Famous Fly Fisherman

MJE2083

MJE2083

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
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43
First off: Merry Christmas to all.

Second: While sitting at work this morning (Merry Christmas right?) I came across this article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette about Steeler/Outdoorsman Brett Keisel.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11359/1199077-358-3.stm

On the 3rd page of the article it states that Steelers Safety Troy Polamalu is an avid fly fisherman who frequents Central PA. I never knew this about Troy (who knows if its true or not).

I got to thinking, have any of you ever run into Troy, or any other celebrity out on the stream? Ever fished WITH a celebrity? If you did, tell us the story and what your impression of that person was.
 
I was fishing a stretch of Penns one evening last Spring and while waiting for rises, Natalie Portman came walking through the woods alone carrying a fly rod and wearing a pair of hip waders and a red bikini. She came by where I was sitting and was startled, letting out a gasp of surprise and I apologized for frightening her. She was very sweet and I asked her if she'd like to have a sip of bourbon while we waited for the spinnerfall. She agreed, somewhat shyly, and we shared a few draws. Before long, I woke up.

Merry Christmas-- true story!
 
I have never fished with a celebrity or a famous person for that matter (unless you include Dwight Landis, genuine nice guy by the way) but I did get scolded by Joe Humphries one day. Didn't know it was him but apparently he did not like the way I was handling the releasing of a fish. Now he was clear across Penn's Creek (maybe 100 feet away) and couldn't see that the fly was pretty deep, not cut the fly off deep but not in the lip either. It took me a few seconds to realize I needed my hemos but apparently not fast enough for Joe. He yelled over that I needed to buy a set of hemos, just as I was taking them off the inside of my vest. Now I guess Joe has seen enough and paid enough dues to give him the right to get cranky but he did put me off. Now I would certainly sit down and have a beer with Joe because I hold no ill will but not the best first impression.
 
I passed and greeted Adam West (Batman) on the Little Wood River many years back. I felt it best to keep moving and not engage in conversation but we exchanged polite hellos. There were lots of celebs floating around the town Ketchum, ID but he's the only one I saw on stream.
 
Dan bailey
Joe Brooks
Stu Apte
John Alden Knight
Ed shenk
Ed Koch
Charles Fox
Bud Lilly
but no one outside the sport-understandable since I was mostly night or foul weather fisherman.Not too many sensible people wading the Missouri or Yellowstone at 3am in mid Oct...lol
thanks for the heads up,FI-didn't fish with any-just met the people-lol
 
MJE,
I have heard that Troy P enjoys fly fishing.

I too have been scolded by some big name FFers in the past when I was young. In retrospect, I deserved it.

Can't say I've really fished with any big names/celebrities on a personal level....unless you count JackM, JayL, and Afishinado. :)

On a serious note, I did have the good fortune of spending time with Charlie Fox on Letort: wonderful and witty man with limitless patience in answering the eager questions of a teenager.

Edit: I've met all the guys in Pete's list above except Brooks, Bailey and Knight. Wouldn't say I've fished with 'em.
 
MJE2083 wrote:
First off: Merry Christmas to all.

Second: While sitting at work this morning (Merry Christmas right?) I came across this article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette about Steeler/Outdoorsman Brett Keisel.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11359/1199077-358-3.stm

On the 3rd page of the article it states that Steelers Safety Troy Polamalu is an avid fly fisherman who frequents Central PA. I never knew this about Troy (who knows if its true or not).

I got to thinking, have any of you ever run into Troy, or any other celebrity out on the stream? Ever fished WITH a celebrity? If you did, tell us the story and what your impression of that person was.
Click to expand...

It is true. I knew Eric Stroup pretty well when he had his shop along Spruce (Spruce Creek Fly Company). He told me that Troy P. showed up at the shop one day out of the blue asking about places to fish. Eric took him out fishing that day, and has taken him out quite a bit since. Eric currently runs a guide service in Central PA.

Troy frequents the area frequently (off-season...off football season that is) and has even been rumored to be looking to buy a cabin and some land for fishing.

Eric told me that Troy is a decent FFer.
 
I can only imagine FF with Troy P. Let a little chuckle out when he gets tangled in a tree and he levels you with a flying forearm. That would be some intense fishing.
 
We need to get Troy to join PAFF, we can use him as our enforcer when things get nasty! LOL
 
I fished with George Harvey for years before I realized that he was famous. I just thought that he was helpful and friendly. I wish that I hadn't used the dozens of flys that he gave me...
His successor, on the other hand is not so cool.
He tried to muscle in on me at the Breeches below Allenberry explaining that he was J.H. and it was his pool and he would show me how to fish it. I was doing pretty alright without his help. When I didn't give up the spot he went in just above me. It was clear that I was fishing upstream. When I launched a few rocks his way, he left.
I was probably the reason that he joined SRC.
 
When I was a fly fishermen I had some run ins with spinners who seemed to think 50 yds was plenty of room for a guy working streamers downstream-I guess they felt we would just stand in one place all day-lol
That's why I really got into night fishing-waited til they went home and came out like a vampire and did my thing-still do.
 
Foxgap239 wrote:
We need to get Troy to join PAFF, we can use him as our enforcer when things get nasty! LOL
Click to expand...

Troy was here for a while, but we had to cancel his registration after he repeatedly intercepted PMs and derailed dicussions cutting across the middle. :cool:
 
Funny story Jack, the same thing happened to me a few years back except the bikini was green (as to not spook fish) and I was drinking rum(as usual).

Speaking of celebrity fly fishermen, a little while after posting this someone gave me a book for a gift by Henry Winkler aka The Fonz about fly fishing.
 
Back when he was still employed locally, Gary Anderson was often sighted steelhead fishing, on their day off (Tusedays if I remember right). Anyway, he fished past me on Elk one morning. I think we asked each other about the fishing that morning but that was about it.
 
About five years ago I spent a week fishing at a ranch in Wyoming. Sigourney Weaver of Alien fame was also there that week and I got to share some time with Her and her kids fly-fishing.....She's a real down to earth celeb and a pretty good fisherwoman.
 
I met Jack Sharkey in New Hampshire 40 or so years back. He was fly fishing for landlocked salmon In Lake Winapasaukee.
Met Mark Sosin in the Keys while fishing a Mako Owners tournament hosted by Boog Powell. Boog had a marina on Stock Island just north of Key West. That was the time that he was doing the Miller Light Commercials and had kegs of the stuff sitting on the dock. He had his staff get fish for a fry and had a huge barbecue Sat. nite. Boog was one of the craziest people I've ever met.
Met Left Krey at a local boat show, seemed like a good guy.
 
Like Fishidiot, I was fortunate to spend time with Charlie Fox. I was just a kid who would ride his bike or hitchhike from Newville to Carlisle to fish the famous LeTort. Charlie was a great guy who was always willing to share with those to stopped by his meadow. It was not until some time after our first meeting that I became aware of his fame. I will always treasure those days spent in Fox's meadow

Met Lefty Kreh on Green Spring Creek in August 1973. Only remember the year because I had just received my drivers license and school had not yet started. Lefty was fishing over water I had just covered with a LeTort hopper only 30 minutes before with limited success. The trout with had just ignored my offering fell under his spell. We talked for a while about fishing in general and the fly he was using at the time (jassid) and asked if it was ok to move upstream on my position. Believing I was in the presence of a pied piper, I followed him through the upper meadow for the next hour or so where i witnessed an exhibition the likes of which I've never seen before or since. I still have the 6 jassids he gave me that day.
 
When I was young, I met both Charles Fox and Vince Marinaro. Though Marinaro had a reputation for being brusque, he was patient and engaging the times I ran into him. Fox was also a gentleman. Never met them on the stream though, just at places off the water.
I also ran into GH, but only once, and also found him to be the type of person you want to run into. Like others, when I saw JH giving casting demos, etc. at various functions, I thought him to be rather full of himself. Just my impression.
Best flycaster I ever saw was Henry Malone of Milesburg, though I guess he wasn't a celebrity, except to those of us who got to fish with him and got to listen to his tales.
I wouldn't mind meeting Natalie P. as Jack described her, but my wife might not approve, even at my age.
 
I was fortunate enough to attend PSU in the late 70's and early 80's. I remember drinking beer with Joe Humphries and Bob Bachman following TU meetings at the Elks, listening intently as Joe and Bob discussed the feeding habits of wild brown trout. The discussion was priceless. During that same period I also had the pleasure of meeting George Harvey at Fisherman's Paradise and receiving a 10 minute primer on dry fly fishing, again priceless. A few years later I met Charlie Fox while fishing the meadow on the Letort. We ahd a very nice chat about muskie fishing, apparently one of Charlie's other passions.
 
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