The Geezer Hatch...

[planettrout]

A few qualifiers around here...

http://www.ginkandgasoline.com/fly-fish ... zer-hatch/


PT/TB

[Wildman]

I'm proud of my geezerness....don't have a choice. An excellent piece that is closer to home then most. Thanks for sharing-and thank you for your service.

[briansII]

Very good piece. Thanks for sharing it.

briansII

[fshflys]

Yeah Tim, I read that this morning too, good read. I didn't serve, got a # in 1970 but was never called. Lots of anti stuff going on back then, didn't want to serve, too scared. Nowadays I appreciate those that did.

[BrownBear]

...got a # in 1970 but was never called....

Same boat. My timing was such that many of my classmates in grad school were returning vets, many of them also disabled in one way or another.

There were Berle and Marty who couldn't finish the statistics classes because the rattle of the old Olivetti calculators (remember those, before electronic calculators?) exactly matched the pace of the Chinese equivalent of a 50 caliber machine gun.

There were John and Jim, twin brothers who flew from carriers. When John's plane blew apart around him, his parachute landed him in rice paddies north of the border where he got a little too acquainted with the sound of AK 47's, whistles and the sound of the first dustoff helicopter being stuck by an RPG. Guy dropped a book off his desk, and John had to have stitches where his head hit the floor going under his desk.

Two days later Jim's parachute landed him in the Tonkin Gulf, apparently none the worse for wear until recurring headaches revealed just how close he'd come. Hypothesis is that he'd hit his head ejecting (evidenced by his crushed helmet), but only in graduate school did xrays reveal a floating chard of bone in his neck that could have paralyzed or killed him at any time if it had shifted so much as a millimeter.

Lyle imposed on the VA to provide him with specially * waders and hip boots (we were fisheries majors) with a steel shank through the arch of each left boot, machined perfectly so he could wear his leg brace on the outside of the waders and get on with life. He lost all lifting motion in the left foot when a machinegun bullet passed up through the floor of the helicopter he was commanding, striking his leg, then continuing on up to shatter his copilot's arm. They flew back to base with him running the hand controls while his copilot ran the pedals.

One more worth mentioning, because he's still in my life. A full tour of forward patrols left Frank dingier than a pet racoon for many years, but his life dependency on alertness in the woods has made him one of the top hunting guides (and my favorite hunting pardner) in Alaska today.

I honor those guys each day in remembrance of the personal price each paid when they came home, not to mention the things they did while serving on our behalf. Geezers all, we don't talk about it much any more. But that doesn't diminish it one bit.

[Rasputinj]

Great article, I have fished with quite a few "Geezers". I have learned so much from them and have been amazed by how well they fish. It makes me want to be a better fly fisherman. I will never forget fishing with "Ants" in Mammoth that man flat out kicked my rear hiking above Rock Creek lake and Rainbow Falls and other areas around SJ River. I also was amazed by his fishing on the Klamath. I hope to be 1/2 the fly fisher he is and maybe have 1/2 his endurance. I will not call him a "geezer" I just want to be like him when I retire or even before then.

[BrownBear]

My favorite geezer fishing pardner just turned 80. He's a little shaky in the wading department now, but his fishing is something to behold. His truck is graced with a bumper sticker placed there by his great-grandson:

Listen to old guys. They know stuff!

Now everyone knows him as Old Guy.

[Ants]

Geezer hood can take many forms. The sedentary version is the least conducive to enjoying physical activity. There is lots of inspiration from folks who stay active without regard to whether social security checks are being received.

Personally, I enjoy being active and the opportunities I can pursue. I am also thankful that I am not suffering from chronic problems. To scout the rivers for the drift boat, I just spent some of my social security check on a whitewater kayak. A friend asked what shape my shoulders were in - I guess they will be in better shape with time.

Retirement offers the opportunity to arrange your time and activities to suit your needs. It is a great time.

It helps to spend time with active folks. The missus is now retired and will be running the Phoenix marathon this weekend as well as my daughter. My job is to spectate on a bicycle and collect and deliver the tired bodies afterward.

Don't bother to tell my mind my age -it won't believe it.

Ants

[lucfish]

I read it yesterday also but am just as impressed with the responses I'm seeing on this forum. I don't think I need to make any more comment than that.

[duckdog]

It's kind of funny listening to young folks talk about old folks. As if they themselves are immune to aging and the effects of time. As if they never consider that they too, if fortunate enough will be old some day. It's an astounding lack of self awareness. Behind each set of old eyes is a story. Many of those stories are absolutely amazing .

[stanbery]

That was a great pc from Luis from G.N.G
One of my best fishing buddy is a Geezer but I love to fish with him any time or place.

Jon