Missing from the recent Jackson County Sportsmen’s and Outdoor Recreation Show was perhaps its most-watched, and most appreciated, presenter.

Stan Fagerstrom, the 83-year-old trick-caster, was not there. And for good reason.

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame came calling for the former Florence bass fanatic. Fagerstrom was enshrined in the hall Saturday in Alabama during the Bassmaster Classic.

Fagerstrom has been preaching the bass-fishing mantra in the Northwest for 60 years, and he’s gotten his message into the noggin’s of more than a few of us in Salmon Nation.

Stan’s casting is just as legendary. With spinning or bait-casting rods, he chan chuck a hook-less plug into your pocket at 40 yards.

He even made a spectacle of your’s truly — the Fish Hack at the Fish Wrap — a few years ago, hitting my outstretched index finger while my little tax deductions watched and laughed in amazement.

After millions of casts and surgery on his right wrist, Fagerstrom can still fling it.

“I can still hit my targets as good as ever,” he told me. “And I’m going to keep doing it as long as I can. The last thing I want to do is nothing.”

A full feature on Fagerstrom appears in the March 1 Mail Tribune. Check it out.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 28th, 2007 at 2:31 pm and is filed under Outdoor Journal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.