Rogue Flyfishers-Reed Ryan Fund P. O. Box 4637 Medford, OR 97501 |
Reed Ryan was a charter member of the Rogue Flyfishers when they organized in 1971. These original
members were drawn together by their passion for fly fishing and preserving the fishery. Preserving the
fishery also meant preserving the habitat. They knew that the construction of the William L. Jess Dam
on the upper Rogue would impact the fish runs. The diversion of water for irrigation and ever expanding
urbanization would have an adverse impact on stream flow. Logging was also impacting stream water
quality.
Reed Ryan was also aware of the issues and came together with others who had the same concerns. Reed
was a responsible minded man who passed his passion for the fish habitat on to those around him. When
Reed passed on in July, 2006 his family requested that instead of flowers his friends might honor him by
making donations to the Rogue Flyfishers to be used for fish habitat improvement projects.
The Rogue Flyfishers are a 501(c) 3 non profit corporation. Donations will be acknowledged with a
letter of receipt and thank you on behalf of the Reed Ryan family and the Rogue Flyfishers. You don’t
have to be a member of the club to donate money to this important work.
The Rogue Flyfishers have found that our positive impact can be leveraged to a much higher level by
partnering with other organizations on a project by project basis. The local watershed councils, for
example, have experience writing grant applications and managing projects. Grants almost always require
local matching money and sweat equity. That is where the Rogue Flyfishers come into the picture. Many
grants will not allow their money to be used for permits and very few grants are available for
education. The Reed Ryan Fund can help get these worthwhile projects off the ground and get them moving.
Here is an example of how it might occur. A small fish passage barrier needs to be removed at a cost of
$50,000. The local watershed council gets permission to remove it from the land owners and any other
stake holders. They write a grant application but need $6,000 in local money matching funds. They ask
the Rogue Flyfishers for $3,000 and another local group for the other $3,000. All parties provide the
money and the contractor completes the work under the supervision of the watershed council. It sounds
easy doesn’t it? It really isn’t because most of these projects take months to complete. Also many
stakeholders and agencies can be involved. Usually there are limitations on when and how the work can
be done. Sometimes these projects need hand labor such as tree planting which our members can help
with. In this example our $3,000 resulted in helping a $50,000 project to completion. This is a
bargain for us by any standard.
Thoughts about Reed Ryan, as remembered by Dale Heath
Reed really enjoyed eating. During our planning discussions for our Deschutes River trip outings, he was
always making suggestions on how to upgrade our menu offerings. I also remember that he never met an ice
cream or a cup of coffee that he didn't like. Reed had quit drinking several years previously and had
successfully stayed away from alcohol, until one fateful day on the Deschutes. Unbeknown to Reed, I
carried my Canadian whiskey and my iced tea in identical clear storage containers, and they were hard to
tell apart. He was taking his pills, just before lunch, and didn't have any water handy. He thought he
would take a gulp of my iced tea to wash them all down with. He put all the pills in his mouth at one
time and took a swig of my iced tea. He immediately realized that it wasn't iced tea, but he didn't want
to spit them out and waste them. With a name like Ryan, he could be a little on the Scottish side at
times. Anyway, he let just enough of the whiskey wash the pills down his throat and then spit the rest
of the whiskey out. That was the only time he ever fell off the wagon. Sorry about that, Reed!
Thoughts about Reed Ryan, as remembered by Clint Brumitt
He was great to have on an outing. He was helpful and caring of others. One year on a Deschutes trip, I
had the pleasure of taking his son, Mark, in my boat. It was a fun trip for me. It was also a chance for
Dad and son to connect after a long absence.
On one of our early Deschutes trips, the group was fearful of Whitehorse rapids. One boat had gone ahead
of the rest and had actually gone over the top of the rock, Big Red. It can not be seen from above and
it has a huge hole below it. Our plan was to enter from the left and pull to the right. I was following
Reed.
Two or three times I remember yelling at Reed to pull. With the sounds of the rapids he of course could
not hear. I later found out he was having some back pain and decided not to make the hard pull. As a
result of watching him, I quit pulling as well and floated through the lower end of upper Whitehorse and
we met in the eddy at the bottom of the run.
Part way through Whitehorse, my right oar jumped out of the oarlock and was forced upward at least to a
45-degree angle. My right oar was going over the top of Big Red while my boat was skirting the left side
of this rock. I had not seen it until the oar reacted. Had I continued to pull to the right instead of
following Reed, I would have suffered a severe boat ride. Calamity would reign and the trip would have
been ruined.
Because Reed had a sore back and did not pull, I was able to follow him safely through the rapids.
Leadership by example is a proven technique.
Reed taught me a few courtesies as a youngster. Every year he would have the responsibility of cooking
the first dinner, which seemed to be NY steaks or some such treat. Every year he would ask each person,
as the steak cooked over the coals, how they wanted their steak done. Answers varied from rare to well
done. He had eight to fourteen hunks of meat in front of him, cooking away. Sooner or later, he would
hand their dinner out to each person. After a few years, I realized that I could not tell which was rare
and which was well done. I asked him, after he was told by each person what they wanted, how he could
tell the status of each steak. His answer stunned me, but it was a great lesson in human interaction. He
said he could not tell the status of each steak, but he asked them anyway, and they always enjoyed what
he gave them.
He also taught me you are never too old to learn and improve. Soon after I met him, with the founding of
the Rogue Flyfishers, Reed recognized that he had a problem. He took the steps necessary to solve that
problem and he never had another drink. Quite remarkable for someone who was on the other side of 60 at
the time.
Occupationally, Reed was in the real estate business. He was successful at his trade. He volunteered to
come into my classroom and share his success with the students. By example, he laid out many steps to
success, not just in the business of real estate, but the steps needed to be successful in life. He was
effective with the students on his visit.
However, the story that I come back to in my mind is strictly fishing. In fact, two stories. The first
was watching Reed, at that time he was well over 80, catch what I assume to be his last trout or one of
his last fish. Four of us were on the Deschutes and he was riding with Dale Heath. He could camp and
float with every one, but he realized it took longer to get the rod ready and waders on, than it used
to. Bruce Howell found an eddy that was approachable for Reed. While Reed prepared to cast, Bruce
grabbed his belt so the angler could concentrate on his quarry. It was classic. Fly presented to fish,
fish takes fly, angler fights fish and upon netting, releases the trout for another day. I am not sure
who felt better, Reed for the act of fishing and catching or the three of us for seeing and experiencing
a friend catch the trout.
But early on in the clubs history, before Lost Creek Dam took effect, summer run steelhead was the fish
of choice of the fly fishers. We could not wait for the fish to arrive in the upper river in late
August or early September. Then we could have one or two good months of steelhead fishing.
I met Reed at the old Military Bridge on the Denman Wildlife Management area when the flow of the river
was between the two concrete structures. We both had enjoyed the evening but decided to run up to Dodge
Bridge. Finding it crowded and dusk upon us we returned to Denman. Reed said he was going to fish that
one little slot downstream. Give him 10 minutes. I waited as darkness descended. I could see him in
the glow of light left from the western sky. The sun had long since left the day and was headed for
sunrise in Europe. Suddenly I can hear the sound of a Hardy reel and can even make out the silhouette
of fly fisherman into a fish, rod raised high and bowed downstream. It is then over and the angler
returns to the bank and back to the car.
When Reed returned, I asked him how big it was. He said it was big but he did not know the exact size
since the steelhead had continued on down river with his FLY LINE. It appears that the backing and the
fly line came apart. Reed enjoyed sharing his story at the weekly club luncheons and later that month,
others who were fishing in the same area, found a small 6-inch section of the fly line. Someone mounted
it on a plaque and varnished it. It was presented to Reed at the next club meeting. Years later as Dale
Heath and I helped move Reed into the assisted living quarters, he still had the plaque and, of course,
the memories of that magical evening and great steelhead that stripped him of his line.
Thoughts about Reed Ryan, as remembered by Irv Urie
I'm an old friend of Reed Ryan's and have known Reed for something like 45 + years, with also taking him
through the Rogue Canyon a few times in the 70's. Always my best wishes for Reed, Irv Urie.
Thoughts about Reed Ryan, as remembered by Don Denman
He was a real gentleman. I'll always remember my first trip down the Deschutes from Warm Springs to
Maupin. When we all got out to look at Whitehorse and decided that we had to stay to the left. After I
got through, I looked up and here came Reed and someone else, clear over on the right, but they breezed
through like they knew what they were doing!!
Reed Ryan’s Memorial Service, as remembered by Dale Heath
Family and friends, including several RFF members, gathered on Reed's 95th birthday to say goodbye. I
had the honor of escorting Dick Ruff's widow, Thelma, to the memorial. Reed and Mary Ryan were with Dick
and Thelma Ruff when Dick suffered his fatal heart attack back in the 70s. They were great friends and
we miss them all dearly. The RFF originated the Dick Ruff Award to honor his memory. At the memorial, we
reminisced about the good times we shared with Reed. There was a time of story telling that we all
enjoyed, including fishing adventures, childhood memories, a wonderful marriage, and a life well lived.
Reed was a charter and honorary life member of the RFF. He contributed greatly to the early success of
the club. He was always donating items and finances to the club, including the large metal fly rod
storage box that we still use. I enjoyed fishing with Reed many times, including several camping and fly
fishing trips down the Deschutes and then visiting him down in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he enjoyed
several winters in his motor home. Happy Birthday! Reed. We will miss you.
Obituary from the Mail Tribune
Pierce Riedel (Reed) Ryan
Reed Ryan passed away at the age of 94, just short of his 95th birthday, on July 10, 2006, at Waterford
Three Fountains where he had lived for the past 2 years. He is now reunited with his wife, Mary, who
preceded him in passing on April 1, 1992.
A Memorial for Reed and his family and friends was held on Sunday, July 30, 2006, (which would have been
his 95th birthday) at Tou Velle State Park on Table Rock Road from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
The family requests that you make contributions to the Rogue Flyfishers at P.O. Box 4637, Medford, OR
97501, the word habitat should go on the memo line, in lieu of flowers. Reed was very active in the
Flyfishers since his arrival in the Rogue Valley in 1962. He was also an active member in the Medford
Lions Club and the Rogue Valley Bus Nuts Club.
Reed's hobbies included fishing, fly-tying, golf and reading. His children will never forget the times
we spent fishing and camping in the High Sierras, at many lakes and rivers, and at the ocean.
Reed was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 30, 1911 to John Pierce Ryan and Alma Riedel Ryan. He moved
to the west coast in 1932, served in the CC Camps building fire breaks and camp sites in the Sierras. He
married Mary Loretto Feltman on March 4, 1935 in Los Angeles, California. They had two children:
Patricia Mary Ryan Milburn and Mark Pierce Ryan, who survive. Reed also has five grandchildren and eight
great-grandchildren.
Reed was the oldest of five siblings. Preceding him in passing were Roger Ryan, Dorothy Vandy Young,
Jack Vandy, all of Chicago, Illinois, and Richard Vandy of Sun City, Arizona.
In California, Reed worked in the Aircraft industry and Real Estate. He and Mary moved to the Rogue
Valley after touring the United States looking for a place to retire. They bought the Rogue Villa
Trailer Park in Gold Hill, which was Reed's dream in life. Unfortunately it flooded the same year (1962)
and again in 1964. He continued his career in Real Estate in Oregon, and also owned and operated the
Real Estate School of Oregon. When he retired, he and Mary were snow birds, going to Mexico every spring
in their converted Greyhound bus. Reed will be sorely missed by all who knew him.