Читать книгу Fly Fishing Central & Southeastern Oregon - Harry Teel - Страница 7

You are holding the updated, newly designed, and most current edition of the first book in the No Nonsense Fly Fishing Guidebooks series. More important, the information and ideas here are the sum of a devoted angler’s 65-plus years of experience fly fishing his home state. Harry Teel’s direction is very valuable if you want to fly fish or explore our stomping grounds here in central and southeastern Oregon.

The way this book came about is worthy of note. At the onset of his second retirement from a “real” job, Oregonian Harry Teel decided to leave information for his children regarding fly fishing in Oregon. His second job, by the way, was starting and operating The Fly Fisher’s Place, a fly shop in Sisters, Oregon. This is where many of us enjoyed learning fly fishing, were pointed in the right direction, and dropped a bundle: the essence of a great fly shop.

But back to the book. Mr. Teel then wrote down all his firsthand knowledge of Oregon fly fishing, acquired as an angler and outfitter. He even drew and annotated maps showing where to fly fish these waters. Dee, Harry’s wife, fly shop partner, and angling companion, carefully organized Harry’s thoughts and entered everything into their new home computer.

In 1992 my then neighbor (and friend) Harry was asked by close friends if they could get a copy when the book was completed. Harry then contacted me and asked if I would like to make a book out of his manuscript and drawings. I found that Harry’s Marine Corps training and his education and career as an engineer came through in his manuscript. It had precision, parsimony, and a nuts-and-bolts approach to a hobby that is often portrayed and perceived as complicated. I remarked that the approach was a lot like him: no nonsense. Then, as they say, a brand was born.

At that time, there wasn’t a fly fishing guidebook to our area. Over time, and thanks (very much) to our devoted readers, this book became popular. It has been reprinted five times. The fourth printing was a new edition, updated and with new waters highlighted by Jeff Perin, the present owner of The Fly Fisher’s Place.

Now, as central Oregon has grown, the region has become something of a Northwest fly fishing focal point. Oregon has tons of great fishing waters, but the central and southeastern part of the state, Harry’s old turf, seems the most amenable to our hobby. Please use and enjoy this guidebook and tread lightly on our territory. I know you’ll enjoy finding out what Harry wrote down those many years ago. Give him some thanks next time you see him.

David Banks