The only reason I can think of for posting this is because I wanted to. Maybe just to try and make me feel better or maybe because I miss posts from AC. Today at work, during some slow time, I looked at Al Campbell’s Simple Fly patterns and printed some off and brought them home and sat down and tied some. They are really neat flies and are very simple to tie. Not sure if I enjoyed tying them more or enjoyed reading Al’s comments on each one more. He made the following comment at the end of the instructions for the “To Simple Ray Charles” fly: “For all you guys who think a fly has to be more complex than this, go ahead and rib it with gold or copper wire if you wish. You might even want to make the head prettier than I do. It won’t bother me a bit if you do. I’ll be fishing…AC” After reading this particular comment, I smiled to myself and wiped my eyes. I really miss someone I never met and it hurts. JC, if this does not belong, you can delete it. I feel a little better now. Thanks
Theres certianly no place else in the world that your sentiments could ever be more fitting or more appreciated than right here on FAOL,Where this mans impact will be felt for generations to come…I may assume this site will be here a very long time right ?? cause I doubt Myself and a whole host of others can phatham otherwise…
I concure about that big hole in my life, with the death of Al Campbell. Currently working on saving all of Al’s Articles that he wrote for FAOL onto a CD using a PDF program (Adobe). When I have it done, will post on the bulletin Board. So please do not email me about putting you on a list, too busy to start a waiting list at the moment. When it is done, I will mail out a CD as soon as I received the request.
PS: Just about halfway done, you would not beleive all the stuff down in the archives, that was written by Al Campbell, it is all over the place.
~ Parnelli
Chartered Member of “Friends of FAOL”!
Down in the meadow in a little bitty pool
Swam three little fishies and a mama fishie too
“Swim” said the mama fishie, “Swim if you can”
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
[This message has been edited by Steven H. McGarthwaite (edited 13 July 2005).]
Thanks LF…even if JC was try’in to throw me into a frenzy of printing…lol…and I still may just have to do that in some of these sections…
OH Yeah,JC, I am on AOL…So about every time I click my favs for FAOL, I have to switch sn’s several times to even get on here to begin with.I’ve seen several threads where you’ve explained as to why this is…And at times it may take me (Hours) to get to be able to view the site…but I do not allow this to discourage me…and once on…I am less apt to sign off the site because of this Lil glitch…But tis why we who use aol,Affectately reffer to it as AOHELL…pardon the french…
“I’ve often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before” A.K.Best
“Wish ya great fishing”
Bill
[This message has been edited by billknepp (edited 17 July 2005).]
I just registered for this site for the sole purpose of replying to this thread. Well, maybe I’ll post once in a while, but I’m a semi-regular on a more regional oriented fishing board which has been my internet outlet thus far.
I avidly read Al Campbell’s contributions on fly tying that appeared on this site and got more out of them than any book or clinic I’ve experienced in 30 years of this past-time. The simple flies was indicative of his unpretentious approach, and I think he was an exceptional teacher.
I think also he was an exceptional human being, and when I learned of his death I was shocked at the emotional impact that I felt over the loss of this man I had never met. It was almost embarrassing because words failed me and I could not explain to my wife the nature of the sadness that I felt. I feel that this forum that includes people who actually knew him is the right audience to add my name to the long list of people who gained from the teachings of this man, and this thread was the time to do it.
