Fly fisherman from the 'Great Generation'.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

http://www.kiene.com/images/geezer.jpg

L to R:

Henry Star - old Steelheader and a great hunter too ( he is gone now)

Joe Patterson - was our Cortland Line Company Rep (retired now)

Joe Shirshac - works at the shop on Saturdays (still fly fishing)

Me - short, fat, balding and fairly intertaining

Chuck Campana - works at the shop on Sundays (youngest of the bunch)

Geroge Martin - built many of the fixtures in the shop (he's gone too)

Walt Bennett - he fished the coast more than anyone we know ( retired now)

These are some of my older friends who help me get through this life of mine. I don't know if God is making this kind of people anymore. They pioneered fly fishing in California and hunted a lot too. I think they were born at exactly the right time.

I was luck to have met them when I started working at Sports Unlimited on Arden Way in Sacramento in 1965.

They we around 40 then and I was only 20. Now they are in there 80s and some are gone too.

Some lent me money to start my store and some worked for me and some helped me build my store.

We call them loveingly "The Geezer Patrol".

[Dustin Revel]

they sure don't make 'em like they used to

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I was right below Bill Schaadt on Minor Hole on the Gualala once, 1975?

He was at the top of the hole in his pram anchored right off the bank.

He was a great fly fisherman and like many of those old timers he had a wonderful life. I guess he was a sign painter.

He would be the most famous north coast fly fisher.

I just went over there enough back then to see what a wonderful fishery that Gualala and Garcia were "in the day".

[Rick J]

I spent quite a few days in the pram line ups on the Smith and Chetco with Bill S and he was rarely outfished by anyone in the line up. I recall one day a guy next to him managed to hook him really close to his eye and he just cut off the leader and left the fly in place and kept fishing! That is dedication!!