Local fly fishing guide, Bill Lowe, passes while guiding yesterday.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think that yesterday, at the end of the day guiding on the Lower Yuba River, Bill was shuttling his rig and died of a heart attack.

I know this is crazy because he was one of the healthiest people we know?

Sad to loose such a lovely person who always had a smile for everyone.

http://www.billloweflyguide.com/guide.html

[Rockman]

What a tragic loss for not only our industry, but to his family. I have never fished with him, but met him on many occasions. I always walked away thinking to myself " what a heck of a nice guy", you could always feel his passion for our sport, and that he loved to share his passion to all. I feel the pain of his family as I lost my father at the age of seven, my heart, prayers, and condolences to his family, and to all his friends that lost a great mentor to our sport.
Rest in Peace Bill, Dry flies to big fish all day long in heaven!

[TaylerW]

bill taught me how to cast a while back. there will be a major hole in our local fishing community. anyone who is interested, this coming saturday evening around 530, i will be a sunrise avenue casting my spey, and smoking a good cigar in his honor. im sure he would have liked that!

[David Lee]

My condolences to Michelle , and to anyone who ever met Bill . We were Friends for a long time , and this is beyond shocking .

David

[Jeff C.]

Bill was one of the good guys! RIP Bill, you will be missed!

[Hogan Brown]

wow this is crazy...I just saw Bill a few days ago while guiding on the Yuba...typical Bill sitting on anchor with his feet on a cooler with a Sierra Nevada (bottle not can) and his client in front with a dry fly rod with a sierra nevada cracked open as well...talking, laughing, fishing, enjoying the afternoon. I can't say I ever saw anyone having a bad day in the boat with Bill...even if the fishing was subpar, everyone was smiles. I have guided with Bill on the L. Yuba sense 1999 and worked with him recently as we were both Simms Ambasadors ...guy loved dry fly fishing, swinging flies, and IPA's...We had way different styles of guiding and fishing but we always got along, talked vintage amps, and sierra nevada beer...I will miss his enthusiasm, passion, and running into him on the river. Great dude.

[Mark Kranhold]

Very sad news! Loved seeing Bill on the river or just hanging and casting some rods. He was one of those type of people that just loved life and was always smiling! His sense of humor and slangy sayings will be greatly missed. RIP duder-man, and see you on the big river!
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[k.hanley]

Crazy! Damn crazy! Bill was a rock solid guy. I loved his attitude on life. We created a ton of lasting memories. Big loss to everyone.

My prayers go out to Michelle.

Respectfully, Ken

PS: This is pretty crazy right after losing another good friend about a week go (46 yrs old...brain aneurism). Every day counts.

[jbird]

Oh Man! Sounds like Bill was a pretty young guy? Never easy to hear this kind of news. My heart goes out to Bills friends and Family

[mar]

Very sad news. I’ve taken a couple of two-hander lessons from Bill. My casting still sucks and I don’t remember much of what he taught me….but I had a great time spending some time on the water with him. Very funny guy and has a very infectious enthusiasm about the sport. And I can still picture him anchored up in a shad run, having a good time with his clients. He always waved and said hello every time I waded below his anchored boat.
RIP Bill……
I’ll dust off my switch rod and make a couple of ‘sweep-a-dee-go’ casts in your honor…

[Lance Gray]

This is just - WOW! A great friend and one of the greatest guides I know!! A true gentlemen and also had a smile on his face. Kirsten & I will have Michelle and the whole Lowe family in our prayers!! I will miss him!!!

[Smitty Fish]

Bill Lowe was a great person & teacher. I really enjoyed watching
& learning from his spey casting videos. He had such a way of simplifying the
Way of teaching spey casting.
Just a solid guy. R I P Bill!

[bassakwards]

Man that is upsetting news such a great guy, he was so much fun to learn from and just talk to.

[Terry Thomas]

It's hard to describe what a special person Bill was. There was not a more "up" guy to be around. Early this morning when the sun was just reaching the horizon I was just finishing a long run when this blue bird comes and lands by my feet. Somehow I had a special feeling inside. Bill, all is well and we will remember you my friend.

[Don Powell]

This is so very difficult to imagine...
Every time I saw him on the water or at a show, he was such a gracious and enthusiastic individual who always remembered me...
I am deeply saddened to learn of his departure so prematurely but I know he will greet me enthusiastically when I and any other local Sacramento fly fishers cast their last cast...
Rest in Peace, Bill, I look forward to seeing you again in the not so distant future...

[winxp_man]

Last years shad season saw Bill on the water quite a bit. He would always stop by and chat with my brother and I. Its a shock to me to hear that he passed away. Jeff Ching informed me today and it took a bit to sink in! As I told Jeff life is short and if you have a passion for this sport of fishing go out and do it because one day you might no be able to. At least I will say this even at the end he did what he loved doing and I dont think he would have it any other way.

Rest In Peace Bill you will be missed my many.... And condolences to the family!

[STEELIES/26c3]

WOW!

I'm truly sorry to hear this.

He fished, laughed, played, taught and cared about our fisheries with an unmatched passion and zeal.

Somewhat a trickster too as I recall.

Check out the following video for a great laugh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_lZjo3hTEg

Bill, may your soul carry on and on~

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I just had a wonderful thought.....Bill lowe and Dave Howard are up there somewhere having a big chat about the good old days.

.

[Mark Kranhold]

Check out the following video for a great laugh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_lZjo3hTEg

Bill, may your soul carry on and on~[/QUOTE]


Mark, that there is true classic Bill! Man will he be missed, thanks for that!

[rjt]

I still remember the first time I met Bill. I was down on the American struggling to cast a shooting head (first-timer) for Shad. Bill obviously noticed and walked over and offered to help. After several minutes I got it and soon thereafter caught my first shad. Every time our paths crossed in the future I'd be certain to stop and say hello, if in fact he didn't stop me first! Took lessons from Bill, as many of you have, both single and two-handed and he was just a blast to be around. A great guy who was always up. Take care my friend, I'll be thinking of you every time I step on the Yuba.

[boomer4]

Bill he was my hero and I told him so! I met Bill in 1989 at a fly fishing class at FFS off Bradshaw. We were both Sac State grads working in the real estate field. We both hated it, as most people do early in their first real jobs, but he had the balls to quit real estate and take up fly fishing full time. That took a lot of courage. He told me that he told Michelle that he was not the man she married as long as he stayed in real estate. He told me he never looked back. It is truly a lucky man to make a living out of what they love to do. I admired that about him. We enjoyed a few trips and he recently taught me to spey cast. I am deeply saddened and sorry for his wife and family. He will be missed. I think I will take the rest of the day off and go fishing.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Here is a great photo taken by Andy Guibord of Bill out Shad fishing on the Lower American River.

He was in amazing physical condition.....


8990

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[donkeyhunter007]

Bill was very generous with his time......I spent a lot of time takling to him before my first two hand rod purchase several years ago......he really got me dialed in on on a sweet casting setup. His enthusiam was contagious. My condolences to his family and to anyone who had the honor to know him. My next day on the river will be for BIll.

Sincerely,

Michael Oliver