My Mentor, My Friend

Growing up in Lancaster, PA, I couldn’t wait for the opening of trout season. My Uncle Jerry would pick me up before dawn and we’d head to one of the numerous stocked trout streams all around the county. He’d patiently wait and fish beside me on opening day, elbow to elbow with all the other opening day yahoos for as long as he could take it, then say “let’s go”. We’d eat our packed lunches and chocolate milk on our way to some tiny mountain feeder stream he found on topo maps he kept in his fishing rig we called the “brown roach”. Now it was his turn and I would watch him fish. I’d complain saying “Uncle Jerry, there’s no fish in this tiny stream” and minutes later, his nightcrawler garnished line would come tight with a 17” native brown. No doubt, Uncle Jerry was my first fishing mentor.

The love of fishing stayed with me all through my teens and into college. Several times a week, during the summers after work, you could find me knee deep in some farm country stream throwing Mister Twister in search of smallies. On the weekends I'd be chucking worms into pocket water mountain steams hoping for the tug of a brookie. Then the career came a-calling and my passion for fishing waned as I concentrated on the corporate ladder thang. I guess I was successful enough because a big company promoted me and moved me west to my beloved Oregon. A marriage later, I found myself doing an extensive remodel on my home that lasted nearly 2 years. I vowed to “take a break” and start something new. One of the contractors working at my place had just been bitten by the fly fishing bug and wouldn’t shut up about it. He kept saying "you’ve got to try this". I was certainly aware of fly fishing, but had never touched a long rod. He told me I had to go to Kauffman’s and the only guy you should talk to is Joel. A few weeks later, I ventured into to that small shop on Commercial Ave. and asked for Joel. I laid my cards on the table and said, I don’t have time to do a ton of research and truthfully, I don’t know if I’m going to love or hate this sport….so what do I need? Joel could have easily taken advantage of my naïveté and grabbed for my wallet. Of course, he didn’t. He patiently took me through the gear I would need and sold me an opening package that would get me started. I quickly became a loyal customer. Over the next year, the fishing passion I grew up with reemerged in a BIG way. And this time, I was armed with the long rod and these thread and feather things that imitated the trout’s natural diet. What a concept. I found myself finding stupid excuses to “drop by” the shop and each time, Joel was there with a smile, a handshake and the tolerance for what I’m sure was literally thousands of questions. I was hooked (pun intended). I couldn’t stop fishing and over time and repeated visits to the shop, I felt a kinship and a friendship blossoming with this gentle, knowledgeable, wise photographer, racer, offshore commercial fisherman, fly tyer and maestro on the water. His stories and experiences captivated me.

Then this insanely fun and adventurous thing called Bone fishing entered my world. Yippee…so many more reasons to find my way back to the shop. Joel invited me on a hosted trip to Christmas Island. We’ve been back there together two more times as well as two visits to Abaco and to Venezuela. We also traveled to a fly-in Alaska Lodge with two other guys for a week of chasing Silvers, Pinks, Rainbows and non-stop jokes. We did the Icicle Road Trip for several years, aptly named for the snow and ice we encountered on the Crooked and Metolius at the end of January. The amount of fun and adventure I’ve had with this man is incredible.

As the days of the old shop drew to a close, those closest to Joel just knew he had to have his own shop. I remember coming to see the shop when it was a toy store. I remember a trip to Warm Springs to find shop furnishings. I remember helping to pick the wall colors and laying the slate in the entryways. I will always feel an intimate connection to Royal Treatment, and I take a tiny bit of satisfaction and pride that I was there at the beginning and watched it all happen. There were a few years where my entrepreneurialism really put a kink into my time on the water, but I still found moments to stop in the shop to catch up with my friend. I knew first-hand the deeply difficult transition he was going through and how much it all weighed on him. Then one day, I stopped in and he was beaming! He had a new haircut, a new style, new glasses and he couldn’t stop talking about this amazing woman he had met. When I finally did meet Jennifer for the first time, it all made complete sense. To witness the change in his life fueled by this new love, this new partner, was incredible. I was so happy. Through all the years of following this passion that has taken me to so many beautiful locations, there’s been one constant. One dependable ally that would listen to all the stories. One person that would teach, recommend, suggest, inspire, educate and advocate. His love of this pastime, of nature, of wild fish, and of course tacos and margaritas is infectious. I had found a new mentor. I had found a new friend. And his name is Joel.