Thursday, August 27, 2020
Bill Young worked a short time with me in the Washington Department of Fisheries in the late 1970s. After his move to a new job, I did not see him for over 2 decades. We reacquainted in 2003 for a fishing excursion to Omak Lake. We became instant fishing buddies and had several memorable trips over the next years: Omak, Rufus Woods, Lenice, Nunnally, Janet, Sage, Quail, Rocky Ford, and Quinault. One of my fondest memories of Bill happened after that first trip. When he saw the old fly fishing rod I was using, he casually asked me if I would like a new Sage graphite rod. Thinking he was joking, I said "sure, a 6 weight with a fast tip." He then said he would order the blank and build the rod if I just paid for the blank. A short time later, he and Diane came to my house for dinner with my wife and me and delivery of the rod, along with a cloth case made by Diane. I am still using that rod and think of Bill every time it comes out of its case. I will surely miss him.
Paul Sekulich
