I was returning home from having breakfast at the White Sands Restaurant, our local dining spot here in Cotter, when I noticed Henry Seay’s little green pickup parked outside the Natural State Fly Shop.
I decided to stop in and say hello. He is an old friend I have known for years, and I always enjoy visiting with him. While we were talking, he said he had put in his notice and was going to retire. Henry is 84. I asked him what he was going to do. He said he didn’t know, maybe go fishing.
We worked together when I was the manager of Blue Ribbon Fly Shop. He was the key employee. Over the years, he has worked at several fly shops and is very knowledgeable of local conditions.
He would sit at the fly-tying desk and tie all day, except when customers were about. By the way, he is a master fly-tyer. He would often give a customer one of his hand-tied flies, along with detailed information on how to fish it. They were well-received.
Henry does not own a boat, so he is a wade fisherman. High water does not seem to bother him. He always finds some place to fish. Back in the Blue Ribbon days, I wrote a weekly fishing report, and Henry wrote a wade-fishing report that told our customers where they could wade no matter what the conditions were. It was quite popular.
Henry is also a guide. He specializes in teaching new fly-fishers or guiding kids on Dry Run Creek. Over the years he has shared information on his secret hot spots on Dry Run, and I always listen intently because he knows the creek well.
My wife, Lori, and I use him when we need additional guides on Dry Run Creek for large groups we cannot handle alone. He always produces good trout.
He has done a lot of volunteer work with the local Trout Unlimited chapter. He has held various positions and was very active with the youth camps. He was their first recipient of the volunteer of the year award. That award is now known as the Henry Seay award.
His favorite place to fish is on the lower North Fork River. I have fished there with him, and he knows the trout by name. He fishes bamboo rods and favors an old weathered cowboy hat. He looks like a figure from a bygone era. In truth, he is.
They don’t make fly-fishers like him anymore, and it’s a shame. He doesn’t have a big river boat and an even bigger jet motor. What he has is a lifetime of knowledge and a desire to catch trout. I look forward to some lower wadeable water and the opportunity to fish the North Fork with Henry again. Life is good.
John Berry is a fly-fishing guide in Cotter and has fished our streams for more than 35 years. He can be reached at 435-2169 or www.berrybrothersguides.com.
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