A few years ago a member here posted a bamboo rod for sale on the BB. He stated that he was going thru a rough time and didnt want to sell the rod but he needed to pay rent. I contacted him and let him know I would pay the asking price for the rod with the stipulation that he had one year to buy it back at the same price. A deal was made.
The rod was beautifull. I cast it a few times, would bring it out to let other folks try it when we were playing with boo. But, I could never fish it. It didnt feel right to fish with a rod that belonged to someone else, heck, it even had his name on it.
Time went by, a year passed and I didnt hear from the owner, finally after 18 months I contacted him. I got his address and sent the rod back to him. He let me know he didnt have the money to repay me at that time, but I knew that the rod needed to be back in his hands.
I forgot all about it, I had helped a fellow flyfisherman out in a time of their need and went on with life.
Over a year had passed since I sent the rod back. I was on a fishing trip when I got a message from the owner. He need to confirm my address. I thought nothing of it. I arrived back home to find a letter from him, a very nice thank you note and a money order.
Tim, thank you very much. You fit the description of an honest man. I hope you catch many fish with your rod and enjoy it for a lifetime.
No too many of those left in today’s world. It gives one hope for the future. At the same time the most praise can and should be heaped upon yourself as a man of integrity and honor. Kudos, and God bless. You’re definitely one of my new heroes.
Kelly.
Someone should write this story up with pictures, testimonies, etc. Not as a ‘pat-on-the-back’, but as an uplifting example of what the FAOL site is, an online family.
I’m sitting here reading this at 7:27 on an Easter Sunday mourning, yep, there are a couple of tears of happiness and gratitude falling. I know its just a fishing rod, but it will always be treasured as a special gift to me. A gift of owning a cane rod that has a lot of beauty in its making and history. Yes it does have my name on it, (my name on here and also has F.A.O.L on it) I had it put on there when Bill Taylor made it for me, so if anything was to happen to me and it found its way to a pawn shop or somewhere, the new owner could trace it to here and find out something about it. Little did I know at the time… Like Z (God bless you Z) said, this whole transaction has taken place of a time period of right at 4 years. There was only a couple of folks in the whole world that new what was going on, but to me, God knew what was going on. The rod in itself is just a rod, what has taken place with it, and because of people like Z, its much more than that, and has made its value priceless…
F.A.O.L, much more than friends…
Happy Easter everyone and God bless…
Tim
(Grubb F.A.O.L)
PS: This last Thursday, that rod caught its first ever Grand Slam…
This is indeed a story of the COMMUNITY which is FAOL & the wonderful people here.
This story has been close to my heart since it’s start & I will never forget the night Tim called me & asked me to guess what was on his porch when he got home…My answer was “Your 'boo!”, & that was correct…Z, I post this as a tribute to you, sir. I wish everyone here could have heard the total joy in Tim’s voice that night. I’m sure he was shaking so bad when he opened the package that he was afraid of breaking the rod. You did a fine thing for a fine man.
Hats off to both of you!
BTW, here’s a picture of Tim fishing that 'boo on Mossy Creek in Virginia last April. He caught his first trout on it that day…I just wasn’t beside him to take a picture of that one.
Running down the New Post list, I almost passed this one up. I guess God wanted me to back up and read it. I’m glad I listen. I’m sure I can’t put the right words of praise together for either of you so let me just say “God bless both of you”.
