Slim Randles'  Home Country

A lesson on life and love, flash and substance

Part 3: The advice

(See Part 1, Part 2)

[July 18, 2009]  Marvin Pincus heard the knock and went to answer it. He knew who it would be. This would be the Jones boy, Randall, after finishing his chores at home. Marvin had worked out how he was going to approach the issue of Randy Jones' passionate but futile worship of that glamour teen, Marcia Fleming.

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Pincus?"

"Sure did, Randy, come on in."

They went on into the den. Marvin waved Randy to a chair and put a hook in the fly tying vise.

"You know how to tie flies?"

"No, sir."

"Well, son, it's a metaphor for life and love, and that's why I asked you to come by today, Randy. Now watch."

The puzzled look on Randy's face remained as Marvin deftly wrapped the tail, the dubbed body and the hackle on a dry fly.

"There now, you see this fly?" Marvin took it from the vise and handed it to Randy. "This is a good pattern. A good solid pattern. This one catches fish. Regular good ol' dependable, salt-of-the-earth fish. You know why?"

Randy didn't.

"Because it looks just like one of the plain ol' brown bugs that fish like to eat. Substance, you see? Substance. Now I'll tie you another one."

From the depths of the tying drawer came flashy feathers, neon hackle, bombastic tinsel and other eye-straining ingredients. Marvin soon had these festooned on a hook and looking like something between a circus clown and a lady of the evening.

"This fly," Marvin pronounced, tossing it to Randy, "is what we call an attractor. There are a number of them: Parmachene Belle, Silver Doctor, the old standby Royal Coachman and a lot more. They don't replicate any bug known to man. They catch fish, but do you know what kind of fish?"

Randy didn't.

"Foolish fish. Fish whose heads are turned by glamour and flash, rather than substance."

Marvin stood and escorted Randy to the door.

"I hope this has been educational for you, Randy. A word to the wise is sufficient, eh, guy?"

Randy still had that puzzled look on his face as he left, but he shook hands with Marvin and thanked him for the flies.

"Uh, Mr. Pincus ...?

"Yes?"

"Will these work in Lewis Creek?"

[Text from file received from Slim Randles]

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