RIP STEVE

Very Very Sad!!! Steve was a great guy and we will miss him for sure. Bill and I want to send best wishes and thoughts and prayers to his family who must just be in shock like the rest of us. May god bless all of his family and friends and the s-b crew. God please grant his wife and children the stregth they need to get thru this terrible loss.
Please let us know if there is anything we can do for his family.

I only knew of him by the pictures, humor and knowledge he'd post here and the respect he had from those who read it. Such a tragic loss. Thoughts and prayers for Steve and his family.

This has been a year of terrible loss - I am just back from attending a memorial service for a friend in D.C. and just read about Steve. A great guy and true sportsman. Rest in peace - Every time I am poking around the south side of the cape I will think of you. and thoughts and prayers to the family.

Very sad, he was such a nice guy, my thoughts go out to his family and friends. Tight lines Flap, RIP.

My condolences to Steve's family and friends.

Only talked with Steve a few times at plugfest and he was always the most gracious helpful person. My condolences and prayers go out to his family.

Sorry that I did not get to know him, T&P to his family.

R.I.P Steve. You will be missed. Surreal doesn't begin to explain it.

wow, just catching up on this. Mindblowing. I did not know Steve other than his posts, seemed like a good guy. I know many of you were close, my heart goes out to all of you and his family. I remember early this season he was saying he didnt feel much like fishing anymore, didnt have the drive. I wonder if his body was telling him something. Very very sad news. Life is short.

Deepest symapathy for Flaptail and his family.

Very sad news. RIP

Only met Steve a couple times at Plugfests and he was very sincere and helpful to a newbie to the sport of surf casting. Your knowledge and sense of humor will always stay with me.

R.I.P. Flap. T&P's to his family and friends. We lost another great one.

I am shocked and speechless.My dearest sympathies to his family and all of th fine friends he has made through the years.Steve was the Ultimate Good Will Ambassador of our sport..He was one of the guys who knew the difference between the sh!te and the shinola.While I was invited to spend a tide with him many times.It never happened.I didn't think anything of it.I though there would always be time.Never take anything for granted...
I will fish together in the end..My Polish friend.

thoughts and prayers- i'm sure the big guy is working the suds right now with large a'plenty

thoughts and prayers rip

On behalf of Mass Striped Bass I offer condolences to Steve's family. I am glad that we got a chance to hear a bit of his fishing wisdom at our October meeting. The fact that he said he had his best fall of fishing ever should be a comfort to all as he obviously did what he loved this past fall and as always did it very well.

Bill
President
Mass Striped Bass

Just saw this, R.I.P. Flap!!!

Oh my God! What terrible news. My condolences to family, friends and the S-B community, what a tragic loss. I'll miss all that he contributed to this site and to the sport he so loved. RIP

It's taken awhile to come to grips with this sad news. I only knew Steve for a relatively short time but from our conversations I immediately discerned that Steve was very knowledgeable about all things surfcasting. A generous man, Steve presented me with a gift in 2008 - a beautiful sketch of a striped bass chasing a needlefish plug - you could see the passion in his work. We had many things in common, our similar age(which allowed both of us to relive surfcasting history in common terms), we both had daughters in college, both of us shared a love to write about what we enjoyed doing , and most of all we shared the obsession of chasing striped bass in the surf. I've had conversations with many fishermen over the years and there has been just a handful of those I've met that I consider as truly understanding the passion of surfcasting for striped bass - I always labeled those fishermen as "got it". Steve Shiraka "got it". I'm going to miss him.
To his family and friends my sincere condolances. Thanks for sharing Steve with us - we're all better for it.

Dennis Zambrotta

Wow, this is sad news. I just got back from vacation and saw this on the front page. I didn't really know Steve, but fished near him a few times down the Cape. We never spoke other than a polite nod or "how's it goin'", but he was always friendly to everyone around him. And he had a real talent for putting words on a page and making stories come to life. My heartfelt condolences to all of Steve's family and friends.

Wow, I haven't logged onto the forum in a while and was shocked to read this news!

My sincere condolences go out to his family and friends.

This is a tremendous loss the fishing community. I truely enjoyed his online posts and On The Water writings. I am sure that while I didn't know him personally his loss will be noticed.

RIP Steve.

Just heard about this. Wanted to extend my sincerest condolences to Steve's Family and his many friends.
What a loss, he will be missed.
Rip Flap.

my prayers go out to his family and friends

Unfortunately I never got a chance to meet Steve. From what I heard I really missed out on knowing a truly great person. My sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

RIP Steve

crap
 

I've been out of touch,Thoughts and prayers for Steve's family and friends....:( bad news

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Headed out to BI Saturday .. That is where I was when I first read this thread,,, geeez 3 yrs. ago now . I'm excited about the trip but Flap will always be in the back of my mind going out there . I feel very fortunate to have gotten to know him from "Plugfest" and fishing with him and Numby . I had no idea he wasn't in tip top shape .. When we hit an island he was gone .. Not a chance of keeping up with him .. RIP Steve ... I still have my "waker" you made me and treasure it .

Damn Nice Guy, thanks for remembering

Hard to believe 3 years already. Here are a couple of pics sent to me recently of Steve by Saltfly. It was a day the 3 of us spent in our 3 tin boats on a beautiful summer day out front of Barnstable Harbor.