I think when we put Denver on the list we had visions of Rocky Mountain highs, cavorting with elk and fishing cold mountain streams (upriver of Coors). The getting high part is easy as the wacky tabaccy is everywhere. Elk we saw in Oregon and Tammy got as close as you ever want to get to an elk that’s not on your plate. No rivers have crossed our path yet. Yet, that is.
As I was riding in my Uber from the airport to our place I saw something that took my breath away.
Yes, it turns out that the Eagle Claw headquarters are in Denver. Eagle Claw, you know, the maker of fishing gear that every kid grew up on. You knew right?
I bugged Tammy until she gave in and let me plot our course to go visit their factory outlet store. Two buses, a little walk along the freeway and we were there.
In the old days I used to fish for steelhead and there was only one hook that I would use. For some reason they disappeared off the shelves of stores in Oregon. It may have been more a fact of real sporting goods stores closing in the wake of the box stores plowing through and less knowledge or care about hook selection and loyalty.
It was with trepidation that I began my search along the wall of hope. My eyes watered and tired…going from one to another package. I was almost ready to give up hope..crawl back to the bus stop (after a walk along the freeway)…when I did a double take…could it be?
I’m not sure how many Eagle Claw fishing rods I’ve had but it’s been a mess of them. When I worked sporting goods I sold a gazillion as well. The color is a give-away to the Eagle Claw brand.
I had a great time wandering around their factory store. The salesman who checked me out with my one pack of hooks and two stickers said, “you came all the way out here just for this?” I answered yep, but was smiling inside as he had no idea just how far we had come, my blue-eyed girl and I.
The bus driver that dropped us off on the way to visit the store happened to pick us up for the ride back. We got on the bus and he said, “You guys didn’t get to far did you?” He has no idea how far back I went.
What a lovely post, Jan. You and your blue-eyed girl travel above and below the equator just to land in your past when you least expected it. Yes indeed. Neither the sales clerk nor the bus driver had any clue about how far you guys have gone.