I will never forget the day the I went for a typical “run” to the Angler’s Lie this past Fall. After parking my car in the parking lot, I approached the fly shop only to see Anne Steele walking out of the front door with a coat rack and some other shop items. I said, “Anne, What are you doing?” Her reply was simple. “We are closing William.” My Reply, “You have got to be kidding me!?”
As I walked the 20 feet to get inside the front door I immediately had the feeling like I was punched, better yet dumped by a high school crush. When I walked into the shop, it looked picked at, barren and devoid of the plethora of materials that had always covered the shelves and racks of the shop. Grizzly, didn’t look himself when we talked with me for the first few minutes that day. Through the conversation, he would voice out percent discounts to shoppers for the few rods they still had there, “all rods are 40% off.” My selfishness sank through briefly as a thought to myself, “I should get another Winston.”
As I roamed around the shop like a dog who’s family was packing up to leave him behind, I thought of all the memories I had of the shop. Most of all the help that Anne, Newell and Grizzly gave me through the years. 10 years ago, Grizzly used to laugh at me when I would talk about starting a guide business. “You don’t’ want to be a guide. ........You won't have fun. You won't be able to fish much.” I was stubborn, but I also knew what I really wanted to do. That was about 10 years ago.
Through the years, I probably spent more money at that fly shop than anywhere else. Trips to the fly shop rarely resulted in a receipt of less than a $100.00 being spent. Often it was $200.00-$400.00. But it felt like home. It felt like a place where you could shoot the breeze, talk about fly fishing and have a good laugh.
After talking to Grizzly, I roamed around the shop for another 15 minutes or so, Grizzly, behind the counter, said, “Did you hear about John?” My heart was already hurting. But when he spoke those words, my heart sank to as low as it could go. I walked out of the shop to keep my composure and to try and maintain a sense of everything that just happened in the past 30 minutes, but most of all about John. The news of the Angler’s Lie closing was miniscule to the news that John Had passed. After about 5 minutes of standing outside the shop and gazing at the afternoon traffic on Glebe Road, I walked back inside and was told what happened.
John Fergusen, was a client, a close friend, but most importantly and incredible person. I won’t go into details about how much he accomplished in his life, or how he was a United States Marine or how he was the smallest football player to ever play for the University of Notre Dame. I will say this though. John died when he was fly fishing in British Columbia. He often spoke of his close friend, Tom Skerrit,the actor who played a Presbyterian minister and Father to two sons in the movie A River Runs Through It. John and Tom were fishing the day he died. Apparently, as I have been told, that morning as they walked outside to see the magnificent sunrise, John said to Tom, “Today would be a beautiful day to die.” John died, that die while hold a 30”+ Steelhead that he had just caught. When I die, I hope I go quick and I wouldn’t mind holding a fish that I had just caught. After I was told of John’s passing, I did buy a Winston. It was a “tribute” kind of purchase. I will always think of John, not only when I fish with the rod, but at times throughout my years that I will spend on water fly fishing.
With the Angler’s Lie closing, we can all relax. There is a new shop in its place. It won't be the Angler's Lie. I don't think anything will be like that. Its kind of like the great Diners that always seem to be near the good trout rivers. They have character and a feel to them. The new shop is scheduled to open mid March. Jeremy is the head guy and after speaking to him on the phone a few times I look forward to the new shop and have confidence it will be a great place to go to for all us anglers and to get all the stuff we might need. Grizzly will still be there, just like an old bear who kept his den through a stormy winter. I would like to thank Anne, Newell and Grizzly personally for all of their help, guidance and advice over the years. Eastern Trophies would not be what it is today without them.
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