Steve Dorn knew Doug Stewart before the fly shop, before the Deschutes River became the destination it is today, and before either of them could have known how important fly fishing would become in their lives.
In this episode of the Family Tracker Podcast, Steve takes us back to the late 1960s, when a fly rod he didn't know how to use led him to a seminar taught by Doug Stewart and Pete Kelly. Doug took Steve under his wing, taught him how to cast, tie flies, and fish, and before long the two were making almost weekly trips to the Deschutes.
Steve remembers a very different river. Max Canyon was just opening up, crowds were almost nonexistent, and only a handful of boats might be fishing the upper river. Anglers talked with each other about where they planned to fish the next morning and gave one another room. Steve describes it as a special period when the fishing was phenomenal and a small group of anglers helped each other on and off the water.
One of the biggest pieces of fly-fishing history in the episode comes when Steve describes being with Doug when the Max Canyon fly was created. With fly-tying vises set up on Steve's jet boat, Doug, Steve, Tom Roberts, and another angler started experimenting with materials and patterns. The fly they came up with caught a steelhead that same night.
But this conversation goes far beyond fishing.
Steve remembers Doug as one of the most naturally gifted athletes he'd ever seen. Doug played basketball at the University of Portland, had incredible hand-eye coordination, and seemed able to pick up almost any sport. Steve tells a story about taking Doug golfing after Doug hadn't touched a club in years—and watching him shoot a 78.
He also remembers Doug as fearless, stubborn, generous, and always willing to help someone learn. Steve credits Doug with giving him the foundation for his entire life in fly fishing. Even decades later, Steve still casts the way Doug taught him: visualize where you want the fly to land and put it there.
The conversation also gets into a harder part of Doug's story: alcohol. Steve talks openly about the drinking that was part of their younger years, his own decision to eventually step away from it, and the conversations he had with Doug about cutting back. It's an honest look at friendship that doesn't erase the difficult parts.
We also hear about Doug as a teacher, businessman, husband, friend, and father. Steve shares how he helped Doug think through starting his fly shop and reflects on the lessons he learned from building his own business.
Near the end, I ask Steve what he would want someone listening 20 or 30 years from now to remember about Doug.
His answer is simple: Doug was the best athlete he ever knew, had unbelievable hand-eye coordination, and was always willing to help.
For me, that last part may say it best.
Doug Stewart was a lifelong teacher. Whether it was basketball, fly casting, tying flies, reading the stars above a Deschutes River camp, or simply showing somebody how to keep going, teaching was part of who he was.
