Ted Williams and the Atlantic Salmon

[wannafish]

Rip Tide mentioned in a post that Ted Williams was one of his flyfishing heroes and it reminded me of this great video of him on the Miramichi I believe in the '60s. It gives a glimpse into the past for some newer people and fond memories for others. You'll see that the C&R message was relatively new and Ted was a pioneer of sorts. Enjoy!

[ame=http://vimeo.com/6694640]Ted Williams and the Atlantic Salmon on Vimeo[/ame]

 

[Rip Tide]

Thanks for posting that. Mr Williams truely was one of my heros
He wasn't the nicest man however and there's a lot of stories.
One of my favorites was from Jack Gartside.
Apparently a young Jack waited to meet Williams at Fenway and afterwards went home to brag to his friends;

"Ted Williams spoke to me"
His friends wanted to know, "Well, what did he say?"
"He said, 'Get out of my way, kid'"

 

[swirlchaser]

Great video, our gear may have changed but the passion is the same. One question, he seems to be casting downstream not upstream and working a drift. Is it just his preference?

 

[fyshstykr]

WOW! The Great Ted Williams.
That was fun to watch, Thanks for posting.

 

[wannafish]

Great video, our gear may have changed but the passion is the same. One question, he seems to be casting downstream not upstream and working a drift. Is it just his preference?

90% of the salmon fishing here is done that way; fishing wet flies down and across. In lower water or for finding fish a bomber or other dry fly will be used casting upstream and dead drifted. The down and accross method is easier if you're fishing all day; the current swings the fly for you and even sets the hook if your mind is wandering when mr. salmon finally grabs

Rip Tide, that's interesting to know of Mr. Williams surly side and a great story to illustrate it

 

[Rip Tide]

Rip Tide, that's interesting to know of Mr. Williams surly side and a great story to illustrate it

Another that comes to mind...
When asked by the press what he thought about Carl Yastrzemski, his replacement in the Red Sox lineup, Mr Williams replied;

I've only got one thing to say about Yaz. Yaz fishes with worms

 

[jimw]

That was awesome, thanks for posting. I had several flash backs watching.

 

[swirlchaser]

90% of the salmon fishing here is done that way; fishing wet flies down and across. In lower water or for finding fish a bomber or other dry fly will be used casting upstream and dead drifted. The down and accross method is easier if you're fishing all day; the current swings the fly for you and even sets the hook if your mind is wandering when mr. salmon finally grabs

Rip Tide, that's interesting to know of Mr. Williams surly side and a great story to illustrate it

Thanks Wannafish, Every time I log on I learn something:thumbsupu

 

[theboz]

Great video of the Splendid Splinter. I had the privilege to speak to him for a few minutes in the Bahamas back in the 70s. He was getting off of Bonefish Folleys boat as I was getting ready to go out. Contrary to all I had heard about his demeanor he was pretty friendly. I asked him how the action was and he said it was real good and to listen to old man Folley because he was a terrific guide . We compared equipment and flys and he was on his way wishing me good fishing as he departed.
What a day. Met Ted Williams, fished with one of the top guides in the Bahamas and got a bunch of Bones to boot.

 

[sumojo]

Nice video was really great to watch .

 

[Ard]

I seldom open video clips here but I watched this one. Nostalgia, I love salmon fishing. One thing I noticed, when they showed him tying flies I realized how old the bobbin I use tying flies is. I inherited it but never saw another until seeing this film. Cool, good post!

 

[littledavid123]

Thank you for sharing, I miss that older generation of fishing shows. Very cool indeed.

Dave

 

[moucheur2003]

A page from the log book of the Whale River Salmon Camp in northern Quebec, where I spent a week last summer.

 

[wannafish]

That is pretty darn amazing! If I'm reading that right he caught 28 salmon in one day!

 

[moucheur2003]

I seldom open video clips here but I watched this one. Nostalgia, I love salmon fishing. One thing I noticed, when they showed him tying flies I realized how old the bobbin I use tying flies is. I inherited it but never saw another until seeing this film. Cool, good post!

When I got my first fly tying kit as a kid, 45 years ago, it had a bobbin like that in it. I don't know what happened to it, but I don't have it any more.

---------- Post added at 09:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 PM ----------

That is pretty darn amazing! If I'm reading that right he caught 28 salmon in one day!

No the names of the fishermen are in the second column. Looks like he caught 6 that day. Looks like the guy Levy whose entries appear a little below Ted's (and a little above Ted's comment) caught a dozen, though!

The week I was there, 5 rods in 6 1/2 days hooked over 120 and landed something like 90. My best week ever fishing for Atlantics.

 

[webrx]

Nice video, Ted was a true "sportsman", though I remember my dad telling stories as well.

Thank you for sharing, I miss that older generation of fishing shows. Very cool indeed.

Dave

Dave, I also like the older videos. Maybe what I miss in current fishing shows is the old school stuff, and that's why I don't like a lot of the new stuff on the air (hmm, maybe this video and the instructional videos with Gary Borger on Youtube could be an example of the kind of fishing shows we are missing these days for the gent trying to put together a new one.....

d

 

[terster]

I'm in this book. My father took me here back in 1981, 82 and 83. My brother followed in 84 and 85 and I think it was in 85 that they spent a week with Ted Williams. It's now 20 years later and I look to go back to re-live memories and i'm having a hard time finding the lodge. There are many memories at that old camp.

If anyone has any information about this camp, please send me a message. I know that Stan, Dora and his son's ran the place way back when... but again, I fell out of touch, something I regret now. So please send me a message if you have any info on this lodge.

Ironically enough, i'm having a hard time finding it on the map too. I know we would fly into Schefferville and then bush plane about an hour to the river, and one time we flew out of Fort Chimo. So I know it's in-between.

I appreciate it.

Terster

 

[gt05254]

Whale River Outfitters: Home - Whale River Outfitters

I used to live just down the road from Stan and Dora. Spent some great times with him at the bar of Candlelight Cottage (gone now) in Parish, NY, listening to stories. I didn't fish for atlantics yet at that time...had I known!!!

Now I'm afraid the Whale River is above my pay grade, sadly.
Gary

 

[moucheur2003]

Sadly, Stan passed away a few years ago. He was quite a remarkable guy. He served in the original Ranger battalion in WWII and told some pretty amazing stories about their exploits in North Africa and Italy, like sneaking into Rommel's camp at night and out again without getting caught. After the war he explored northern Canada looking for fishing and hunting sites, much like Lee Wulff. The Whale River camp location was his own discovery. His son Mike runs the camp now.

 

[gt05254]

Yup, those were pretty much the kind of stories he told me. I used to bird hunt right across the road from his house quite often and we'd chat.

A fellow in Camden, NY (maybe 15 miles from Stan's home) was looking into "virgin" brook trout or char fishing in the area around the camp. Wonder if anything ever became of that?
Gary

Oh, and back to Ted Williams...my good friend Vin Swayze, who has guided on the Miramichi for more than 60 years, has gobs of Ted Williams stories. Ted's place was just a ways downriver from Vin's. He has a batch of flies Ted tied, and lots of good photos.

There's also some Ted footage in the CD that Ted Rogowski did on the Miramichi (Memories of the Miramichi) a couple years ago. Along with Lee Wulff, Ed Zern and Charlie DeFeo. oh, lol, and me, too!!!