Saturday Morning, January 28, 2023
Come Fly with Me
Leaning back, he started a forward motion, his right arm swinging from back to front. A pitcher delivering. Smooth. Coordinated. His graphite fishing rod flexed then snapped straight. The fishline arched across the Rocky Mountain stream. It was all in the wrist. The unwinding reel sang. Ten. Twenty. Thirty feet. The fly tie flashed in the sunlight. Icarus launched. Finally, he had returned. This was his home.
H.L. Leonard five-piece fly rod.
Tournament model, with two-tips.
In this auction we touch a passion of long ago anglers, compleat they were with the best gear.
Ten thousand times, he thought.That's how many elements Thomas Edison tested until he discovered the correct filament for his light bulb. He had tied more fly fishing ties than that, and he was still trying. The bait landed on the stream's surface, bobbed a bit, then settled into the water. His left hand held slack fish line. This he fed as needed. He watched the line float downstream.
Penn Senator 9/0 salt water reel, Kingfisher 424 rod.
The summer day was perfect. Sunlight streamed along the Gunnison River Gorge, painting the cliffs and warming the waters. It was a wakeup call for the fish. Trout loved this patch. You could always find them tucked in among the overhanging rocks, drinking in their due. Though how their behavior changed during mating season. One more victim of Mother Nature's cruel joke. Against the current, this, her motto. They struggled upstream, jumping the rapids, darting the rifts. A ritual. The promise of consummation just around the next rock. Sounds awfully familiar, he spoke aloud, though there was no one near to hear. If a tree falls in the forest...he loved this place.To hell with the tree, he shouted. His words echoed into eternity. It was something he had always wanted to scream in Mr. Stezelberger's eleventh grade English class. A large smile covered his face. Vindication.
Far from the Madding Crowd
The hike into the gorge, a deed demanding a 3,000 foot descent, was treacherous. Difficult as this was, the trek back up was more memorable. Straight down, then straight up. Despite the challenge, the effort was worth every step. There wasn't a castle wall anywhere promising better protection. Alone for several days in this Shang-ri La renewed him. What if? his wife would always say. What if what? His forever retort. What better place to spend one's final days. As if life's daily stress was any safer. To him, this spot was sacred.
← Goodwin Granger Victory three-piece rod. Also included in this auction will be lures, reels, & a selection of various rods from other makers. H.L. Leonard is well represented. 
Those who completed the pilgrimage were fraternally bound. Small campsites along the stream supplied friendship. If none was sought, the water gifted miles of solace. When he was younger, he never understood why older men sought this adventure. How naive he was. At night, the splashing sound of the water anointed him into the most restful sleep. The best satisfaction though was the thought this spot had been and would be here always, waiting his return. You could never ask more of a friend.
Orvis Impregnated Rocky Mountain Fly & Spin.
6 ½ - 2 ¾ oz. H.D.G. (6)
The Castaways
A sharp tug on his fishing pole slapped him back to attention. He grabbed the rod with both hands. The graphite pole bent down kissing the water's surface, then ricocheted upwards. The fight was on.
Hardy Bros. fly rod reels. Left - The St. Aidan; Right - Scientific Anglers - System - 7
The trout was strong. He fought back, yanking the line, determined to turn the fish upstream. But the trout persevered, as if he knew a downstream play was his best option. The man stepped into deeper water. Its chill heightened his awareness. Each moment the fish hesitated, he wound the reel tighter. But the fish would only double his efforts. The two pirouetted downstream, each sharing the lead. They repelled between rocks, through rapids. Bruises abounded. Then the fishline started shortening. The trout rose from the stream, flapping in the sunlight, only to dive back down. This, his final dance step. As quick as he could, he caught the trout in his fishnet. The battle had ended, each exhausted from his commitment.
The Old Man and the Sea
Whether he caught a fish or not never mattered. All that did matter was this spot existed. It was impossible to explain it to the unbaptized. Nor did he try. This, the beauty of aging. He never cared if anyone else understood. After surviving life all these years, he never felt the need to explain anything. Whatever, his normal response. You either got it, or you moved on.org. There are few converts past sixty.
H.L. Leonard five-piece fly rod,
four tips, in pristine condition.
So what if people didn't understand him. Henry David Thoreau kept appointments with beech trees, walking miles through deep snow. The result? English students still read Walden Pond. Ludwig van Beethoven spent days alone, wandering the countryside, absorbing nature's masterpiece. The outcome? Concert enthusiasts still flock to hear his Pastoral Symphony. Georgia O'Keefe painted bleached steer skulls. And still many visit art museums. Was he different from them. No. Their commonality was doing exactly what they desired. Each chose a path, perhaps less traveled by?
He reset a new fly tie on his line. Leaning back, his swung his right arm forward, casting the fishline across the stream. Ten. Twenty. Thirty... Still two more days in this gorge and he refused to waste one minute. The moral of our story? Very simple. If family and friends don't understand your fascination with Brown Bros, well then, tell them...
Doors open at 8 AM. Auction starts at 9 AM. PA AU 1265L [bb]
← 1923 signed Salmungundi Club artistic award. Samuel T. Shaw, New York hotel owner and patron of the arts, supported the artists through purchases and his annual club award to a chosen member. This print is signed by members including Daniel Garber. Samuel also signed the print gifting it to Oscar Julius. One can only guess what they ate for dinner. Seafood no doubt. 19" x 19" tears to paper.