Greg, my guide, carries his bicycle everywhere that we go. He provides his own vehicle shuttle service. He leaves the bike where he is planning to get off the river. Then we drive downstream and fish upstream back to the bike. Greg then rides his bike back to the truck.
Today while I was sitting in the grass along the river and road waiting for Greg to return with the truck, I became very reflective. Old men do a lot of that, I think. I thought a lot about how I came to be in this place doing what I was doing. How did I ever come to know that I wanted to fish for the most difficult trout in the world here in New Zealand?
Some years ago there were 3 of us senior Ducks Unlimited (DU) volunteers who worked with Matt Connolly, who was then the Executive Vice President of DU. Matt sparked an interest in fly fishing in these 3 volunteers and then fanned those sparks into a raging passion. In those days not only were all of us working together as a part of the DU senior management team, we were friends, confidants, and most of all we went some very special places together doing that which we loved to do. Those 3 DU volunteers were Gene Henry, John E. (Johnny) Walker of Galveston, TX and me. Gene Henry sits beside me now still offering a critique of current DU activities. Matt is at home in Memphis, TN. Johnny Walker passed away suddenly in 2004.
From both Gene and I, we send a special thanks to Matt for helping us come to know that we wanted to, and had to come to New Zealand to test our fishing skills and broaden our knowledge of this wonderful sport.
To Matt, we owe you a huge debt of gratitude. Thanks for all of the fun.
To Johnny, we miss you mightily and hope that somehow you know that we are here.
Don & Gene
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