121112

The year is winding down and I've been ruminating on 2012 and all of the various adventures that are now in the proverbial rearview mirror of my aquatic life. I think I'll try to put some of them to cyber ink over the coming weeks. Some of the highlights involve starting off the trip to NZ at a dinner table watching a buddy pull pins out of another buddies thumb, getting locked in BFE NZ, my first Tarpon, my first photo cover, stripping X-Caddis, and an indian named Red Gun.

However, before I go there, a dear family member on my wife's side of the family passed away last weekend. I got to know Charlie a little bit over the years and, though he was a NY Giants fan, he was a helluva good guy and will be sorely missed. He always provided me with some entertaining conversation at all those family get togethers back in Ohio where I was vastly outnumbered. I'll always be grateful for his kindness, enthusiasm for my family, his constant presence at family get togethers, and just the way he cared for my wife. I got to take him fishing a few years ago on the upper Madison, maybe the only time he ever fly-fished, and explain to him why the upper Madison sucks and fish don't actually eat Salmonflies when I'm on the water. Still, he managed to foul hook one on a dry and we had an epic battle on our hands. It was a fun day and I'm sorry that I won't be able to do it again with him.