What a thrill finding this video of Fran! I bought his books, used them as a guide when fishing the adirondacks fished the ausable with Fran when he owned the shop on the river side of the road.. those were the days mid to late 80's...miss him...he was a fine man.. I hail from Montreal originally, when i discovered the adirodacks i was hooked...

Thanks for posting! 👍

Love mr.frans patterns

Fran was my uncle, I use to spend a lot of time at his place in key west as a child. Great memories fishing with him and my grandfather there. Thanks for sharing!!!!

@callaway86

3 жыл бұрын

Joel, Fran was one of my dad's best friends and he and Jan were good friends to our whole family. Thanks for your comment, he was an amazing man!

@joeg5414

6 ай бұрын

I didn't know him, but have good memories of standing in his shop watching him tie while my Dad and him talked about hatches and fishing report. We would fish the Ausable a few times a year back in the mid 90s when I lived in Northern NY near Massena. We always stopped at his shop though. Lots of good memories this video brought back

TY very much for posting this. I like to use 1X long hooks on these Wullf Flies. Must have been 1990 I spent a lot of time fishing & camping around the West Brach. I stopped by the shop one day & Jack Smith pulled in(another Ausable legend) & could see I had a Dog in my Truck, My young English Setter who went everywhere with me. we chatted a bit & Jack went into the shop to tell Fran " You need to see this Dog" . Fran got up from his bench to come out & say hello to Freckles. I later ran into Jack near Black Brook, who let me try out one of his Powell Rod's. I feel very blessed & honored to have known these men. Most of my hackle came from the Adirondack Sport Shop, as well as a 1st edition River guide & pattern book. I still have about 10 of Fran's Flies, would love to go back & catch a Brown on one of those Flies.

I spent some time camping and fishing in the ausable in the late eighties. I used to go to the shop for flies and advice on where to fish and things. He would always be tying. He could tie the ausable wulff in about 3/4 mins. Talk the whole time. I bought a lot of stuff. I wish I had kept some of the flies. They caught fish so I used them all. Good memories.

@joeg5414

6 ай бұрын

I lived in Northern NY in the mid 90s - near Massena. A few times a summer, my Dad would take us down to camp and fish the Ausable. St Regis was another favorite. We would always stop at Frans shop to buy flies though. Good memories of watching Fran tie while my Dad and him talked. I was just learning to tie so it was fascinating to me watching such a legend at work. Was just thinking the same about saving some flies as I watched this. Would be pretty cool to have a Fran Betters tied Ausable Wulff in a frame to hang up

@reserrvoirman

6 ай бұрын

@@joeg5414 He had a guide service. For 25 dollars he took myself and my wife to be on the wildest ride along the ausable one could take. He brought me to several spots I could catch fish at. He drove like Mario Andretti. I did catch fish in some of the spots. It was late summer I’m sure fishing was better in the spring. I bought his book and still tie some of his flies as they work here in ct.