THE
REEL THING
October 1999
The
biggest news I have for this issue of The REEL THING is the adventure that
our long-time friend and club member, Rick Matusiak just underwent. A couple of weeks ago he went to the doctor for a routine
checkup and the doc, not liking what he saw sent Rick to the hospital for
some more tests on his heart. The
doctors there also were not pleased with the test results and refused to let
him go home, after informing him that he would be receiving a triple-bypass
heart operation four days later.
When
the operation was performed, the doctors discovered that the situation was
even worse and that Rick would require a quadruple-bypass instead.
They told him afterwards that he had actually been a walking time
bomb. The operation was
successful, but then he suffered a relapse, lung problems and infections.
There were a couple of quite bad days, but the guy is strong and he
pulled out and was finally sent home with a clean bill of health a few days
ago. He called yesterday to report that he is once again hard at
work putting the finishing touches on the new super Broadback video he is
putting together. We have a couple of Rick Matusiak’s terrific Fish Eye
View videos that he was good enough to give us for the club. They can be borrowed free for the asking.
Well,
you had your family and everybody in the club pretty worried there for a few
days, Rick, but we’re all tickled pink that you’re back in action (well
almost) once again. Do you want
to join us on Thanksgiving weekend, chasing rainbows up at Georgian Bay?
Ray
Cockburn, his son Andrew, Richard Sluce, Sheila and I had a nice outing up
at Meaford last Saturday. I
released a big rainbow, Ray had a couple of good smacks and that was that.
Even Sheila was skunked, but we did manage to pick a basket, or so of
mushrooms on the way home. The next day I went looking in a few of my favourite haunts
for more delicious fungi and scored six baskets of superb mushrooms and a
soccer-sized puff-ball. There
were enough for me to share them with a few of the fellows in the club.
On
Wednesday, Paul Quarrington and I hit the Ganaraska River for the final
outing before it closed for the season.
We got into some nice Chinooks, a few small ‘bows and I had another
crack at the big Brown I’ve been trying to hook all summer…….I also
released another that would have gone over two pounds.
The next fishing trip on the agenda is shaping up to be a beauty with
at least ten of us gearing up for the hike and portage into Jim’s ‘Limit
Lake’. So far we have commitments for this one from Jim, Paul, Ray,
Tom, Christopher, Hans, Andrew, Richard, Sheila and I. If anyone else wants in they had better get in touch with us
toute suite!
I
would like to take this opportunity to welcome aboard a couple of new
members whose enthusiasm is most appreciated by all of us;
Harley Silver and Allan Salvador.
Both of these gentlemen joined the club with the express purpose in
mind to learn how to make split cane rods.
From what we have seen already, it appears that they will easily
achieve that objective and it is to be hoped that they will also take
advantage of the other opportunities open to them in the club so that they
can put their finished rods to the best possible use.
Apparently Allan is a top-notch fly tyer as well so perhaps we can
utilise his expertise in that department.
Ashok
and Roger both had recent trips to British Columbia to fly fish for
Steelhead. Roger’s trip was
too early (the run had not begun) and we haven’t had a report from Ashok
as of yet. Kyle Sullivan told
us that he caught a four pound Small-mouth back in August.
Now if only we could get him to strut his stuff on the tournament
circuit, I’m certain he would be a big medal winner.
Unfortunately, Kyle, our in-house club champion, missed all the
tournaments back in June as well as the National in August!!!!!
Sheila
and I are taking off for the topless beaches of the Mediterranean in
Torremolinos, Spain, on August 19th until the 26th. Jim will be looking after the equipment and the gym at the
school while we’re away. If
you have any questions call him at 416.438.8540.
Our regular rod-building classes will begin on the 12th in
my shop, but because we will be away for the next two Tuesdays and the
school will be closed for a parent-teacher thing next Thursday, the bamboo
boys are all invited to my shop for the Thursday evening to get things
underway. If the new chaps
attend this one, they should get enough knowledge that they can work on the
sticks while Sheila and I are in Spain.
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