Favorite remembrances of Flaptail - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

nightfighter · 11-14-2009, 12:45 PM

I loved how he would post stories and photos of fishing the Cape in early March, "Adventures with Stiffy", and the numerous trips with George. He was a master of the verbal needle as well as the wood!
I've also included a couple of his sketches, which demonstrate his love of the fish, as well as his friends...

JohnR · 11-14-2009, 12:53 PM

There are a lot of memories but one that I will always remember is running into him on one of the back beaches one night and just fishing and talking about everything under the moon.

Great conversation, the kind you have in near solitude while casting.

spence · 11-14-2009, 12:57 PM

I remember the sketches, great folksy quality to them...

-spence

UserRemoved1 · 11-14-2009, 01:03 PM

I enjoyed most anything he wrote. He was a wealth of knowledge. I loved those sketches too.

Any time he traded barbs with George and Stiffy were the best.

Olive White needle discussions. We always talked for a while at every show in the booth. He always had good things to say.

I was going to ask him to speak at my surfday show

George I feel bad for you more than anyone else. You will be remembered for the things you did for him.

Backbeach Jake · 11-14-2009, 01:43 PM

Fishing the "Pipe" with him on a rainy, raw windy May day. Like today. Catching fish and looking like drowned rats, smiling the whole time.
Reading his, numby and stiffy's barbed filled posts and knowing the love and respect that was behind all that.
His impromptu lectures on fishing, like drinking from a firehose, so much knowledge in that man's head.
Taught me HOW to read Daignault's books . How information was hidden between the lines.
Man, I'm gonna miss Flap..but I'm very grateful that our paths crossed.

BigFish · 11-14-2009, 02:02 PM

I posted this story in the "Tall Tales" thread last week...but I will post it again!

One of the spots I fish infrequently is a spot that I knew Steve fished quite a bit....in fact I had fished it with him once before! Well one night a few weeks ago I go there fully expecting to bump into Steve! So I get there, and I slide into the water, and I see this big silhouette......he was one of the few people bigger than me that I would see out.....so I knew it was him! I got over within about 50 feet of him and I fished for awhile watching him and making sure it was in fact him.....he did not know it was me...not yet!

So it was pretty quiet and I said loud enough for him to hear....."Boy.....I did not know they stacked it that high!"........

.....Steve paused a moment, and I saw him begin to turn in my direction and he says to me....."Excuse me?".....

I busted out laughing because I think he was about to come over and address my comment so I said "Steve its me...Larry"......and we both laughed pretty good.....it was funny. We talked for awhile, fished and caught some nice fish! Steve was a truely gifted fisherman.....the guy could flat out fish....and he enjoyed it! The last time I went out was the same spot......I got there early and there was nobody else there....I pounded fish for awhile before anyone else showed up.....Steve came along......and we caught fish for awhile....and Numbscull showed up......we fished some more and Steve had to go. I saw him last at the MSBA meeting about 2 1/2 weeks ago.....he gave his usual informative and entertaining seminar. I helped him take his gear out to his truck, we shook hands and said goodbye. I had no idea that would be the last time I would see him......who thinks such a thing? I am glad I got to spend some time with Steve recently.....I will cherish the memories always, and I will think of him often I am sure as I fish. I learned more from Steve than anyone else........he will be missed.

Sidenote: I can't remember a meeting we ever had when he did not speak lovingly of his wife and his 2 daughters. Thats the kind of guy he was.....I am sure they will miss him greatly. He loved them so.

Slingah · 11-14-2009, 02:16 PM

Every time I ran into Steve, he always had something to talk about. I always listened contently as I knew I was being given a bit of well thought out information or advice. I had the pleasure of fishing with him twice, once on his turf, once on mine. It was like a history lesson when we were traveling back from his spot.....telling tales and spouting off facts pertaining to the area that we traveled. His passion, admiration and knowledge of the sport goes unrivaled.

ProfessorM · 11-14-2009, 01:53 PM

This post is what I will miss most.
http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ito-fleet.html

We both shared a real luv for this particular stretch of beach and fishing it in tin boats. I will miss seeing him out there this spring, big tall goofy guy standing in a little boat. I will miss his PM telling me that the fish are here as he would do most springs being he lived on Cape and I don't anymore. Gave him a one ups on me which I know, he luved, being the first to get that first fish every spring in that area, usually with Dave along side from shore. I would try to reciprocate some info and PM him that fishing from my boat the fish were stacked on Scorton Ledge in fall so he could fish another of his favorite shore areas, which he did with great results this year. He usually knew though but I felt it was common courtesy as he would clue me in, spring wise. I'll throw a few pond shiner sluggo's this spring and summer for him.

Enjoy everyday to the fullest, it could be your last.

Jenn · 11-14-2009, 02:19 PM

I never had the chance to meet him in person but yet loved him for what he could do with words. I often felt his articles were written just for me only because he captured exactly how I FELT while fishing these places. I think he touched a lot of people simply because he could share his passion "on paper" and in a way we could all relate. It may sound strange to say this about someone you never met but then again it isnt. It is no different I suppose than say reading a good book that changes you life or how a movie can make you cry. You may not have a face to face, real life encounter with the characters but yet it still evokes that true human emotion.

This ones for you Flap! I know you know right where this is and next time a I feel the "presence" there I hope you are part of that presence.

TheSpecialist · 11-14-2009, 03:10 PM

I remember running into him on a backside beach, he was with stiffy and they were meeting up with BM, Kadir, and Crazy Alberto. Talk about some great fishermen..

piemma · 11-14-2009, 04:09 PM

I could go into stories from the back but there are others here better suited to doing that. My fondest memory of Flap is something he taught me about turning wood.
I had just gotten a lathe and was having trouble figuring out how to turn correctly. He sent me a note saying that turning wood was like making love: You did it slow, easy and with skillful purpose.

spence · 11-14-2009, 04:14 PM

I also remember some years ago making a remark about most fishing writers not being that good, but I like the stuff from Dave Manzi and Joe Lyons...

He really didn't like that comment

-spence

saltfly · 11-18-2009, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

This post is what I will miss most.
http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ito-fleet.html

We both shared a real luv for this particular stretch of beach and fishing it in tin boats. I will miss seeing him out there this spring, big tall goofy guy standing in a little boat. I will miss his PM telling me that the fish are here as he would do most springs being he lived on Cape and I don't anymore. Gave him a one ups on me which I know, he luved, being the first to get that first fish every spring in that area, usually with Dave along side from shore. I would try to reciprocate some info and PM him that fishing from my boat the fish were stacked on Scorton Ledge in fall so he could fish another of his favorite shore areas, which he did with great results this year. He usually knew though but I felt it was common courtesy as he would clue me in, spring wise. I'll throw a few pond shiner sluggo's this spring and summer for him.

Enjoy everyday to the fullest, it could be your last.

I agree...Being part of the Mosquito fleet last year was a blast.this year I only spent 2 days this May "inside" and had the place and fish to myself.As June approached I was waiting,waiting for those moon tides then the n/e wind blew like crazy and that was it.I lost the passion.Then attacked the outer beaches...Seals

.Monomoy was slow for sightfishing with a flyrod.Next year the passion IS coming back no matter what.

saltfly · 11-18-2009, 09:49 PM

Really....Having lunch with Steve and Tony C last Friday and laughing

for appx 3hrs is something I'll cherish forever.From now on when I go to the Red Barn in Eastham for pizza I'll have to have a slice of pepperoni for you Steve[thanks for the heartburn].

BigFish · 11-18-2009, 09:53 PM

Steve loved that place. How fitting Tony C. was there. That must have been fun Saltfly.

Luthier · 11-14-2009, 11:35 PM

Where to start......

All the years we hung out together from first grade thru high school

All the summers, hanging around at his families' camp fishing in Charleton

All the years we traveled from Worcester to the Cape in the seventies and eighties coming down to fish the Cape beaches and canal.

All the times we fished in RI for stripers and squeteage.

All the times we stopped at tackle stores to add plugs to our collections on all the fishing trips and cruising around we would do

Along with hitting concerts and the like for a couple of decades....

With forty seven years of calling Steve my friend, it's hard to pick any single time that stood out the most. He will be missed greatly by myself and family.

Rest in peace, my friend. I will see you again when it's my turn.

Fran

BigFish · 11-14-2009, 11:45 PM

Luthier......you obviously go back aways with Steve.......I offer you my sincerest condolences on your loss. We will all miss him greatly.

Luthier · 11-15-2009, 09:32 AM

Bigfish

Thanks. Yeah, we go back a long way. Outside of family, Steve is the one person that I have known longest on this planet. We had some great times.

BasicPatrick · 11-16-2009, 01:58 AM

I was not close to Steve but we have known each other for quite a few years and our paths have crossed pths on many occasions and in the last few years we started talking more and fishing a bit as well. Like many I have more than one fond memory of Steve and my favorite memories have little to do with the catching of fish. Here are two of my favorites:

1. Steve used to openly tell a story about a sign on his lawn and the mistakes he made trying to balance being a good husband and father to a family he loved more than anything and being an obsessed fisherman. His open sharing of this has helped many. I found his willingness to share this as a sign of true humility, courage and love.

2. Some years ago when Steve gave up writing the insiders column for OTW, I asked him why he stopped writing the column? He told me that he was not willing to be dishonest and was also not willing to rewrite the same info from previous years. He felt that at a certain point a writer had to either change the subject or risk going stale or even worse. He was not willing to sell out his integrity and although I respect many in this business Steve is the only writer I have seen put that ethic into action.

In both of these cases Steve was a a great power of example I aspire to live up to.

Rockfish9 · 11-16-2009, 07:42 AM

At the second plugfest I attended, Flap was looking over my "stash" he picked up a "40" that I had made and painted "old school".. he said he loved the paint,and as he examined the plug I could see the wheels truning in his mind ( on that day he taught me the fine art of HO'ing).. so I told him to take it...I wanted him to have it... he latter told me that he had taken it for a swim and that it's action was "spot on"... that IMHO, was great praise coming from him.. somehow, it still doesn't get rid of the lump that is in my throat right now....

bassmaster · 11-17-2009, 10:12 AM

Spaghetti Wednesday........
Ill never forget the day he got mugged and what he did on that beach LOL

eastendlu · 11-17-2009, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmaster

Spaghetti Wednesday........
Ill never forget the day he got mugged and what he did on that beach LOL

Do tell please.

BS4Shore · 11-19-2009, 04:23 PM

I always loved seeing him come into the shop and taking me over in the corner and telling me about his lates trip with Stiffy or Numby, I always knew I was going to get some excellent information form him and he always had that camera.

My favorite rememberance of Steve will always be after I recently lost my job at the shop. Steve had heard the news from another friend and immediately called me at my home to offer his condelences to me and to let me know that he was there for me and would do what ever he could to help me out...well wouldn't you know it he came through big time...
He called me I think the next day or the day after that and told me he could put me to work, he had a temporary job lined up for me at the school system that he was working at. Unfortunately we never got everything together(my fault)before his passing and I did not end up getting the job.

I will always remember how kind he was and how he treated me so well...The man was all heart and it must have been some kind of heart attack to have taken him from us.

I will always remember the times that we spent fishing and talking and the plug trading we did but that is one of the memories of Steve that I will cherish the most.