Jack "JackM" Manderino
- Thread starter DaveKile
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albatross
Well-known member
Jack and I were pretty close. He befriended me while I was still a newby to the board. We spent a lot of time fishing together. I will miss his his wit and wisdom. I credit Jack for introducing me to many of you who know me. I have a number of very close friends from PaFlyFish that I may have never met were it not for JackM. I hope he's casting to rising trout in heaven. He will be missed.
Greg
Greg
albatross
Well-known member
gfenlikestolosepasswords
Well-known member
Jack.
I don't really know what to say, this is the second time since I crawled back out of the woodwork that something like this hit me, and I'm not quite prepared for it.
We used to battle, and I mean battle, on this board about things. To say we didn't get along would be an understatement. I don't do well with authority, and he was authority. A lot of our core beliefs came from the same place, but we definitely held them in different priorities.
And then one day, he came stumbling, as was his natural gait at the Jam, up to me at the fire circle and thrust a bottle at me. Hands were shaken, pleasantries exchanged and we became friends. I don't think he would've had it any other way. We still fought, but it was different, now.
I got memories of Jack, and they might involve being around fishing, it wasn't the activity that makes them dear. Turkey brought up his stream-side furniture exploits. Watching him melt the soles of his shoes. Wild nights of extended good intentions and arguments around a fire, where cheer was spread along with insults. Good insults. The kind that make you smile to think of them. And a lot of Evan Williams.
I don't know why I'm writing this, I think most of us know him and his exploits already. I certainly won't forget him. Maybe I just hope that if I send it out into the ether that he'll pick up and know I always appreciated him in the end, and respected him walking the fine line between being a degenerate like some of us were while keeping up and doing the right thing by the standards of this board and his life.
I'll miss you, Jack. You were my friend. Impossibly, sometimes, but truly.
I don't really know what to say, this is the second time since I crawled back out of the woodwork that something like this hit me, and I'm not quite prepared for it.
We used to battle, and I mean battle, on this board about things. To say we didn't get along would be an understatement. I don't do well with authority, and he was authority. A lot of our core beliefs came from the same place, but we definitely held them in different priorities.
And then one day, he came stumbling, as was his natural gait at the Jam, up to me at the fire circle and thrust a bottle at me. Hands were shaken, pleasantries exchanged and we became friends. I don't think he would've had it any other way. We still fought, but it was different, now.
I got memories of Jack, and they might involve being around fishing, it wasn't the activity that makes them dear. Turkey brought up his stream-side furniture exploits. Watching him melt the soles of his shoes. Wild nights of extended good intentions and arguments around a fire, where cheer was spread along with insults. Good insults. The kind that make you smile to think of them. And a lot of Evan Williams.
I don't know why I'm writing this, I think most of us know him and his exploits already. I certainly won't forget him. Maybe I just hope that if I send it out into the ether that he'll pick up and know I always appreciated him in the end, and respected him walking the fine line between being a degenerate like some of us were while keeping up and doing the right thing by the standards of this board and his life.
I'll miss you, Jack. You were my friend. Impossibly, sometimes, but truly.
Clams
Well-known member
RIP. Condolences to all who knew him.
Of all the people I have ever met in my lifetime, I can truly say, Jack was one of the funniest person I have ever met and was sure to put a smile on your face. The other thing I remember about him, is he always pulled for the "little" guy and was all about fairness for all. Jack will be missed by many.
Trapshooter
Active member
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2017
- Messages
- 283
I remember Jack from the Jams. Very funny guy for sure. He will be missed. Way too young to leave us. RIP Jack.
Raising a glass to Jack tonight with some bourbon and some tunes.
turkey
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- Jun 8, 2008
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- 1,717
Well said G-Man. Very well said.
Maurice
Well-known member
Maurice
Well-known member
People saw Jack,
As i read these notes of condolence I reflect on how Jack approached a crowd. Always a slice of his personality offered, everybody got a different one. But from our view point. There was another with his professional life in the pursuit of justice. From public defender to local candidate for justice. Thats a perspective we had welcomed and still have great confidence in. People sure saw him.
Hope he runs into PaulG fishing an orange ant under a shady pool, He will sure get a shot of those fish.
As i read these notes of condolence I reflect on how Jack approached a crowd. Always a slice of his personality offered, everybody got a different one. But from our view point. There was another with his professional life in the pursuit of justice. From public defender to local candidate for justice. Thats a perspective we had welcomed and still have great confidence in. People sure saw him.
Hope he runs into PaulG fishing an orange ant under a shady pool, He will sure get a shot of those fish.
Last edited:
Padraic
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2006
- Messages
- 1,756
When I started flyfishing I was incredibly earnest about everything, I'm glad Jack was around to keep me grounded. He could give as good as he got, but I always saw the good nature behind it all.
It was almost 30 yrs ago that I found this site, and Jack was a huge prescense. What I remember best, is that when others praised wild trout and heavy hatches, he still loved his local waters with the stocked trout and misquitoes. He loved what he had, there's a lesson for us all.
Well there I go being earnest again, Jack wouldn't like that. So I'll sign off with something that he might like. He was a ballbuster with a good heart.
It was almost 30 yrs ago that I found this site, and Jack was a huge prescense. What I remember best, is that when others praised wild trout and heavy hatches, he still loved his local waters with the stocked trout and misquitoes. He loved what he had, there's a lesson for us all.
Well there I go being earnest again, Jack wouldn't like that. So I'll sign off with something that he might like. He was a ballbuster with a good heart.
jayL
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2007
- Messages
- 9,946
Jack was a bit of an intimidating guy before I first met him, I guess. I was like 21 and stupid, whereas he was always seemingly principled, intelligent, and quick to bust balls. I made it a point to meet him when I first encountered him at a jam but also made it a point to keep my distance around all of those stuffy old men, especially those with JDs. Probably the second jam I attended, I snuck away to my car roll a joint or two before the evening fishing. Sure enough, here comes Jack, and he’s got me dead to rights. He asks how I’m doing and I stammered a bit about the weather. Jack took a tone that struck me as serious, then suggested we fish together that evening - at the time I was freaked out but figured he had to be messing with me, so I agreed. We fished march browns in the mud and talked about the world. He was as clueless as I was on the fly rod and we shared plenty of fun common interests.
We probably fished together dozens of times after that and hung around various muddy campgrounds even more. He once asked me what I thought the essence of life was on a hike out of Penns - the breath of god, in his words. Perhaps he knows the answer now.
Jack was the funniest guy around here in the days I was around, and it’s not even close. Smartest, too, and that’s less close. The man coached me through traffic tickets and smarter speeding, frugal fishing (and drinking), philosophy, and life in general. He taught me not to fear the check engine light even in the deepest east coast boonies. I spent my last night in PA in a guest room at his place and got to meet his stray cat. We kept in touch long after I left the east, though I regret how bad I am at keeping up with that.
Jack is the source of some of the best stories I’ve got to tell. I’m thankful that I’ll always have those. The man is a legend.
Thanks, Jack. I’ll have a glass of crown for ya, but I won’t be able to get it for wholesale price at the bar like you showed me all those years ago - that’s a move only you could pull off.
We probably fished together dozens of times after that and hung around various muddy campgrounds even more. He once asked me what I thought the essence of life was on a hike out of Penns - the breath of god, in his words. Perhaps he knows the answer now.
Jack was the funniest guy around here in the days I was around, and it’s not even close. Smartest, too, and that’s less close. The man coached me through traffic tickets and smarter speeding, frugal fishing (and drinking), philosophy, and life in general. He taught me not to fear the check engine light even in the deepest east coast boonies. I spent my last night in PA in a guest room at his place and got to meet his stray cat. We kept in touch long after I left the east, though I regret how bad I am at keeping up with that.
Jack is the source of some of the best stories I’ve got to tell. I’m thankful that I’ll always have those. The man is a legend.
Thanks, Jack. I’ll have a glass of crown for ya, but I won’t be able to get it for wholesale price at the bar like you showed me all those years ago - that’s a move only you could pull off.
Acristickid
Well-known member
Condolences to Jacks family.
The Hemlock Acres jam where it poured all night and people were in the big pavilion- one of my first memories of Jack. Maybe standing on a picnic table at 2 am arguing with Rudy. Hah ?
Recall getting up at 4:30 am after going to bed late to fish GD’s on Penns and he met me about an hour later downstream of tunnel road. We caught more fish by 7am then we did the whole rest of the day.
The two other memories that come to mind- fishing the gauge hole on the Yough several times and once going to his Italian club in Monesson.
Jack was a protector of the less fortunate and fought for their rights.
Only one mold made for Jack. Dang.
The Hemlock Acres jam where it poured all night and people were in the big pavilion- one of my first memories of Jack. Maybe standing on a picnic table at 2 am arguing with Rudy. Hah ?
Recall getting up at 4:30 am after going to bed late to fish GD’s on Penns and he met me about an hour later downstream of tunnel road. We caught more fish by 7am then we did the whole rest of the day.
The two other memories that come to mind- fishing the gauge hole on the Yough several times and once going to his Italian club in Monesson.
Jack was a protector of the less fortunate and fought for their rights.
Only one mold made for Jack. Dang.
Stream side lawyering batting .500
I got to see Jack work his legal skills on the stream on two occasions. #1. We were fishing in the smokies and as we were milling around the cars taking our stuff off a park ranger pulled over and started interrogating us. He keyed in one a set of hemostats and insisted that it was a roach clip. Jack prudently offered to let the ranger smell the device to provide evidence that it was not paraphernalia. The officer did so and found only the sweet smell of trout slime. We went free.
#2. We were pulling out after a float of the middle yough and a ranger intercepted us. He informed us that he observed us drinking beer on the trip which was strictly against PADCNR regulations. He pointed to the garbage bag full of empty beer cans. Without skipping a beat Jack argued that we did not drink these and instead did an impromptu stream clean up of trash. The flaw in his argument was that the collected trash equaled an empty cardboard case of beer and 24 cans of similar beer cans. It was a valiant attempt.
In the major leagues that kind of batting average gets you into the hall of fame. Jack certainly earned a place in the PAFF hall of fame. Rest easy my friend and I hope that the trout in heaven are looking up.
dryflyguy
Well-known member
The_Sasquatch
Well-known member
oh man. That's a serious loss to this board, and to the world. Jack was the one who made me feel comfortable enough to open up my personal cabin and host the North-Central PA Summit for several years. It was essentially his idea-even though he never came to it himself (it started with him wanting to find a quill gordon hatch!) We argued communism and religion back in the "old days" of this board, and would send Dylan bootlegs back and forth (legally, OF COURSE!!! Just in case anyone here works for Columbia Records....)
SBecker
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- Joined
- Jun 26, 2010
- Messages
- 5,883
RIP Jack, Unfortunately never have been able to make a Jam and get the chance to meet you. Early on my days here I was scolded a few times by him, but he seemed to have the same type of humor. Just had to be taken more seriously as a moderator. Would consider him an undercover degenerate. Hopefully, one day I will get the chance to wet a line with you.
