FRED J. TAYLOR, MBE - DEDICATION CEREMONY
Angling legend, Fred J. Taylor, MBE died on the 7th May 2008. During his lifetime, he wrote numerous books and articles, and made films of his fishing adventures; he was also a renowned cook whose outdoor cooking skills would have been the envy of many a modern TV chef, but what some people may not know is that he was an active fund-raiser for a very special organisation - Angling Projects.
Angling Projects was founded in 1976 by Les Webber, MBE and has the support of celebrities, such as Chris Tarrant. The aim of Angling Projects is to provide a safe environment for young people at risk from drugs or crime; at the centre, volunteers teach fishing and essential life-skills.
On Sunday, 14th September 2008, a group of people gathered together to dedicate a bench to Fred and his wife Carrie. After days of incessant rain, the clouds parted and the sun shone down as Fred Buller made his dedication speech. Then, together with Dick Walker's wife Pat, they unveiled the double seat which had been positioned beneath trees next to the lake where Fred coached youngsters to fish.
The bench overlooks the canopied barbecue area where Fred J. often cooked for visitors as part of his fund-raising activities, and as if in honour of this 'Travellin' Man,' jets flew overhead in quick succession on their flight path to Heathrow. On one plane, I noticed the red maple leaf logo of Air Canada. Fred J. spent many happy hours fishing in Manitoba, and was the only non-North American to win the Master Angler's Gold Medal for catching ten trophy species in that State.
It was a poignant moment. I pictured his beaming smile, and could hear his famous words echoing in my head. Whenever he was beginning a beautiful day's fishing, he would say:
'Nice one God!' - and it was.
SA
September, 2008