1990: The Buck and Duck Story….

Posted: February 12, 2009 by Hellcat in Fish Reports


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By Chris Heller

prologue……………..Around the time I was about sixteen years old, I had a cowboy hat I wore all the time when I went fishing. The hat had been a ‘lucky hat’ ever since a trip on the Deschutes (picture from that trip in pic above my name) when the winds had kicked up and blown it off my head. This was a hat I had given to me by my Grandpa in Pinedale, Wyoming, and was very special to me. The Deschutes is a ginormous river and it swallowed up my lucky hat a few miles hike up from the famous ‘locked gate’ road. With incredible karma as the only explanation….(all hail the fish Gods) after a three mile hike back down river the hat popped up along the river at exactly a moment and a place I could grab it. The odds are astronomical. Cosmic, really. Sal can testify. So, this is also about the time Sal, Doug Stewart and myself along with the old channel six news guy-Rick Metzger took two Portland Trailblazers fishing on the Salmon River…..

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Buck Williams swings a spinner for a spring chinook…and yes, that’s a fish on his head…

All I can really remember about how I got involved in this event, is that Sal, working for the USFS asked me to come along. A volunteer of sorts that could assist Kevin Duckworth and Buck Williams with their fishing gear on the river bank, etc. He went on to explain that, as part of a national campaign, they were going to be taking a camera crew to Mt. Hood and to the Salmon River. Rick Metzger, then a channel 6 newscaster, was involved by donating the use of his property along the river for the poster shoot. I understood that we would be fishing a big hole that notoriously held big springers, according to Doug Stewart of Stewart’s Fly shop in Wood Village, Oregon. This of course, was back when you could fish springers in the Salmon. They are protected now.

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Here, are a couple action photos, wink, of me helping the famous Buck and Duck………

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It really was a helluva experience for a kid like me. Fishing fool and a basketball fool. What an opportunity. It wasn’t without it’s moments of memorable comments; such as Buck explaining to me that ‘back home we fish with string attached to soup can lids….” I found myself not asking him what he was fishing for. I knew all I needed to know once I saw him put his spinning reel onto his rod, backwards. I realized at that point that I would be untangling these guys all day long. Which is exactly what happened. ALL DAY LONG.

Doug Stewart had located a fish sulking in the meat of the hole. He was trying to explain to our guests how to drift in front of the fish with their gear. It was a complete disaster. On almost every cast Buck would get hung up. I would wade out and try to get his lure, and then offer a suggestion of where to make his next cast. It didn’t help much.

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Duckworth really enjoyed himself…just a great guy

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Doug Stewart in his unmistakable fishing cap, Buck Williams and Rick Metzger in the lower right corner of the photo

As you can see in the picture above, it was quite the affair. By the time the photographers were all set up, everyone realized we weren’t going to be able to get these guys into one of these fish for the poster shoot. SO, on one of the casts that Buck made, he got hung up. I can’t remember who said it, but someone suggested they take the photos with Buck ‘hung up’ so it would look like a ‘fish on’! Amazing. The poster later on indicated as much. Just classic. What I wouldn’t give for one of those old posters.

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I have to mention in closing, that Doug Stewart ended up hooking that fish. The man was incredible. Famous for putting pencil lead on his fly rig. Got right down in that fast water and hit it in the nose. He later lost the fish. What a trip down memory lane.

Comments
  1. Nookslayer says:


    Great story Hell. I remember you showing me these photos and telling the story. Great fun for you and your interests. Great content for the site too.

  2. Hellcat says:


    Thanks, Shawn.

    C

  3. Salmonid says:


    Good memories. I think that I still have some of the posters.

    Sal

  4. Brent says:


    thats sounds like an unforgetable experience

    Brent

  5. Hellcat says:


    Thanks for the comments guys…and for taking the time to read the story. I have to thank my Dad, Sal, for exposing me to so many fishing related activities all throughout my childhood. You really are the best, Pops!

    RIP Kevin Duckworth.

    H3L

  6. Sounds like a hell of a time. Even if the the two trail blazers just flailed about on the river!

  7. Hellcat says:

    Thanks buddy….it’s one of those defining moments.

  8. Doug Stewart says:

    Hi Chris, I remember you and that time well very. Buck and Kevin were great guys to be around and Kevin was a fisherman and owned a Duckworth aluminum sled. My youngest son, David was also there and I took photos of him with both of them. It was a fun experience for everyone. By the way, are you sure I didn’t have split shot on my rig rather than pencil lead? Also, where did you get those photos? My web site is actually a blog and if you want see more stories about my fly fishing experiences check it out. Take care and good luck, Doug.

  9. Hellcat says:

    WOW what a blast from the past! Much respect, Doug! I checked out your site and I’m happy to link you up here to AAA if you’d like the extra traffic. Funny, I’m going to the Deschutes for the first time in a long while weekend after next. Pine Tree down. Feckin’ A. Glad you got on here. I’m flattered for real. Oh and to answer your question, Dad took those pics of that day. Yeah you’re right it was probably shot not pencil.

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