You'll never have heard of him, you won't find him on Google, mentioned in any fishing books or magazines but he was the best fisherman that ever lived.

Geoff Coop died a couple of days ago, aged 88.

The reason I thought he was the best was because he taught me fly-fishing. Actually more than the mechanics - a lot of what he taught (and it was never particularly formally done) was about attitude, approach and how to enjoy this sport.

He was a gamekeepers son from Burnley but worked all his life in engineering. He was a member of the All-England Fly-fishers but gave it up when he felt it became too competitive. He fished for trout on stillwaters (the bigger the better), rivers (the Blythe, the Dove and as a treat once or twice the Test), and streams (the smaller the better). He was also an excellent shot but only for the pot when I knew him. and of course used any feathers for fly-tying.

I was a coarse fisherman, taken fly-fishing by him just to see if I liked it. Firts time I went he cleverly (I realise now) positioned me in a spot where he knew there was a pod of trout ganged up, tied on a Bloody Butcher, let me waft my rod about till I'd got a few yards out - then left me to it. As I twitched my fly awkwardly back wondering what the hell this was all about I became an instant convert the second I saw a big gray shape follow my fly in, veer away at the last minute. This looked like more fun than lobbing a float in and hoping the maggot didn't drown before I caught something (although to be fair I still do a bit of sea fishing with bait and that's pretty good). Then when I actually hooked one there was no doubt that this was the sport for me. I remember as if it were yesterday him telling me how to play the fish, how to kill it quickly and effectively and what we could learn about the fish by its appearance, what it had been feeding on. And so much more.

I'm really glad about 4 years ago I took him for a final days fishing at a stillwater he could still fish. He took a brace of fin-perfect rainbows then retired to a chair in the lodge enjoying the sight of other fishermen.

I'll miss him.

Sounds like a lovely man. Nice tribute trautigan.

Reg Wyatt

A fine tribute indeed, thanks for sharing

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We feel the loss of those who helped us into fishing very keenly.

I'm sure that he would have been happy to have read that, if only we could all pass on that love of the sport to someone, it would have a very bright future.

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Duirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite

Nature is by and large to be found out-of-doors, a location where, it cannot be argued, there are never enough comfortable chairs. Franz Lebowitz

thanks - wasn't expecting any replies to be honest; but I know he'd have liked this forum & a lot of the characters on it.

He gave a lot of good advice about fishing....for example:

"First of all find your fish"

I always remember that. deceptively simple, but how often do we fish somewhere where there aren't actually any fish; or (more often I suspect) fish somewhere we don't realise fish are.

It's also such a shame that all that knowledge has left the planet.

Your old friend sounds like one or two of mine, also now dead, alas. Often, they pass away before we have a chance to tell them how much they meant to us. Over the last ten years or so,I have made a point of telling people for whom I care, and who I respect, just how much I hold them in my esteem.
It might cause embarrassment, but it also appears to give them pleasure. Most are so modest as to express surprise at the high esteem in which I hold them, personally. As I have said, we have only the one chance, the one time here on earth, to tell them. Good guys deserve to be told. TC