I recently posted the following in three places along Fish

Hatchery Road:

I am 74 years old and getting forgetful, I guess. I left my fishing vest

on a rock by Plums Landing boat launch. The vest isn’t much, as it’s old, but

I sure could use all the fishing gear I had in it. I would really appreciate

Posted 11/30/99

Yesterday, Dec. 8, I received a phone call about 4 p.m. from

Chief Chris Connor of the Fall City Fire Department. He said he had a

package for me that someone had dropped off a few minutes before. The

gentleman didn’t give his name, and Chris said he wasn’t in the station more

than 20 seconds.

I went down to the station, of course, and in the package I found

a brand spanking new fishing vest. It is the very same design as the one that

I left on the rock. But mine was old and this one was new and a larger

size, which I need now because of a little weight I’ve gained over the years.

Also in the package were bags of hooks, swivels, yarn, a spool of lead, a

nice fish-carrying tool, beads, corks and probably some other things that

I’ve forgotten (remember _ poor memory). I was, and still am, overwhelmed

by the thoughtfulness and generosity of the person or persons who did this.

I’ve come to know many by name and many more by sight along

the Snoqualmie River. Being kind of a blabbermouth, I talk to a lot of

them because most of them are friendly guys. Many, many times I’ve seen

one fisherman helping another whether they know each other or not. It sort

of restores your faith in the human race. We need to restore some faith

after watching the mess in Seattle with the WTO.

I don’t know if this act of kindness and generosity was the work

of one person or several, or even many, but I want to thank them or him

very, very much. For their information, the vest and other equipment must be

either lucky or good because the first day I wore it, I landed a nice

bright five-pound hatchery hen about 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 9. That’s the first

steelhead I’ve caught in about a year and a half.

Thanks again.

Who says there’s no Santa Claus?

Mac Pearson

Fall City