Terry Smith lost his life recently in a tragic car accident, his friends and family will always remember his jovial laugh and his love of fly fishing. I offer this epitaph as a tribute to a very good friend.
Terry Smith was a client,but more importantly, he became a friend of mine. Over the past several years we fished together on a wide variety of waters for many types of fish, but he loved Muskies the best
I recall one day in May when the weather was particularly bad for Muskies, a deep cold front had come in and put the Muskies down hard, I suggested we go for trout instead.Terry reluctantly agreed, (he really didn't have much desire to catch trout),I decided we should float the big water of the Paint below the Forks - it was a good choice. Within a hundred yards of the launch Terry hooked up on a very nice Brown of 23 inches on a cone head Muddler. I was very excited and it was Terry's first ever big Brown, he played it well and landed it after a few minutes I was taking pictures like crazy and just giddy with excitement for him - he was happy, but not nearly as much as I was - he did mention it, was his largest trout ever. We continued the trip, another few hundred yards downstream he hooked up on another nice Brown and landed that one as well, a good fish of about 18 inches, again, it seemed like I was much more excited then he was. Throughout the course of the rest of the day Terry landed and released several more good browns and quite a few very good Brookies - including one that went 16 inches. He did marvel at it's beauty and was happy with that one, especially after I explained to him how fortunate he was to catch such a trophy!
But Terry really loved to fish for Muskies! He would have rather cast his arms off looking for that one fish to strike than catch all the big trout in the world! He was a true Muskie Hunter, it was in his blood, and, like most of us, he just couldn't escape that undeniable fact! The largest Muskie Terry ever landed with me was a beautiful 45", 22 pounder from Boulder Lake last fall, it was his most joyous moment, the fish fought fiercely and Terry did everything right to land her!
Terry Smith was a fly angler of the highest caliber, he never became the next great fly caster of the world, he didn't invent an new fly that the fly fishing world would remember him by, and he never expected anything from his sport except the peace and serenity that it provided him - just like all of us, he aspired to catch the next world record on every cast, but if it didn't happen, he was happy to just be there and be a participant.
What Terry Smith left us is something all sportsmen desire - a true enthusiasm and a healthy respect for the natural world. He supported conservation and never asked for anything in return, just a chance to be a part of the whole experience.
To that end, and in his memory I have dedicated a new series of flies, fitting of the person he was, a father, a responsible parent, a friend and a great sportsman. I will remember him every time I fish this fly.
Respectfully, Bill Sherer
Here is the TS "Crusher Series:
Hook: Daiichi 2461 4/0
Thread: UTC 210 Denier to match head color
Tail: 6"- 12" Ultra Hair
Flash: Gold or Silver Holographic Flashabou
Body: Extra Select Craft Fur (dark over light) palmered
Red Wire Weed Guard - Optional
Favorite colors:
Black over Chart., Black over Orange, Olive over White, Olive over Yellow, Red over White, Black over White.
No comments:
Post a Comment