The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

Reflections on a Dedication of a Memorial to Andre Puyans on the banks of the Henry's Fork of the Snake in Island Park, Idaho July 15,2006.   

Originally posted on the NCFFB: http://www...rg/index.cgi?read=354546

A few years later I had polished my skills somewhat and was a hopeful commercial tier and offered some of my patterns to Andy at the Boulevard Way Shop. My best flies in those days were shad flies and I produced them a hundred at a time, many of which were sold in Andy’s shop. My skills at tying trout flies still had a ways to go to be adequate for Andy’s high standards, but the Master had helped me on the way to becoming a fly tyer.

The last time I had seen Andy was a few weeks before his Idaho Fly Fishing Seminar about a year before his passing. I stopped by the shop and we were tying a few flies in preparation for the annual trip to Idaho and Montana. It was a memorable afternoon tying flies with the Master and a time I will always cherish. I tied a CDC Thorax Paradun, which is a pattern that I had recently designed. When completed, I removed the fly from my vice and handed it to Andy and he studied it carefully. He nodded approvingly, and after a few moments gently dropped the fly into HIS fly box. He didn’t give any constructive criticism and it was then I knew that I had finally become a fly tier. My only regret was that I didn’t get Andy to tie a few of his favorite patterns for my fly box. I have but one fly of his, a Pull-Back Elk Hair Caddis that he had designed to simplify this staple fly pattern.

Last Fall I was in Dallas on business when I got the word that Andy had passed after a gallant battle with Cancer. I was in shock. Someone that had meant so much too so many in fly fishing was gone. I spoke with Jannifer, Andy’s life partner and wife, shortly after and she shared that plans were already underway to remember Andy with a memorial on the Henry’s Fork.

Andy’s memorial on the Henry’s Fork was scheduled for sunset on a beautiful mid-July day. Earlier that day I fished the Ruby River and I had many thoughts during this trip remembering my time with Andy. It seemed like the right thing to do to travel to a remote Montana River and attempt to catch a few wild trout in remembrance. I got back late, in perfect Andy time, as he was never allowed a clock to dictate his schedule on any day. I arrived at the Trout Hunter Shop on the banks of the Henry’s Fork in Idaho just as the Memorial was planned to begin at 7:00. Many people were there ahead of me, but it was clear that the memorial ceremony would happen on Andy Time, at least a half hour late. As I strode into the crowd, I was among friends, many of whom I hadn’t seen in years. Several of the attendees had been students along with me at Andy’s Fly Fishing Seminar in September of 1988.

The Gathering Crowd at Andy’s Memorial Dedication

In 1988 I attended Andy’s Fly Fishing Seminar at Elk Creek Ranch in late summer. It was the year of the Yellowstone fires, and our view off the back porch of the Ranch offered a stunning view of the Park, and the billowing plumes of smoke rising some 50,000 feet in the air as much of the Park burned in that tinder dry summer. The School was definitely impacted, and several of our planned fishing adventures had to be changed to work around the blaze ongoing in Yellowstone. Rather than the Yellowstone River, we were forced to change plans and hike into the Bechler River in the Southwest corner of the Park. While there weren’t a lot of fish in this river, there were some large fish and they were extremely spooky in the gin clear water and required the utmost in fly casting skills. I specifically recall that I did not catch a fish that day, but I hooked and lost the largest trout of my life on a hopper pattern. Mike Atwell was our guide, and full of laughs on the long drive to and from the river. A second memory of that school was fishing the Stadium Pool on the Henry’s Fork. The pool was aptly named, as it was almost as though we were in a stadium. Numerous people watched from the bank, including Andy, with cameras and binoculars in hand, as Dick Bradish and I stalked a very large Henry’s Fork Rainbow. I worked this fish for quite awhile during a Callibaetis hatch. With each cast we waded a little deeper and ultimately waded over my waist and unknowingly got my new Canon SLR wet to the point that it was ruined. Finally I was successful in bringing this trout to the surface to take my fly. But the rise was not where I was expecting the fish to be and my very late strike on the rod hooked only air as I wrapped fly line around both Dick and I. It was all carefully recorded on Andy’s camera and I was reminded of this in a slide show some years later with a picture of fly line draping from my cap as the shot brought hearty laughter from the crowd. I learned a lot about life and fly fishing during that brief week in Andy’s Fly Fishing School, much of which I remember to this day.

At the Memorial the crowd got larger as 7:00 pm came and went, and I ran into many people I knew.

The Growing Crowd at the Memorial Dedication

I saw at least a half dozen people from my fly tying classes at Creative Sports. I had taught beginning fly tying for Andy at the Oak Park Boulevard shop for several years. I did two to three classes a year, and many of my former students still fly fish and many still tie flies. Andy was a perfectionist and demanded the best of his students, and even more from his instructors. I was a pretty good tyer, but paled next to Andy’s skills, and I always learned an unbelievable amount every time I watched him tie. Many of my students went on to Andy’s intermediate and advanced classed and had become accomplished tyers in their own right. It was very rewarding to see many of them again and hear the stories of the success they now have fly fishing and tying.

Jannifer soon called the proceeding to order and the hundred plus people huddled around a large rock that had recently been placed a few hundred feet downstream of

His young fly tying students won a number of local and national competitions over time and the scholarship fund will help continue this legacy. 

Jannifer Lee Puyans Speaking at the Dedication

Jannifer invited those who wanted to say a few words to take the podium and for the better part of the next hour many people spoke and shared stories of their time with Andy. My remembrance was of a trip to Idaho and Montana some years after attending Andy’s School. Andy had showed me how to tie a Sawyer's PT. And he had a certain way he liked them tied. He asked if I would tie a few dozen for him for his upcoming Idaho school, which I did. And I tied a few for myself. I flew in on a Friday afternoon and headed straight to the Slide Inn area of the Madison. I worked several runs fishing the Sawyers and caught quite a few fish. On one particular run I hooked a very nice fish that I thought was in excess of 20", but which broke me off and kept my Sawyers PT. Unbeknownst to me, Jannifer Lee followed me later that afternoon and fished the same run, and hooked the same fish, with my fly in it. She was quite confused, as she knew that it was Andy's fly, but also knew he hadn't been on the river anywhere near that area. Well, when I showed up to Andy's fly fishing seminar for dinner that evening as a guest, they quickly put two and two together, but didn't let me in on their secret. Over dinner it is tradition that the fishermen give reports on the day's fishing. Andy and Jannifer listened intently as I described my day on the Madison. I told the audience of the magnificent fish I'd hooked and that had broke off. I held out my hands out to show its length, which I estimated that it ran in excess of 20". Mid-sentence, Andy interrupted me in howls of laughter and said, "Phil, your fish was 16" and here's your fly"! I never quite lived that one down, and he always reminded me of that 20" fish! It taught me a good lesson.....never exaggerate your fish stories when Andy was around!

The attendees at the Memorial had many similar stories, some of which spoke of Andy’s graciousness as a fly fisherman and teacher, and some told humorous anecdotes about Andy. One of the more memorable was from Bob Lamb, the Senior Guide at Henry’s Fork Anglers, who shared a story of Andy fishing the Green Drake hatch on the Henry’s Fork with a friend. Late into the evening Andy hooked a magnificent fish that aggressively took line off the reel and was quickly into backing. Andy played it for a few minutes as his friend watched. Suddenly Andy reached down and grabbed the line, lowered the rod and broke the fish off. Stunned, his friend could only question why Andy had purposefully snapped off such a magnificent fish. Andy didn’t respond, but proceeded to tie on a new fly and resume fishing. The following day Andy’s friend spread the word of this magnificent fish that Andy had hooked, and the story was repeated that he had purposefully broken the fish off, perhaps as a show of sportsmanship for such a worthy adversary. Finally someone questioned Andy directly about the story, and he paused, and pondered his reply. Finally he looked up and responded with a single word, “Muskrat”!

Bob Lamb Telling a Story about Andy

Kurt Barker Remembering Guiding for Andy’s School

Mike Lawson spoke that evening as the sun began setting over the Henry’s Fork with a dramatic display of color. He spoke of his friendship with Andy, and how innovative

All who spoke that evening shared this larger than life person who had meant so much too so many

Mike Lawson Sharing Many of Andy’s Contributions to Fly Fishing

Finally the last speaker of the evening was Rene Harrrop, legendary fly tyer and owner of the Trout Hunter fly shop. Rene spoke of the river and its special place in Andy’s life. In his Native American Culture, the river was sacred. And Rene helped all of us understand the importance of this, and then declared that the Memorial to Andy was also now sacred. It was a very moving speech, and one which my written words do not do justice to, but it was a speech that I’ll remember for a long time. A blanket covering the Plaque was removed and revealed a portrait of Andy with the familiar pipe and a large rainbow trout he had caught years earlier right near this very spot.

Jannifer Puyans and Bonnie Harrop Share a Moment of Remembrance

The Memorial

To conclude the ceremony, one of Andy’s long-time students and friends pulled out a bottle of fine Macallan Scotch and he offered a toast. Macallan’s had been the drink of choice over many of Andy’s very late night fly tying sessions at Creative Sports. He carefully poured a bit of Macallan’s over the Memorial and with a look towards the river, took a swig and passed the bottle on to others in the crowd and the toast was repeated.

Rene Harrop and Bob Lamb Paying Respects to Andy

Phil Erickson of the Diablo Valley Flyfishermen

The setting sun had created a spectacular portrait of one of Andy’s favorite runs on the river. There were several fishermen downstream, and almost on cue, one fellow hooked a rainbow of about 20 inches that jumped twice right in alignment with our view over the memorial looking down river. It was a fitting end to the ceremony and fitting remembrance of Andre Puyans.

Sunset over the Henry’s Fork and Andy’s Memorial

Next time you’re in Island Park, stop by the Trout Hunters Shop and take the path downstream a ways to the rock and the plaque dedicated to the Master.