A Good Friend Passes

[Danoinark]

My good friend Jack Plotts, who some of you will remember I posted several of his foam flys here once has passed away. Jack was from Illinois and didn't know a thing about trout, but loved to fish for stripers and bass. He was always sending me new foam flys to try and would adapt some for trout waters.. I was another lucky one to have been the benefit of Jack's foam flys, instructions and friendship. I was also lucky to fish with him one Winter when he and his wife Kay came to Arkansas for a trip. I also visited in his home a few years ago while traveling through Illinois. Jack was a wonderful person that was always willing and very eager to help anyone get started in making foamies. He was only an email away from answering questions about them and or offering advice. I have bags of foam heads and other sundry items that Jack would bag up and send along. He called them his care packages and along with them would be handwritten notes and even hand drawn instructions. Jack was also an artist, but was shy about his paintings. If you didn't know Jack was also a jazz guitarist and had played regularly in small and large bands across the midwest. Just a gem of a guy and one that will be greatly missed. He succumbed to liver cancer after a valiant 42 month fight. My condolences to Kay and Mark and his grand daughter Emily, to his other extended family members and friends. RIP Jack, catch a big one for me.

Dano

[Rusty]

Sorry to here about the passing of your friend. They are few and far between.

[jabizzle]

This is my first post but I had to join this forum just to give a few words about Jack. My name is Jason and I live in Tennessee. I too was an email friend of Jack and a receipent of many of his " care packages" that Dan mentioned above. Jack was a great guy and was free with his advice and guidance of tying with foam and many other materials. His only request was that I share what I learned with others and let him know how they worked on my local fish. We had a almost daily email exchange over the past 4 years where we talked fishing, politics, etc. and we solved many of the worlds problems. Last year Jack made a trip down to Tennessee to meet me in person and we spent the day going over fishing tackle and swapping fish stories. I had wanted to take him fishing on Reelfoot lake but the weather just didn't coperate that day so we spent the day driving around the lake and showing him the local sites. I truely enjoyed the day and will always remember the time we got to spend together. My condolences to Kay and Emily whom I also got to visit with during his visit. I know Jack will be missed.

Also to Dan, he mentioned you often in his emails and told me that if I had any questions about fihsing Ark to contact you so I am extending that offer to you. If you are ever in the western part of the state give me a ring and maybe we can take a fishing trip to Reelfoot and catch one for Jack.

[flyfshn]

Sorry for your loss and prayers go out for his family. Maybe the two of you could post a few pics of the foam flies he tied?

[Danoinark]

Jason, good to hear from you. Jack would send me countless pictures of the big carp you would catch out your way and tell me how you adapted his flies for your fishing Reelfoot. Glad you signed up and hope you contibute more to this site. Its a great bunch of folks here.

Thanks for posting. One of these days we'll hookup and go fishing for our buddy.

Fshn..I will get some ready to post soon.

Dano

[jabizzle]

Thanks Dano. If you ever want to get into one of those big carp just let me know. I would be glad to share a boat with one of Jack's friends.

[Kansas Fly Fisher]

Sorry to hear about Jack. He also sent me one of the "care packages" after I spoke with Dano about them Dano was kind enough to pass my email and address along to him. I've been tying them for some time now using his instructions and patterns. I'm truly sorry I didn't get to know him more.

John

[Danoinark]

Jason...thanks same here. I will probably take you up on that one of these days.

John..maybe we should all get together and fish some of Jack's flys as a tribute.

[Kansas Fly Fisher]

John..maybe we should all get together and fish some of Jack's flys as a tribute.

Let me know when!

John

[Andy & JoAnne]

I am new here and have tangled lines with some really great folks. Sorry to hear about your friend. Sounds like a great guy.