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TheBigLost

An inheritance - A collection - A dream

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Hello Guys n gals!

I wanted to share this room with everyone who is a fly fisher/tier.

My fathers dear friend Charles Higgins of Richland Washington passed away last year and left me with the most incredible gift I could ever ask for (save my wife)

I can't begin to explain this room in pictures, but I tried.

Charlie started tying when he was 10 years old and he passed away at the age of 80.

This is his lifelong collection.

He mainly tied Atlantic Salmon flies but the room contains everything imaginable.

Just an idea of what was included in this collection - roughly 20 rods (4 bamboo) and 20 reels, over 300 salmon and spey flies, and over 2000 hand ties dries, nymphs, emergers, hoppers, ect. Thousands of hooks, beads, eyes, more tinsel, floss and thread than sportsmans warehouse...lol.

It also included necks, capes, every hair/fur/synthetic imaginable, bags and bags of chenelle, porcupine hair, mohair, an incredible library with hundreds of hours of reading possibilities, and the list goes on and on.

I do not have pictures of everything (please forgive me) but someday I may!

Please check the pictures I have in a google picasa album below!

 

This first link is the pictures of the room how it was before I loaded it all in my truck.

It's a beautiful thing to remember the room the way the master had it set up.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Thebiglost/Edited#

 

The second link is to the current album, and it has some nice pictures, including some of the flies and Salmon fly tying goods.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Thebiglost/Edited02#

 

Overall I am incredibly blessed to have this in my life.

Often when I am tying in the middle of the night I can feel his old hands guiding mine, and his gruff matter of fact voice pressuring me to perfect my craft.

Sometimes, when I am fishing on the Big Lost River with Charlie's hand made 5wt Powell rod and hand tied flies, I tear up.... and imagine what it would have been like to fish with my fathers old friend. What it would have been like to watch him cast, see him smile, and absorb his knowledge.

I feel like I have in some relative way, honored Charlies collection now.

Please enjoy these pictures and remember,.....

What a beautiful sport we get to enjoy.

What a beautiful man Charlie Higgins was.

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I have a couple of questions:

 

1) What's your address

 

2 Do you have a security system at your house or a large dog?

 

Kidding aside, that's a fabulous collection. You could literally open a flyshop with all that stuff. He must have been quite an interesting guy and obviously a very talented tyer.

 

Enjoy.

 

Dave

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I'm feeling a little light-headed! ;)

What a bonanze!! :D

He must have thought a lot of you to pass on such a great collection!!! :)

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Hi TheBigLost,

 

I didn't think anyone's collection could make me envious but your new (old) collection certainly does. You are one luck person. Take care & ...

 

Tight Lines - Al Beatty

www.btsflyfishing.com

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That is awesome, you now have the incredible responsibily to carry on what Charlie started. Maybe even time to mentor a youngster that you will be able to pass the collection on to some distant day.

 

I have my Grandpa's old vise, nothing fancy, but every year on his birthday I tie a dozen Adams with it and find a way to give them anonymously to a perfect flycasting stranger. I think keeping memories alive that way is fun and special.

 

I'd love to see a close up of the Powell, those are some beautiful rods.

 

Cheers, Futzer

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You guys RAWK!!

I couldn't believe 200 people have already looked at this post.

I think I'm going to make a video of everything and load it onto hook.tv

I'll post when it's done.

Thanks for all the cool replies. It's nice to finally have someone to share all this with.

LOL on the security system...You got me thinking...lol.

I have had multiple requests by members asking if I'm selling any of this and as of right now the only thing I'm selling is a few patches of the polar bear hair.

here's the Ebay link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=250323353321

 

As for the rest if it I need to learn a bit more about it before I sell any more.

I'd actually rather trade stuff, but I gotta get my 40 posts in first.

i'd trade for rods, reels, line ect.

If you message me tell me what exactly you're interested in so i can narrow it down a little better.

I've considered trying to learn to tie Salmon flies, but It seems overwhelming...especially when I look at Charlies flies..lol

As for what I'm going to do with all this, I think I'm gonna keep most of it. I already have my 3 year old daughter tying with me and she loves all of the colorful feathers.

I'm also thinking about teaching a few kids how to tie and take them fishing this next summer.

There are a few who have expressed interest.

I think Charlie would approve of that.

Again, thank you for your funny, and inspiring posts.

I love this forum!

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Hi Big lost, not to damper your great post, but Polar bear is protected. Even if it is old, do some research. Correct me if I am wrong here, but I think it is illegal to sell in the U.S., hopefully someone will update my concern. Just don't want you to get in any trouble here.

 

Cheers, Futzer.

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that's amazing. The wooden drawers full of flies stuck on cork strips- that's something I've never seen before. It's always sad when someone like that crosses the bar. It's good to know that room full of stuff is in the hands of someone who understands and appreciates it, rather than sold off at an estate sale or worse yet, just thrown away.

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It's aliright to sell polar bear but you can't ship it overseas. But to make sure do a search on the classicflytying board for "CITES" and you'll get all the info you need.

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