passing the torch

A long time ago took an Uncle up to Pulaski for Salmon. He had been a Game Warden and hunted and fished HARD his entire life.
We stayed at Jims, ate at C&M and fished DSR-was around 5 to 15 a day back then. We had been up a few times together and our routine was to have Duke smoke whatever we caught the first day on the river.
This first day my old Uncle brought an antique Bamboo Fly rod with him. Said he wanted to catch a Salmon on it, put it up, and then fish with his newer rod. Really wanted to get one on that old Bamboo.
Well after a while he hooked a Hen (legit) on the far side of the run and proceeded to play her very carefully. It took quite a while with the Bamboo and the fish cooperated by only making runs of 50 yards or so.
After a while the line went slack --Oh Well- a good effort.
As he reeled the slack line all of the sudden the line shot out and it all started again--the Hen and come in and lay right at his feet in a pool.
It was GREAT.
Well the fish was landed and smoked and we commonly spoke of the experience over time.
He is in a Rest Home now with  dementia. Visited a couple of days ago, sadly, he didn't remember much but he DID recall that fish and the Bamboo rod story very well- smiling throughout.
It was GREAT all over again.
His son- also a hard hunting and fishing retired Game Warden came along and I told him how his father had distinctly recalled that fish story.
He said "follow me" and took me to a storage locker where his fathers stuff was now kept--Long story short- he gave me that Bamboo rod.
I had forgotten the metal tube it was in (until I saw it) and never had noticed it was an Orvis. Recalled him taking the tube down to the river with the rod in it.
Its an Orvis 2 pc impregnated Battenkill 8 1/2 ft 4.5 oz.- I put an old Orvis level wind Clearwater reel on it.
Fully intend to go out ( even though its 90 degrees today ) and catch a Trout on that rod.
 
 
 

That's perhaps the best story that's ever been on this forum. That 'boo has mojo, it'll catch more fish. Good luck with it, T.

Absolutely fabulous story.

They last conversation I had with my Dad before passed at 91 was also in a home where he was suffering from dementia. He told me the story about hunting pheasants with my wife and I ( we were both in the room, but he didn't know who we were). So perhaps those outdoor memories run even deeper than we think.

Great post Trev,I was starting to think everyone was gone from this board until August.I have several old bamboo rods that my father used many years ago,I have n't looked at them in quite awhile but now I have the urge to dig them out .....for the memories

Nice.  Thanks for the story.

Great story, thanks for sharing it with us.
If you can still read the serial number on that rod you can call Orvis and they can tell you who and when it was made.  They might even tell you who the original owner was.
 
I worked with a man who has now since passed that was the former police chief in Mt. Vernon NY.  He was an avid fly fisher who was one of the original members of the Henryville Fly Fishers Club in PA.  In any event a friend of his had passed and his widow asked Jerry to sell off his rods and reels.  Jerry called me into his office one afternoon and told me in no uncertain terms that he wanted me to buy a Orvis Battenkill cane rod with a Hardy Perfect reel that he had from his friends estate.  I think I paid $250.00 for both rod and reel.  I called Orvis and gave them the rods serial # and learned that it had been made by Wes Jordan in March 1956.  I still have that rod, 30 years later, stashed away in my gun safe.      

No Pa I did not.  However the Orvis rep I spoke with told me I got a great deal, I already knew that.
 

Good story Trev, thanks for sharing

Nice memory RG.
 
We all hope the fishing is better this year PA.