Finally located this book I read a few years ago.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2155196.Last_Old_Place
And a few notes on another book by the same author.
BELGRADE - Anna Proper stood out her back door overlooking a sprawl of 60 acres south of Belgrade, which she and her late husband bought in 1987.
"Sometimes he grabbed me and gave me a big hug," Proper said. "He then pointed and said, 'Do you see that?'"
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He showed her wildlife, trees and plants, which blanket the couple's property.
That was Datus Proper's way: to pay attention to detail. And, with wit and charm, he shared nature's details with his family, friends and readers.
Datus drowned Sunday evening while fishing Hyalite Creek. An author of four books, Datus also was a regular contributor to Field& Stream magazine and a former U.S. diplomat. He was 69.
He grew up in Yellowstone National Park, before driving his Indian motorcycle to Cornell University in New York to get a degree in English. He then served in the Foreign Service in Angola, Brazil, Portugal and Ireland, where he met Anna.
Monday, Anna and friends of Datus huddled in the author's office, where many of his books line the shelves and antique fly rods - along with several flies - hang on the wall for display.
"He loved the outdoors, children and his dogs," said longtime family friend Tammie Jaumotte. "He had a lot of dignity. He had an aura around him that was so different from other people."
David King, who called Datus his best friend, said the writer "worked at every sentence, so each was packed with extra layers of thought."
Along with fishing books, Datus wrote about pheasants and a travel guide for Portugal dubbed, "The Last Old Place."
He trained German shorthair pointers and two of his old dogs, Huck and Trooper, are buried on his land under a tree next to a winding stream.
Anna said Datus often fished the stream called Thompson's Creek, but he referred to it as Humidity Creek in his writings.
"He never went to a stream and said I want to catch a lot of fish," Anna said. "Instead, he just loved figuring out what the fish were taking."
King, who was fishing with Datus on Sunday when the author apparently slipped on the rocks on Hyalite Creek and drowned in the shallow water, said he didn't see what happened.
"My best guess is he slipped on the rocks and hit his head," King said.
While standing out her back door, Anna said every time she begins to cry about losing Datus she remembers the last thing he was doing.
"That's what I think about," Anna said. "That when he died he was doing what he loved."
Datus Proper finished a rough copy of a book on hunting before he died. His wife, Anna, said she is hoping to publish the writer's fifth book. Along with Anna, Datus leaves behind a son Scott Proper, 26, who is attending Oregon State University.
Running Waters by Datus Proper
I rarely read a trout book, but this one held my interest. I skimmed over what I was not very interested in, and just enjoyed his general remarks on fishing.
He was clearly inspired and published by Nick Lyons who has brought so many good fishing books to our attention.
p. 61 " Edward R. Hewitt's opinion is that the fisherman has three ages: when he wants to catch as many fish as he can, when he wants to catch big fish, and when he strives to catch the most difficult fish" That author likes this, but does not like it if there is any sense of score involved. p. 152 An entire chapter on scoring. " If your appetite is greater, may you catch all you need--as long as your prey remain creatures of flesh and blood. If they turn into scores, something has gone wrong." This the way I feel when I watch bass trournaments, especially when the dance of the landing of the fish is shortened to an abrupt getting him into the boat so the next pound can be caught.
However, I don't see much difference between needing to outwit the most difficult fish either. I like to think of the fishing more as being one with the water and the catching as being a dance in the wilderness that collects a fine meal. The big fish are fun, but I am content with those that fill my live well and are good at breakfast. As for the most difficult. I tend to think those are the fish in overfished water.
The fly fisherman also approaches scientist with all the reading the bellies, the tying to duplicate the hatch, etc. p. 101 "But I want to fish not by folklore but like a scientist, knowing what I am doing and why." I'd rather play in areas of story. He may be talking more about just having a pragmatic technique, but I think fishing should be much less work and just fun.
There is a fine chapter on fishing for carp with a flyrod. The key was perhaps finding a place where the carp would feed on the surface. Still, it all looked like a good bit of fun. He mentioned an Isaac Walton recipe for carp. That would be fun to search out.
Carp end the book, "Have you ever tried to dream about trout? They are too fast, pure quicksilver, and you cannot hold them in the torpor of sleep. For dreams you need monsters, a slow drift along the cliffs at the end of the world, bright sunlight and deepest shadow."
I think that you can dream bluegills. I do it.
p.96 : "Angling is a game you can't lose... you might even catch a fish eventually, but the fish will never catch you." Ironic that he drowns in a stream. Perhaps he did not respect enough the things that can happen while fishing.
vocabulary:
an elosion of knowledge
oyle to swim up to the surface from the salmon while it ferments
