By:  Dick Cameron

In our six previous years of owning and operating The Palometa Club, with the remoteness of our location coupled with heading straight back to Alaska an directly into my other life of working in the pipe trades, we haven’t had much time to mingle with other facets of the fly fishing industry. David Leake has made it his mission to change all of that. It started with a December day and dinner in Dallas with Lefty Kreh and Rick Pope that resulted in Lefty and Rick booking a week in April.

The next chapter was a visit from Mason Brent of the rising star clothing company, Howler Brothers, Banning Collins, sales rep for TFO, Winston, Lamson Waterworks, Hatch and Umpqua as well as the aforementioned Howler Bros, and Sandy Morret of The Florida Keys Outfitters fame. Rounding out the set was long time salt rodder, Dr. Clay Williams from New Orleans with his second trip in as many seasons. Fishing was difficult but the time spent together certainly was not. It was a fantastic blend of the up and comers and the legend with us falling somewhere in the middle.

David Leake parachuted in for the last day for some boat time with Sandy and some bidness with Banning, Mason and myself (stay tuned to learn more about that) along with his participation in some world class BS’n.

It was phenomenal getting to spend time with what looks to be our sports future while being able to contrast it with saltwater fly fishing’s very colorful past. These 3 days went by way to quick with stories of fish, fishermen, fishing places and what it has meant to each one of us. Ramp that all up with few beverages and some kick ass music and there you go!

A sidebar on one of our new friends Mason. He is the guitar, mandolin and banjo player in a group called The Wrinkle Neck Mules. The band is comprised predominantly with guys from the Howler Brothers. They are a throwback to the southern rock/country that I cut my teeth on in the 70’s. If you like this type of sound and what’s going on in the “alt country” world, you owe yourself a listen to these guys (www.wrinkleneckmules.com).