Limestone Legends

[greenghost]

I arrived at Big Spring Creek on October 5th, at the “ditch” parking area around 1:00 p.m. and I immediately started to gear up. As I was closing the hatchback on my car a pickup pulled up beside me, an older gentleman got out and nodded hello to me. We started to talk. I ask him where his fishing rod was and he said he wasn’t going to fish. He mentioned he lived right on top of the hill and would often drive down just to check out the stream, sometimes on his lawn tractor. I told him this was the first time I visited Big Spring since they closed the hatchery closed in 2002. And I mentioned how I wrote a bunch of letters to support the closure and was very happy they did. He mentioned he was also involved in shutting it down.

He was a very humble, easy-to-talk-with guy. And we chatted on about the beauty of the stream. He talked about the good old days when he fished it with guys like Vince Marinaro and Charlie Fox. He said he knew them personally. Recognizing their names, I was a bit stunned. He said he and Charlie were actually good friends. Knowing the history of the area, and recognizing the legendary status of the names he was tossing out, I introduced myself and he returned the favor, “Nice to meet you, I’m Tom Henry.”

Tom then asked me if I fished the Letort—which I did earlier to no avail—he then went on to tell me about the group of men he fished with and the club he belonged to called the “Letort Regulars” – including Charlie, Vince, Ernie Scwiebert, Eddie Shank and other guys from Virgiania, DC area. I was amazed. Tom was such a great guy. We chatted easily for another 15 or 20 minutes about other guys he knew like Left Kreh and Joe Humphrey (He called him “Hollywood Joe”, haha!) and all the changes the streams have seen over the past 50 years.

Great conversation. Nice to meet Tom, a man who was part of the area’s flyfishing history. And an unforgettable way to return to Big Spring after being away so long.

 

[rrt]

GG,

That was a nice chance encounter for you; I imagine it made your day, whether you caught trout or not.

Marinaro, Fox, and Shenk were among my "heroes" of fly-fishing when I began to fly-fish, and the several chance encounters I had with them on the Letort are among my nicest memories.

I haven't been to the Cumberland Valley to fish for many years now, so I ought to drive down to fish before I get too old to fish.

Good for you for your bumping into Mr. Henry.

 

[Jaybird]

Thanks for posting this , brightened my morning .

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Add in Ed Koch and Harry Steeves to the mix. Both are great guys and I learned a ton.

 

[greenghost]

rrt wrote:
GG,

That was a nice chance encounter for you; I imagine it made your day, whether you caught trout or not.

.

rrt

It did make my trip there and I actually caught a couple of smaller rainbows, far below the ditch. Saw a monster rainbow, easily over 20", in a place I wouldn't of dreamt of seeing anything 20 years ago! thanks.

 

[Dave_W]

greenghost wrote:
I arrived at Big Spring Creek on October 5th, at the “ditch” parking area around 1:00 p.m. and I immediately started to gear up. As I was closing the hatchback on my car a pickup pulled up beside me, an older gentleman got out and nodded hello to me. We started to talk. I ask him where his fishing rod was and he said he wasn’t going to fish. He mentioned he lived right on top of the hill and would often drive down just to check out the stream, sometimes on his lawn tractor. I told him this was the first time I visited Big Spring since they closed the hatchery closed in 2002. And I mentioned how I wrote a bunch of letters to support the closure and was very happy they did. He mentioned he was also involved in shutting it down.

He was a very humble, easy-to-talk-with guy. And we chatted on about the beauty of the stream. He talked about the good old days when he fished it with guys like Vince Marinaro and Charlie Fox. He said he knew them personally. Recognizing their names, I was a bit stunned. He said he and Charlie were actually good friends. Knowing the history of the area, and recognizing the legendary status of the names he was tossing out, I introduced myself and he returned the favor, “Nice to meet you, I’m Tom Henry.”

Tom then asked me if I fished the Letort—which I did earlier to no avail—he then went on to tell me about the group of men he fished with and the club he belonged to called the “Letort Regulars” – including Charlie, Vince, Ernie Scwiebert, Eddie Shank and other guys from Virgiania, DC area. I was amazed. Tom was such a great guy. We chatted easily for another 15 or 20 minutes about other guys he knew like Left Kreh and Joe Humphrey (He called him “Hollywood Joe”, haha!) and all the changes the streams have seen over the past 50 years.

Great conversation. Nice to meet Tom, a man who was part of the area’s flyfishing history. And an unforgettable way to return to Big Spring after being away so long.

Neat story.

It's always worth a return visit to the Cumberland Valley. And it's often surprising who you bump into streamside. A couple memories of mine that I recall: Sometime around the mid 80s I met and was chatting with Don Ebright along Letort on a cold day winter day. A sulpher mayfly landed on me and Don pointed out that it likely was a dorothea and that they sometimes show up on Letort during strange times of the year. Another very pleasant chat I recall was with Inky Moore along the same parking spot at the Ditch at BS - probably early 1990s. I had some artwork with me and Inky gave me a lot of positive encouragement about my work, telling me some things about brook trout that I never forgot.
Great place with inspiring history.