|
days later, i am still in total shock over this loss of a good friend. when the news came early sunday morning i couldnt believe it. that's all that was on my mind sunday - hab's is gone. i did what i think hab's would have wanted on sunday evening, went fishing w/ a couple friends while pondering over some of the memories and throwing a hab's needle as a thank you for all those memories. i am still choked up today seeing some of the posts and looking at the pictures. all those memories...to john's wife jessica and his son john jr., my sincere condolences on your loss. he was a great man.
i've known john for over 20+ years from working with him in his business and as a friend. i still remember getting my first hab's needle back in the early 90's when it was not yet hab's on his own. i still have that same lure, which has been sitting on the wall for years now. back then as he was today, john loved to give.
memories...
i remember some of those casts next to him on the "hard side" as bass were pulled out of the rip.
i remember the mid-late 90's going to a csa hartford event and there was hab's in the corner w/ a small table and some of his lures spread out on it. how far he grew from that day.
i remember in recent years during the fall mda/ms tournament seeing hab pull in or already there on those sunday mornings and there was a large waiting to be weighed or just weighed that helped pulled in the trophy for his club.
i remember a few years back tattoo, hab, and i sitting at the gin mill talking over hab's new website to be built - what do you want, how's it going to flow, etc. well, many beers later the drafts were nothing like what we wanted it to be as the laughs, jokes, and beer started to take over.
toby, i think we are thinking of the same story, the mass bass, year's ago. that was a good time.
all the times i went to the habratory, bumped into him on the beach, bumped into him at a shop, there was one thing that was expected - hab was happy to greet you, had a smile and full of that energy.
hab loved his trade and fishing. he may not have built the first wood lure, but i think it's fair to say he started the recent renaissance into custom wood lures and built the market to what it is today. he brought quality and craftmanship into custom wood lures again in that renaissance. they may have been hard to get at times, but when you "got a hab on" you felt that next cast could be the big one. and, as history shows, they caught fish. friends, fish your hab's lure as that is exactly what he would want us all to do.
john, i'll say hi on those dark nights when i put your needle on and ask for some good mojo. i'm sure you gave st. peter a needle on your way through the golden gate. may your casts be forever now. god bless. john, good-bye my friend.
dave fontaine
|