Remembering George Croonenbergs

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
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In reading Jason Borger’s blog, http://www.jasonborger.com/ , I came to know of George Croonenbergs.

You may have never heard of George Croonenbergs, but he was instrumental in the filming of The River Runs Through It. Geroge, who passed ion September, 2005, was a close friend to Norman and Paul Maclean. He was taught to tie flies and fly fish by Reverend Maclean. With his intimate knowledge of the Macleans and the time period, he was an advisor to Robert Redford on the set.

John Maclean, the son of Norman Maclean remembers George Croonenbergs:

http://johnmacleanbooks.com/george/

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Thanks Silver,
In addition to being a great caster which got him to do the casting in the movie, Jason is a writer and a painter.

This is a life size watercolor he did for me.

Like his father, Gary, he’s very talented!

He also does the drawings in his father’s works.

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Jason was at a flyfishing conclave at Bennett Spring State Park many years ago that I attended. He gave an hour or so presentation on the making of the movie and how he did the stand in casting for Brad Pitt. It was a very interesting program with a lot of slides taken on the set. Redford originally wanted his father Gary for the stand in but Gary was tied up on another project and suggested Jason.

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Dave,
I believe I was there that evening as well. Charlie Reading invited me over. I happened to be fishing there that weekend and stopped in the lodge to have dinner. We sat in the “porch” area of the Lofge. I was born and raised in Lebanon (about 12 miles away).

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Gary is one of my best friends. He taught me to fly fish and tie flies so I know both Jason and Nancy, Gary’s wife, very well.

This was taken when we had a small going away party for Gary and Nancy before they left Wisconsin to move closer to Jason. From left to right - Myself, Bob Pils (Bob illustrated Gary’s first two books, Naturals and Nymphing), Bob’s wife Bonnie, my wife also a Bonnie, Nancy Borger, and Gary.

[](http://s5.photobucket.com/user/streamdance/media/Gary Borger/P1020644_zps29s9x3sx.jpg.html) [](http://s5.photobucket.com/user/streamdance/media/Gary Borger/P1020650_zpsbqjwrefq.jpg.html)
One of my prized possessions is Gary’s Original Artist’s Proof of Designing Trout Flies. I had Jason remark it with a pen and ink drawing. The next photo is when Gary, I, and our friend Gene fished the Madison.

[](http://s5.photobucket.com/user/streamdance/media/Gary Borger/DesigningTroutFlies_zpsf6350d39.jpg.html)[](http://s5.photobucket.com/user/streamdance/media/Montana 2012/P1000958.jpg.html)

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Wonderful pictures Henry! Thanks for sharing.
I recall so well watching his 3M series on fishing. Used to watch them over and over. I had been fly fishing quite a few years before I got the videos, but learned a lot from him.
Interesting guy. I think his Phd was in Forestry, but believe he taught biology in Wisconsin?

The photo of the three of you near a river sure looks like the Madison?

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It is the Madison, across and just a bit downstream from Slide Inn.

Gary did get his degree in Forestry. However, he was a professor of Botany at UWMC (University of Wisconsin Marathon County) which is in Wausau, Wi. One interesting story about Gary is that he was called by our local medical center to help when one of our locals (who I knew as well) went mushroom picking and was poisoned. He correctly identified the mushroom with a spore print as one of the Amanita species. The patient survived.

Another interesting story is how he came to meet Jim Greenlee who owned Weinbrenner, the manufacturer of the Borger Wading boot. Gary was asked to give a presentation to the board of UWMC and he spoke about fly fishing. Jim was member of the UWMC board of directors and he is fly fishing nut and financier. Jim later went on to finance Korkers, Islander Reels, and the company that went on to co-found TFO fly rods so he was interested in talking to Gary. Gary told Jim that he converted Weinbrenner boots into his wading boots. Weinbrenner has a factory second store and Gary bought a pair of work boots and glued a piece of carpet to the boot sole and heel. Jim asked Gary if he was interested in developing a proper wading boot. They did a handshake deal without a formal contract, and the Weinbrenner Ultimate Wading Boot was born. I later also became a wading boot tester for Weinbrenner.

Incidentally, after Jim Greenlee retired he bought the home below which is on the bank of the Madison River above the Raynolds Pass Bridge. We stay at the guest cabin to the right (downstream side of the main house) where we stay when we fish the Madison River.

[](http://s5.photobucket.com/user/streamdance/media/Montana 2006/CabinA.jpg.html)

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Henry,
Interesting. We drove into that “subdivision” one evening just to look at a person’s home whom we had met on the river.

We will be spending part of our upcoming trip at Kelly’s Slide Inn. We enjoy fishing above Huchins Bridge. Also between the lakes.

By the way, I checked, and believe Gary taught zoology in Waussa, Wi, at Wisconsin.

My son and I will be in the area from June 22 through July 10th. Any chance you might be around then?

If you hang around Slide Inn, you will probably run into William Devane.

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I don’t know if I will be going to Montana this year. Our trip is still uncertain at this point.

I have not ever met “Billy” Devane on the river but Gene Koshak did last year. Devane used to own the property across the from Slide Inn but sold it about 4 (?) years ago. I did hear that he now stays at Slide Inn. I’ve seen him at the Grizzly Bar a number of times over the years.

I did meet George Anderson of the Yellowstone Angler below $3 Bridge about 10 years ago.

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There was a restaurant nt far from the Grizzly Bar a couple Yeats ago. My son and I were in there eating when Devane came in with his wife. He was very gracious. Let us take photos. My son really liked him in the tv series “24Hours”. There is a big painting orbphoto on canvas of him in Kelly Halloup’s shop at Slide Inn.

Of course he did the often repeated radio commercials merchandise al for Campfire Lodge.