Seeing this posted picture of BryantFreeman stirred some deep feeling in me as I’m sure it has many other fly fishing enthusiast that knew him.
I lived a short walk from Bryant’s business Eskape Anglers Tackle Shop. There was something exciting, a special feeling going to his tackle shop on a warm spring day for some fly tying lessons or tell him that I won a crown reserve draw.
One time in particular around 2003 I went to his shop and told him I won the Charlie’s Rock crown reserve stretch. There is no words to really explain the sharing of that moment. A moment of excitement, memories, nostalgia and a promise of three days of prime salmon fishing in the remotes of NewBrunswick. As Bryant put it in one of his writings…..”there is no words to do those thoughts justice. It is reserved for only those that know” Because there were no words, Bryant would express his excitement with a tight lipped smirk, a head shake and say ah ah ah. It was indeed a moment that only those that were in the know understood. An understanding between two liked minded people with the same passion.
But this moment was even more special than most. He had an elevated excitement about my winning the crown reserve draw for the Charlie’s Rock stretch. It was one of his favourite crown reserves stretches. He talked about how the moon would come up on the left side of the camp and work its way around to the right side of the camp by morning. He continued to say he love how the moon lit up the long straight stretch of water right in front of the camp and casts a silhouette through the trees. This view, this joy, this sharing of a brief moment was indeed reserved only for those who knew it.
This moment sure rings loudly my missing of Bryant Freeman. I have his book and the flies he tied for me. I have both set aside for keep sakes. Bryant died at 80 years old on November 29 2021.
