Rivers of a Lost Coast

With a little plug by Brian Hoffman for Rivers of a Lost Coast in the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday morning, things were off to a good start. The realization that post-production is over and our dire need to “de-clutter”, quickly cramped the good vibe. A little spring-cleaning in the middle of December (sounds like a bad Dolly Parton Christmas song). Dumping the old files, I came across some story-notes from Larry Cullens, a long-time coastal fisherman who has thrown all his chips into the salmon fishing pot.

A Little background: Larry, to say it mildly, has an intimidating presence. Broad shoulders, thick worn hands, he protects against cataracts with a pair of reflective sunglasses that have an eerie familiarity to the warden in “Cool Hand Luke.” He lives alone and splits his time between Gold Beach and Crescent City. When he walks to the boat, it’s with a limp; junior college football injuries added to a life of hard labor. He is quiet on the river now, although from what we’ve heard, it was not always that way.

For Rivers of a Lost Coast, we met with Larry in the fall of 2006, on the banks of the Rogue River. When I saw his long silver ponytail, I immediately realized I had seen him before. Twice to be exact; once in a pram about 300 yards from where we stood and another time at the Bailey hole on the Smith River. He has that kind of presence.

Larry was a good friend and understudy of Ted Lindner, one of the focal-characters in Rivers of a Lost Coast. When old age finally forced Ted from the river, he retired many of his personal belongings to Larry. Included was Ted’s small, heavily used travel trailer. It was the trailer Ted lived in for the last 40 years of his life; it was his home.

Although in his younger, wilder days Larry saw his self as a stark contrast to the disciplined and strict Ted Lindner, the two befriended and dissolved their differences through fishing. In his own words he saw their friendship as “highly unlikely.”

So on that day in the fall of 2006, we talked with Larry about Ted, about a life dedicated to salmon fly fishing, about the admiration you keep for those who take you under their wing. He has a handful of names. Ted kept in the highest regard.

As he retold the stories he was emotional. More than most, Larry wants to pay tribute to the older generation. He talks little of his own angling skill. Never mentions what I already know, that he is a former world-record holder for Chinook Salmon on the fly.

When the interview was over we left the river and headed back to Larry’s for a salmon bar-b-que. He pulled his truck into the small lot and parked next to a trailer. Larry still has Ted’s trailer. Ted’s home is now his own. Maybe that is why Larry understands so well the connection we keep with our mentors.

If you’d like to hear some thoughts from Larry he is included in ”The Fishing Lifestyle” audio clip.

On the message board below we encourage you to share your stories of the anglers who got you started and kept you hooked.