Hello and welcome to all members of the Flyfishers’ Club of Oregon. As the new president, I look forward to working with the rest of your hardworking and dedicated volunteer board. Outgoing president Teri Beatty set a high standard that will be hard to meet, but I will do my best. One of my goals is reaching out to a broader range of anglers to ensure continuing vitality by growing our membership. Another goal is preserving the wealth of fly fishing history from our senior members as we approach our sixtieth anniversary.
A little background for those who haven’t met me:
I became a member of FCO about five years ago after attending several meetings as a guest of past president Rick Pay, with whom I have shared a number of fishing adventures. My introduction to fly fishing came in 1991 when I moved to Oregon. My wife at the time decided I needed a hobby and gave me an Orvis Green Mountain series 9-foot 6-weight with an Orvis Madison reel for Christmas. I took a series of fly fishing classes through Portland Parks & Recreation and fell in love with the sport.
That starter rod and reel has been joined by the better part of a dozen additional single hand rods plus a couple of spey rods, none of which gets used as much as I would like. My fly fishing to date has been focused on trout, bass, and steelhead, and takes place mainly in Oregon and Washington. I have taken a handful of trips outside the Pacific Northwest, but am still a salt water fly fishing virgin. Like most fishermen with day jobs who don’t spend enough time on the water, my enthusiasm outweighs my ability, but it doesn’t stop me from having fun.
I’m very pleased that Teri Beatty has agreed to continue planning fishing outings for the club, and look forward to seeing you at club meetings and on the water.
Best regards,
Jim Hillas
