June 26^th (Guest Arrival), June 27^th and June 28^th (Tournament and Events)

  I have had the privilege of spending many years of my sporting life living in an exceptional place called Sausalito, California, a secluded jewel of a place that resembles a Paris street more then an American town. Once in the magical 1970’s, I had the honor of living very close to the famous Zen Master Allen Watts whose houseboat was docked near mine on the infamous Gate#5 houseboat marina. Marin County and Sausalito are intoxicating; the passing years have been most kind. The world of late has heard many stories about the rampant epidemic of Woman’s Breast Cancer in Marin County. The latest statistics are frightening. It seems educated, upwardly focused white Marin woman are six times more likely to become victims of breast cancer then anywhere in the United States. That fact along with the loss of my grandmother and mother and many lady friends over the years, made it clear, I personally had to do something about this insidious grim reaper who preys upon our mothers and sisters.

  The idea of combining the healing quiet life, physical skills needed to fly fish and the constant spiritual peace derived from fly fishing does seem to work miracles helping woman recover from radical surgery. A large portion of the profits from this fly fishing event will go to CFR Casting For Recovery (contact www.castingforrecovery.org or Call Stan Golub, (781)-453-3910). These special groups of dedicated professional fly fishers and medical volunteers have been creating healing fly fisher clinics where the positive virtues of the sport and its muscle building, stretching requirements help soothe and rebuild tissue. More about this organization later in this update.

  The proceeds from the first annual single fly invitational will be distributed to both Breast Cancer Research, CFR, Casting For Recovery and local stream, river, water, habitat management.

  "SINGLE FLY INVITATIONAL FOR WOMANS BREAST CANCER RESEARCH"

  "The ethereal wings of minute flies we construct and throw, may entice healing light where only Sadness and darkness go…"
Dan Fallon, 2003

  The first annual "Landbigfish Presents Dan Fallon’s Single Fly Invitational" will be held at an sacred historic California fly fishing retreat known as Fall River Mills California. The internationally acclaimed, Pit River Lodge, where Bing Crosby and Phil Harris spent endless time in remote silence near many of the worlds most famous trout waters all around, starting with Fall River, The McCloud, Upper Sacramento, The Pit, Hat Creek with water ice cold all year round. This place nestled in what’s left of once wild California is still isolated and sparsely populated with seasonal vacation homes and the hearty few year rounders that revel in the awesome peace and quiet.

Fall river

  Film Stars and Ex Presidents armed with the right pattern at the right time have lived the good Fall River life. The JUNE HEXAGENIA HATCH is to be savored and experienced, no matter what your bug-throwing resume may say! The dates of the event are June 26th, 27th, 28^th, 2003. It gives me great personal pleasure to announce ESPN Fly Fishing Host and Vogue Cover Girl, accomplished sportsperson Karen Graham has joined my partners and I in the creation of this annual event. My best buddy Cindy Garrison, African fly Fishing guide, owner of Safari-Anglers and subject of five cover stories I have written over the years has been a great source of inspiration. She has become one of the main public relations auction directors for this event. Cindy has been working every fly show from New Jersey to California and I can’t thank her enough. The event would not exist without Gary Drain, Jeff Cady, and the entire www.landbigfish.com team. Thank you Gary for assisting in making this dream a reality.

  FALL RIVER MILLS

The Pit River Lodge itself is a manicured mansion with impressive wooden doors opening into a giant welcoming portal where many film stars from Clark Gable to Bing Crosby and Bob Hope have warmed their hands and sipped fine single malts with wet hunting dogs at their feet. If the walls could talk it would be steady insider chat about everything from Hollywood to the misty Scottish highlands. I recall Walt Powell telling many stories about his time at the lodge with his best friend Bing Crosby. It is within this hollowed California sanctuary for serious fighting trout that my first annual single fly invitational will be held. The fun loving spirit of the Crosby Clambake will be reinvigorated as a group of distinguished master fly fisher men, woman and celebrities compete during two days on the fabled Fall River. The hosts of the Pit River Lodge Paul Voltura and his wife Connie regale guests with Paul’s five star dining symphonies complete with California’s finest wines. The grounds are spacious and acres of remote grounds feature individual well-appointed cabins. The town of Fall River Mills welcomes all fly fishers who obey their rules. Rule number one is conduct in keeping with world- class sportsmen who respect the waters they enjoy and wish to become a small part of the ongoing mythology of Fall River Mills.

  PIT RIVER LODGE

  Location, location, coupled with year round constant cold water and near perfect trout habitat makes Pit River Lodge a world-class fly fisher destination. Built in 1929 a grand example of early California style and elegance. The lodge is within a few miles of fabled Burney Falls a 129-foot waterfall that President Teddy Roosevelt called "The Eighth Wonder Of The World ". Five miles from the lodge Fall River Mills Airfield with 3,600 feet of strip makes coming and going a snap for all you Lear Jet jockey’s. The drive up from the San Francisco is a cool 4 hours if the traffic keeps moving. Contact Paul at (530) 336-7010 or on the web www.pitriverlodge.com

Pit river Lodge

  Those professional guides or journalist fly fishers with world class master credentials are welcome to contact me at this web address www.danfallonflyfishing.com or at www.landbigfish.com. Those amateur fly fishers who have a fundamental knowledge of the sport and a strong desire to compete among the masters of the sport can do so for an entry fee. Please contact the above web connections for more details. Twenty teams consisting of a celebrated woman or men fly fishers and an amateur will compete with a single fly pattern (3 examples per day) and the team with the most inches will take home cash and have their name inscribed on a spectacular Art Glass Trout Trophy being created just for this event! A referee will also act as a local guide with each team. Videotape will be made of all catches and the looped highlights will become part of the event. A first class VIP Tent will be up for all three days, a gala wild game dinner and an auction will be held. The VIP Tent will have a full bar, high-end single malts and rare cigars. A big screen will run current sports events and on sight clips of teams into fish will flash across screens. I urge anyone fly fisher or not who would like to donate to the auction portion of this event, contact me via this web sight and I will send all information with our non profit tax number.

  Thank you to everyone mentioned and many others who have contributed in the last weeks to the creation of this event to raise money to help find a cure and turn the tide on this epidemic. I look forward to June and will keep everyone up to date on how we are progressing. A special web page will be erected on my personal web sight at www.danfallonflyfishing.com, all the information in regard to the event will be posted along with my archived past columns and feature stories.

  "ADVENTURES OF FLETCHER QUILL"
Illustrated By Phil Frank,
San Francisco Chronicle Cartoonist, creator of "Farley "

  The festivities at Spent Peacewood’s Gala dinner on the eve of the much ballyhooed "Peace Fly Trip" have just begun. The Secret Service has been quite jittery and has just pushed the panic button asking everyone to get down and stay immobile. The room is full of dignitaries including Spent Peacewood, Lasher Snarecat, Slick Brainy our beloved way too smart Vice President, Cindy Garrison African Fly Guide, Jive Boy Alaskan fly master, the media, and various movie stars and sports personalities. Fletcher Quill has just had a minor "What’s Up Dude"? with his old pal Phil, Ex US President and noted lady-killer…

  "Clare, I know what your thinking while we are face down with a roomful of personalities straight out of "Hog Warts University." "Stop it Fletch, I know you’re in heaven with all this Secret Service nonsense. Do you have any idea how much this dress cost?" "Listen Clare, when the all clear is sounded we gotta get next to Lasher and see if I can get him to be my VIP Host at the activity I have planned back in my old hometown of Marin California. He would be perfect, the press will go wild…" The Secret Service has given the all clear signal and decided the unopened box wrapped in plain paper really is Fletchers traveling collection of expensive rare flies and not a bomb! The head of the detail walks over to Quill and hands him his flies. "Mr. Quill, we take no chances these days, these flies are yours I presume?" Quill neatly reassembles the 10 patterns he brought along just in case a sale could be made; several guests are transfixed and inquire.

  The party is starting to swing and Quill spots Jive Boy explaining with animated gestures how he and his famous fly clients wrestle big fish on the remote Ecuadorian rain forest camp he hosts every year.

© Phil Frank

  "FIRST ANNUAL MARIN COUNTY WILD TURKEY & COYOTE SHOOT"

  Lasher Snarecat and Quill huddle for a few moments and then Quill starts tapping his Champagne glass "Ladies and gents, thank you all for joining us on the eve of this momentous occasion. The beloved leader of the free world and I have spent much time putting this trip together, that will place future peace negotiations in a more peaceful surroundings allowing fly fishing adventure of the most sublime to help set the stage in regard to the impasse we now find ourselves in. During the next several days we will wade and taste the finest California trout waters where few men have gone before us. I’m excited and have faith this new venue for peace negotiating may help save what’s left of our planet." Fletcher moves near Lasher Snarecat and places his arm around the notorious leader, "I have one more rather earthshaking announcement. Lasher has agreed to become the first VIP Host of my other annual sports event that takes place in Marin County, California. In early spring of this year the first annual "Marin County Wild Turkey & Coyote Shoot" will be covered by both ESPN and international press." Clare drops her Champagne glass and utters an almost audible, "What the, Quill, you really have lost what’s left of that demented brain of yours. The local Marin press boys will kill you so dead and I…" "Clare, this is not the time or place, I’m sick of those wild turkeys running all over downtown Sausalito whenever Timba and I come to visit. Now let’s try and enjoy this little shindig, sweetie." Clare stands open mouthed as Quill heads for Jive Boy and Cindy over by the Cigar Bar.

  "Ok, listen you guys", Cindy and I will be guiding Lasher and his jolly band and Jive, you and the VP will take care of our other friends. That will be the lineup for the week. In the morning we chopper out 30 minutes to an isolated high mountain lake no one ever gets near with a fly rod. Expect non-stop action with a hopper on top and a Gold Bead Hares Ear on an 18-inch dropper. It will not fail to make it happen on this lake. The secret Service killed ‘em, two days ago. Sleep tight, see you at 4am good to go." "Sooo, Fletch, is this Lasher fellow a polite gentlemen?" "Of course, my dear, this is an up town bunch, to say the least. These guys never raise their voices above a whisper Cin, I promise…"

© Phil Frank

  Quill notices out of his side vision Lasher and the Israeli security dudes are about three inches from each others face and the festivities have taken a somber tone. Fletcher grabs another Champagne glass and clears his throat.

  "Excuse me! Just one more toast before we adjourn. Let’s raise our spirits and glasses to Gertrude Janeway just passed, proud resident of Blaine Tenn., last living widow of a Union Soldier. In her 93 years this world continued to wage war and kill and maim countless innocents in the process. Maybe this place and this fly fishing trip will set the tone and welcome back the sweet angels of peace…"

NEXT MONTH THE PEACE FLY TRIP BEGINS

Fletcher Quill, part 1
Fletcher Quill, part 2
Fletcher Quill, part 3
Fletcher Quill, part 4
Fletcher Quill, part 5
Fletcher Quill, part 6
Fletcher Quill, part 7
Fletcher Quill, part 8

Written by Dan Fallon © 2003
Illustrations by Phil Frank © 2003
Photos by Dan Fallon © 2003

For Dan Fallon's earlier and later columns; visit the table of contents