THE CHRONICLER'S FAIR WELL
“I, The Chronicler, taught angler’s knowledge, and I pondered, searched out and arranged many articles. The Chronicler sought to find appropriate words and to write words of truth correctly. Words of wise anglers are like goads, and masters of these words are like well-driven nails. However, my fellow anglers, be warned: the writing of the many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.” [Loose Paraphrase from The Bible, Ecclesiastes Chapter 12: 9-12]
And so, it ends. From the banks of the tiny brooks and creeks that punctuated the landscape around the dairy farm in upstate New York where I grew up, to the trout streams of the Midwest and the vast waters of the western United States, I have pursued the pleasure of fly fishing. Along the way I met many interesting fellow travelers, from beginners to the polished pros. I had the privilege of calling many of the notables of the sport by their first names, and I have stood on the shoulders of those legendary anglers that have gone before us. I have had the privilege of putting into words much of what I have experienced and learned along the way and seeing those words in print in various venues.
However, my greatest blessing has been, and remains, the places that I have wet my line and the people that have accompanied me on those adventures. I would be hard pressed to remember a specific fish that I have caught but I can easily recall with pleasure the places where I have fished and the people that have shared in those memories. At the end of the day I believe that constitutes what fly fishing is all about; not the fish that have been caught but the memories that have been created.
Now, the days of writing and editing the content for Fly Anglers Online has come to an end. Like the setting of the sun at the end of a truly memorable day we mourn its coming but know that it is inevitable.
There are many people that are responsible for the success of Fly Anglers Online; but at the risk of offending someone whose name I might forget to mention I simply say thank you to everyone that has had a hand in making The Ladyfishers dream come true. She has left a legacy that has truly impacted the sport of fly fishing, and I was honored to have been a part of that legacy.
And so, the Chronicler’s tale comes to an end.