Who Was Your 1st FAOL Contact?

[ohiotuber]

My 1st contact was the late, great "oldman" Bob Dial. Bob actually emailed me as a result of some posts, & we became very close friends in a short period of time. We talked often, got together at times, but due to health issues & timing, Bob & I never were able to fish together...something I will always regret. He was a perfect example of the caring & sharing that exists on this board. I was a very inexperienced fly fisherman & Bob took me under his wing & taught me volumes. We shared good times & hard times & it always seemed that we could sense when the other needed a "pick me up". I met his family, including his nephews & my good friends Sean Dial (Lake Erie High Ball) & Sean's brother Jimmy (fivedials) who are both FAOLers as a result of Bob's influence.
I have made MANY really good friends here on FAOL, but Bob Dial holds a VERY special place in my heart.....He was more big Brother than friend, & I miss him tremendously. I will never forget the night Sean called me to tell of his passing. I think of Bob often & still treasure a number of flies he tied & gave me....most remain & WILL remain unfished memories.
Mike

[mjsmith1223]

Jack Hise. Like many I lurked here for awhile before registering (and I still mainly lurk). Jack pulled me in though. We sorely miss you up north Jack. I've had the honor and privilege to tie with and fish with Jack in the past. They are experiences that will never be forgotten and form part of my fishing foundation.

Mike

[modocdan]

I never lurk... I just jump right into the fray. FAOL is home to many friendly and generous folks. I posted a hello and introduced myself right off, and got many responses welcoming me. It was the first I had ever seen of fly swaps, and I jumped right into that. I think the first fellow I met here was Joe Valencic when he answered and solved a problem I had. I got a warm welcom from our hosts as well. I have enjoyed being a part of this bunch immensely,, and have been a help to some I hope. I check in nearly every weekday, and some weekends. Long live FAOL !!!!!

[scubatim]

I could be wrong but I think it was Jim Flamming. I had just posted an introduction and very shortly after that Jim PMed me inviting me to join him and a group of people for a Micro Fish Inn in Michigan. I am very grateful for his kind invitation as it has brought me many great friends not only from Michigan but all over the country.

[spinner1]

first guy to talk to me was

FishinInjun

[Al Thomas]

My first contact was in the late 90's. I had just got my first computer and was doing some browsing for fly fishing sites. The first one that I saw that interested me was FAOL. I got to reading some of the information there and found something called a fish-in. The notice read some of the members were getting together at State College. It said everyone was welcome, so I took them at their word and packed my meager equipment and was off the next morning.

I finally found the motel and checked in. I was talking to the clerk and asking him if he knew what the fish-in was all about? He said he didn't and pointed out the fellow getting a cup of coffee and said he would know. I introduced myself and that was my first meeting with JC. He invited me back to his room to meet Old Rupe.

Rupe was there tying some flies on a vice like I have not seen before or since. It had gears and levers and wheels everywhere, it was something you had to see. Rupe had developed some foot problems and couldn't get out to fish. It turns out that JC had flown to Dayton were Rupe lives and they drove to the Fish-in from there. That worked out good for me because JC didn't want to drive Rupe's truck so I volunteered to drive.

The next day we fished Fisherman's Paradise and that was the first time I meet George Harvey. We fished some and I caught my first trout on a dry fly, a small BWO.

At night I would go to there room and Rupe would teach me to Tie flies. I had been tying a little but didn't know anything compared to Rupe. We would still be up at 2 in the morning tying.

Looking back on it now, it is still one of my best memories of fly fishing. I have been to several fish-ins' since then and have enjoyed every one of them. I do hope to get to Idaho this coming year. Shorthaul and I are planning on the trip in Sept. 2009.

If you haven't been to a fish-in, try to go. When they say everyone is welcome, they mean it. From the first minute JC and I meet he treated me like a friend, he taught me to cast much better than when I arrived and we just had fun fishing together.

Thanks JC and LF for the great site and all that you do for the fish-ins and the free lessons on casting.

[Lotech]

first guy to talk to me was

FishinInjun

Haven't heard from Dick Lane in years. He was the guy that organized the first Idaho Fish-In, and it took off from there. He tied some of the best looking steelhead flies I've ever seen. Last I heard, he was driving cab in Tri Cities, Wa.

[ohiofly]

Lets see that would be His Royal Highness Sir Joey Doughy oven God! followed by Al Thomas, then O-Tuber

THANK YOU ALL!!

[Byron Zuehlsdorff]

If I am right, it was LOTECH thru my cousin Paul Levar from Spokane Falls, WA. Is this right Lotech??

[Joe Hyde]

My first FAOL contact was with Rick Z, by means of private email, asking him for advice on some subject after I'd read about a hundred of his Panfish stories that got me so wired to go fly fishing that I was pinging off the walls. Rick's my Main Man; he goes fishing every chance he gets, he was catching panfish and relating straigtforward info about stuff I wanted to know, about how a person might catch panfish.

A few weeks later I was re-geared with different tackle and then jumped back into the sport for my third crack at it. Rick's stories helped me bigtime; I started catching fish virtually from the first cast.

Soon after, my second contact was with FAOL co-publisher Deanna Birkholm, asking her if I might possibly contribute some stories to this site? The outdoor writer in me had gotten lured out of seclusion, I'd been hooked and hoped I'd get pulled in and landed. I was.


Joe
"Better small than not at all."