Say Hello to Vivian...  I First Met Her on a
Remote Stream in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
About Thirty Years Ago.  As I Walked Along a
High Ridge, I Suddenly Spotted This Lovely
Red Head Skillfully Casting to a Riser in the
Shadow of a Log Jam.  Unknown to Her, I
Sat Down to Watch...  It wasn't Long Before
the Pool Exploded, and so did Vivian in an
Eruption of Red Hair, Giggles, and Squeals of
Delight.  As She Gently Released the Fish, I
Worked My Way Down the Slope to
"Introduce" Myself to This Lovely Girl...
Of Course, She Knew I was Watching Her All
Along, for She Didn't Act a Bit Surprised as I
Approached.
Vivian was a Natural Beauty, but as Lovely as Vivian was, I Couldn't Take my Eyes
From the Wonderful Split Cane Rod She Cradled in Her Hand.  That Afternoon Began
a Very Intense Friendship Between Vivian and Myself, and Not One Based Solely on
Our Mutual Love of  Fishing...  Well, as Things Tend to Go With Twenty Somethings,
Vivian and I Began to Gradually Drift Apart.  I Must Say, as Great a Girl as Vivian
was, I Just Couldn't Get Past the Stigma of Dating the County Sheriff's Daughter and
She had a Hard Time with the Fact that I was Pretty Much a Shiftless Bum Living in
a Tipi and Working a Minimum Wage Job Without Much of a Future...
I'm Not Sure What Ever Happened to Vivian, but for My Part, I Eventually Became a
Successful Businessman , Fly Fisherman, and Rodmaker...
Vivian did Leave Me with One Lasting Legacy, However.  One Day After a Long Day
on the Stream, She Handed Me Her Bamboo Rod , and Asked Me for Mine.  She
Wanted to Know if I Wanted to Trade.  I Asked Her if She Knew What She Was
Asking, and She Said She Did.  She Wanted to Know if I Minded Getting the Short
End of the Stick.  After All, She had Picked Up the Old Paul Young Driggs Rod at a
Garage Sale for Ten Bucks and She Really Wanted to Try One of the New Graphite
Rods.  She Gave Me that Little Smile, Batted Her Eyes, and I Melted.
Remember, This was 1979...
What Vivian Unwittingly Gave Me that Day was a Life Long Love of the Split
Bamboo Fly Rod, its Aesthetics, and its Artistry.  Please Enter and Explore, and
Always Remember that Our Goal is to Bring Together Both Art and Angling.
Ahh Vivian...