85 in oct. and although he will fish from time to time with a drift rod he fished about 100 days a year with a fly rod. in 1995 I watched him hook and land a 42" hen steelhead on a waking dry about 10 mile up stream from Lewiston on the Clearwater. We got some great photos and from them I had a mount made for Christmas that year Length and gerth made this fish about 25lb. He has made 2 trips to the Clearwater this year already (no fish) and will make 10 or 12 more before he puts away the flyrod for his shotgun. His dad lived to 100... and he will most likely do the same... fishing all the way there. He started at age 8 and he still can put the knot on the backing through the Guides!!!

Rich

[Ray]

I think it's JC. He even caught the fish they served at the last supper!

[Royal Wulff]

RW here,

Me and JC.

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"We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours." -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-

[Flats Dude]

without a doubt...Sir Micus