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Thread: Joe Shirshac is slowing down now at 99.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

    Default Joe Shirshac is slowing down now at 99.

    Local fly fishing legend Joe Shirshac is one of the last of the Greatest Generation still alive today.

    Joe has had a wonderful life with a large loving family and many old friends as well.

    Today he is in a care facility and is getting some dementia problems too.

    Andy Guibord has been visiting Joe lately and says it feels like he is slipping away now.


    Joe was born and raised in 1922 near Coventry, Connecticut on a small family farm of 80 acres.

    He told us stories of trapping small animals for their hides and doing some hunting as well.

    Joe joined the US Navy and spent his time in World War II mostly at sea aboard a large ship.

    After the war Joe moved to Sacramento, California where he became a Sacramento City Fire Fighter.

    While on duty at the firehouse he tied Shad flies for many of the area tackle shops.

    Joe fly fished for trout in Nor Cal, Idaho and Montana.

    He also took his travel trailer up to fish the Williamson river in the summer for giant Rainbow trout.

    He also started fly fishing on the Klamath river in the 1950s.

    Joe was also able to drive up to the famous Dean river in British Columbia and fish for Steelhead for many years.

    He started taking groups of local fly fishermen to Alaska to camp on the Brooks river.

    Then he started taking people to New Zealand to fish the Tongariro river for giant Rainbow trout.

    The next destination was Christmas Island for some years for Bonefish.

    The Tsiu river in Alaska was another place he took groups to for wild Silver salmon.

    Joe went to the Florida keys for a few years until he finally landed some large ones.


    His life would make a good novel or movie.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Rescue ,CA Cromberg, CA
    Posts
    1,857

    Default

    Joe is one of my hero’s! Such a great man, wish I could have fished the rivers in his day. I’ve always loved talking fishing with Joe either at the shop in the past or during a shuttle. Sad to hear this, always hate hearing news like this, what an amazing life he’s had!
    Last edited by Mark Kranhold; 02-10-2022 at 01:05 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Fresno, CA
    Posts
    2,749

    Default

    Hey Bill,
    We knew if would happen eventually. There's a few baby boomers still going strong, some of us are starting to slow down and then there's the ones who have passed on.

    When I retired 18 years ago, I told my wife (who worked for another 5 years) that I was going to travel to the places I want to fish, no matter what the cost. Because if something was to happen to me and I ended up being confined to a wheel chair, in a care home or not being able to do what I love, I could just sit back, be happy because I had done what I wanted to do, in my life time.

    I have a few more places I would love to visit.... I think one is Alaska, Montana and back to Australia.
    Jay Murakoshi

    Commercial Fly Tier

    Travel Coordinator

    Web site: http://www.fliesunlimited.com/

    Email us at: jaysflies@me.com

    Call us at (831) 809-4221

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
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    Default

    Yes Jay

    Most of our old friends from the Greatest Generation are gone now.

    Our generation, the Baby Boomers, is starting to fade away too.

    I think my big traveling days are over but I love to fish here in Florida because it is so close to my home.

    Lately it seem I am getting news of a fly fisher passing ever week?


    What we do have in common is all the memories of the wonderful places we went to and the good people who shared it with us too.


    Today I email, text and talk on the phone to many of my good buddies, weekly.


    Yesterday I had a big BS session with one of my other long term fly fishing buddies, Leo Gutterres, in Stockton.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Tejas !!
    Posts
    792

    Default

    Joe is a great one for sure. I saw him on the river a number of time years back and he was always happy and helpful. I recall one day at Watt he waded so deep it was up to his armpits and he still cast a mile, VERY impressed by that!.


    I'm not retired yet, but the current job allows travel and time to go enjoy life, so I don't mind it so much.

    Life is short- at least it seems that way now. I'm taking every chance to get a smile in and an adventure. Like you said Jay, you don't want regrets, and I agree- we leave for Switzerland tomorrow, and we have a trip booked to go to St Moritz and do a run in a 4 man bobsled on the olympic course there. I might never be back there and I am NOT gonna miss out on the chance.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Fort Collins, CO
    Posts
    428

    Default

    At any function, if I was successful in sitting next to Joe, I KNEW THAT I HAD THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
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    Default

    Yes Bobby,

    Joe had an impact on many people......he was very likeable and made news friends daily.

    He always seemed to be happy...........never complained about anything.

    We have been talking about how much he will be missed for decades.

    As my mom said, after you hit 90 most of your friends are gone.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

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