Posted by Jim Maloney on February 23, 2012:

Don was a great friend and my best fishing buddy. We began fishing together in 1958 during our time in flight school at Camp Gary, Texas. I will not forget our weekend adventures along the Texas coast. We even figured out how to catch and cook a few pompano. They were delicious. We fished and hunted together off and on throughout our years of active duty. We enjoyed trout fishing in Colorado, bird hunting in Kansas, and were even fortunate enough to be stationed together in Alaska, Don at Fort Greely and I at Fort Wainwright. We fished the Alaskan waters when we could. One memorable trip was a 6-day float in a rubber boat down the Deshka River. An aircraft landed us on a lake near the river, but not near enough. The trip to portage the boat and our equipment to the river was exhausting. The next six days were a wilderness experience few will ever enjoy again. Alaska during the sixties was far different than the Alaska of today in terms of remoteness. We caught all the trout and salmon we could handle, but were very happy to be picked up by the same plane on Cook Inlet. In addition to the good fishing, we experienced lots of mosquitoes and cold, wet nights in a flimsy tent. It was during these days in Alaska that Don turned me into a fly fisherman. He was an expert in the art and a superb instructor. After leaving Alaska, we did some bird hunting together while attending school at Fort Leavenworth. After that we went our separate ways until we retired, Don to Montana and I to Idaho. We started our fishing adventures again in a big way, at least for me. Don had been fortunate enough to fish for Atlantic salmon, steelhead and other species in many exotic places, including Iceland, Northern Europe and Canada. He had many fishing friends and knew all the right places. For more than twenty years we have been fishing together all over the world. He introduced me to fishing on the Kola Peninsula in Russia, Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, Iceland, British Columbia, and more of Alaska. In addition we fished together in Montana, Idaho and Oregon many times. Last year we took a trip together to northern British Columbia where we fished for steelhead with another close friend. After hooking a few, we got thoroughly rained out and forced to return home early. Disappointed, Don and I took one last trip in October of last year to the Grande Ronde River in Oregon. We hooked sea-run steelhead trout, drank good bourbon whiskey and had a splendid time. We planned to return again this year. To say the least, I will really miss Donald. He was a wonderful person, fun to be with. Both he and Mary have been my dearest friends. I will always remember and appreciate the companionship Don gave me. I am afraid fly-fishing will never again give me the worldly joy it once did. I look forward to fishing with Don again some day in Heaven.

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