By: Daniel Notarianni
A
t about 8:00 pm one night I got a phone call from Niko Terpselas “let’s go fishing, the rivers are prime!” We decided to meet at 5:00 am and head up to the Beaver River. When I hung up the phone that night, I had no clue that the trip would morph into the day I never had. The Beaver River has a lot of sentimental value to Niko and I. This river is kind of special; even when it’s busy with anglers, it’s still a good spot. We drove up to some great pools, just like that. But when we spotted another angler across the river, we both quieted down. It wasn’t because the water was perfect or only two others were fishing. Not even because one guy had a fish on! It was just because the dude fighting the fish looked a lot like our buddy, Andrew Garry. We knew it couldn’t be him, though. Andrew had lost
Niko Terpselas with a beauty trout.
his battle with cancer three years earlier. When the silence finally lifted, Niko glanced at me and said, “He’d always drift from that same log.” After a moment of somber reflection, we decided it was time to start fishing. Andrew’s fishing advice and wisdom will be remembered.
Just Fishing . 48
On the way to the river, I tripped – no surprise there – nearly baptized myself in an impromptu water blessing.
A crow cackled, and Niko shot me a look, saying, “That’s him laughing at you!” Shortly after, Niko set the hook hard, probably on the bottom, only to have his entire rig rebound and tangle up in his rod. Right on cue, the crow cackled again. We exchanged glances, Niko grinned, and he said, “Now he’s laughing at me.” I never got the chance to cast a line with Andrew. We both worked at a fishing retail store, and he was my department lead. He passed on more than just fishing tips – his wisdom extended to work and life. Despite our attempts to plan fishing trips, they always fell through, and it felt like work was constantly getting in the way. We came close to hitting the water a few times! The one that stings the most in hindsight was a lost chance on the Grand River. Brown trout were on the bite for weeks, and I couldn’t forget how animated Andrew got when sharing tales of fishing there with his father. We had it all planned out, but I had a surprise in store for Andrew – Niko was joining us, and it had been a while since they’d fished together. Unfortunately, the night before, Andrew came down with a fever, and our outing never materialized. Even years after he’s gone, his guidance and stories still echo in my ears. From tiny jigs for bass to using nymphs to fly fish for panfish. The first saltwater fish I ever caught was a barracuda on a chug bug, that was his advice! He was one of the first people to tell me about heavy glass beads for steelhead. When the fishing is off, his advice has saved my day more times than I can count and that day on the beaver was no different! (Continued on page 49.) Winter 2024
