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Celebration of Steve Koler's life

43K views 46 replies 33 participants last post by  pearl 
#1 ·
Let's hear some memories, guys.
Steve passed away in the last hour.
Let's rejoice in his life. Let's remember all of the wonderful things.
Let's celebrate who he was and the fishing legacy that he left with so many of us!
It's a very sad day for those of us who will miss him. But he is still with us... every time we are on the river.

Jen
 
#27 ·
I was not fortunate enough to have ever known Steve, but if I've heard his name once I've heard it a thousand times. He was certainly well known in fishing circles. Even though I wouldn't have known him if I saw him, I feel a profound sense of loss with this news. My heart goes out to his friends and family. I'm sure that I've benefited from his life even though I never knew him.
 
#28 ·
My thoughts and prayers go out Steve's family and closest friends in this their time of sorrow. I was fortunate to have fished in Steve's camp on the Kenai, what a great fisherman and gentleman. I have never witnessed anyone work harder and enjoy it is as much as Steve because he was doing exactly what he wanted to do with his life. We enjoyed some great meals in his camp and even some better stories all to the backdrop of the sockeye salmon so thick you could hear them hitting the parked boats on their journey up stream. He must have worked at least 20 hour days when the camp was full with all the cooking, cleaning, guiding and all the behind the sceens work that goes with it. I never heard him complain once. I also fished in Tillamook with him, his ability to always put you on a fish and remain calm when there were 200 other boats in the Ghost Hole during a major bite was very impressive. He was always very friendly and helpful, and if you wanted to know Steve would tell you exactly when and where the hot bites had been, not that he could not stretch the truth as much as all good fisherman, but with him you got more information than you needed, none of that zipperlip stuff. When I seen him at shows we talked of those large Coho that are just waiting to be caught every year, on almost every cast in some of the most pristine streams in southeast Alaska that we both love to fish. Steve was the owner of my 20ft. Willie Predator before I purchased it, and his luck has still not rubbed off of it. Its 12 years old, still on the original 200 Yamaha, and is a fish catching machine. Thanks Steve, for all those great adventures and memories, my largest Salmon ever and the only boat I will ever need. I'm sure if there are streams in heaven Steve is already putting on a clinic, be sure and save a few for the rest of us, we will be along all too soon.
---Ralph Snook
 
#29 ·
For those of you that knew Steve>

I spoke to Steve's brother Mike Monday evening when I arrived home from a fishing trip and heard the news.

Mike told me that he went to see Steve the evening before he passed away. Steve was Clean Shaven with a fresh hair cut. Mike could see that Steve was at peace with himself as if he knew the end of his life was near. Steve smiled and was very content. Steve faced death as he did life. Like the man he was. Steve was my cousin but I feel like I lost a brother. Knowing I will never share another day of fishing, hunting or digging Butter Clams on the beach at Hoods canal is hard to consider. But Steve along with his Dad Powell Koler, Dud Nelson our Uncle and my father Tony Blaszak will be with in me in spirit where ever I go for the rest of my life and beyond. I still have the urge to brag to them or share a story with them wherever I go.

I wish I had the time to write some of the funny stories I could tell. Lets just say for as long as I can remember Steve Koler was a very mischievous boy that made his mother and fathers job of raising him a tedious task.

God speed Steve Koler I love you..

I am known in our family as Little Tony....
 
#30 ·
I went to visit Mike Koler last night, he had out a box of photo's that he plans to bring to the Wake on Saturday.

Man ! If you could just peek at some of those pictures. There a tons of photo's with Steve and some of his clients
holding up fish. These picture tell stories just looking at them. Mike doesn't know who many of these folks are.
In the box is an audigraph photo of Steve Standing next to Jimmy Carter on the Willamette River.

Hopefully after this weekend I 'll be able to post some of them on IFISH. Stay tuned. I have one I will post today
with a Picture of him with a young fisherman I believe is Steve Smith. But he's looks so young it is hard to tell...
 
#32 ·
That's funny!
I thought... "is that Dave Johnson?" And then I looked at the name of the photo and it says David Johnson on it!

So... Is it?

:smile:

Jen
 
#33 ·
For anyone that missed it, Bill Monroe has an excellent Eulogy of Steve in today's Oregonian (11/4/04). I encourage you to get a copy and read it.

I searched oregonlive and it couldn't find it, (yet?), but you can find it in the back of the sports section where the Thursday outdoor report is.

Bill, if it isn't going to be on the web, maybe you could personally post the text here?

I knew Steve as a fellow fisherman as we went boat to boat on many of our rivers over the past 20 years or so. Though I never booked a trip with him, he never had a bad word to say to me. Some guides back in the era he started were somewhat less than cordial to the weekend warriors and non-professionals that fished "their" waters. Not Steve.

There is no doubt that he he showed his clients a caring, quality fishing trip that ended with fish far more often than not.

Thanks, Bill, for more insight on Mr. Koler!
 
#34 ·
Honestly I don't know ! Mike Koler thought that it was so I put it on a floppy and brought it to work today.

Like I said there are ton of pictures in this box at Mike house. Wouldn't it be fun to post them one at a time
to see how many people on IFISH could claim them ?

I don't know Dave Johnson. I have seen him on the river and I was next to him once when he was talking to Dudley
but I haven't formally met him. I have heard like Steve He is a fine guide and a gentlemen to boot.
The people I know that know him say he is a great guy. So I hope this is him and I hope he enjoys the photo.
If he shows up Saturday I am sure Mike will give him the photo.

Some of these picture are funny in that they are so old people probably wouldn't recognize themselves.

I 've seen pictures of Steve Koler that would make you laugh. Long hair dressed in Crap from the hippy days.

He would be so embarressed.
 
#36 ·
Back in the late 70's before Steve started guiding my Brother Joe, Steve and I used to make reqular trips to the deschutes to fly fish the Salmon Fly hatch. I have many happy memories of those trips. When ever I think of Steve all I can do is chuckle as that is what he would make you do if you spent any time with him at all. He was a clown in many respects.

On one of these trips Steve and I were fishing mecca flats. Of course Steve was always after that five pounder. He was determined to catch one of those Trophies Dudley used to talk about. Steve was a little down river from me when I heard him yell out, " I got a big one, it's a five pounder"
Next thing I know Steve is in the middle of the river. His head bobbed up and down under water with him yelling FISH ON. He drifted towards an outcrop along the bank where the brush hung over and there was no way he could get to the bank. I was really worried he would drowned. In the middle of the river all I could see was a fly rod and two hands on the reel spinning the spool. But Steve made it around the corner and to the bank. He got the fish to shore. It was about a Seventeen inch Redside that was hooked in the tail.

" Steve, you moron.."

I seen him do the same thing once on the North Fork of the Nehalem during Coho Run. Who would jump into a rushing river in the middle of a cold rainy day with street clothes on just for a lousy fish ?

Steve Koler that's who.

Did you ever hear the time he blew a hole in the door of his dads truck with a shotgun ? :laugh:
 
#37 ·
I didn't know Steve as well as some of you. I met him breifly up here in WA. And we would see each other at the sportsmans' shows. He shared with me how he fished banana shaped plugs and some of his pictures. He was blessed with a gift in his skill at capturing a moment or event.
Steve also brought an intensity toward the outdoors that was very infectious. He will be missed...
 
#38 ·
I remember Steve as a very generous and thoughtful guy who always shared with others. He often stayed in the house next door in Barview while fishing the Tillamook fall run. Man, he could make a great seafood fettucini which he would cook for a lot of people in the house. My elderly great uncle who lived next door at the time would tell me Steve often would bring a plate over and took the time to talk with him while staying in Barview. I wish I could have told Steve in person how much random acts of kindness like these are appreciated especially by the solitary elderly and that this world would be much better if more followed his style.
 
#40 ·
In order to know a community, one must observe the style of its funerals and know what manner of men they bury with most ceremony.
Samuel Clemens


" In order to know a community " Indeed !

When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.
 
#43 ·
Funny this should pop back up.

Two nights ago I was out in the garage preparing for springer season tying up some gear. Steve crossed my mind as I was working away because I was using the methods that he taught me.

Some things are timeless. :bowdown:
 
#46 · (Edited)
Its hard to believe that it has been almost 5 years that Steve has passed. I think of him often and all the great times we had together. Man I miss him.......

Pearl, same here. I have a spinner blade box that is full of Steve's designs from back in the Toman, Krum, Koler days down in the bay. Also Loaded with plugs , side plainer(s), and bobber/fly techniques from the Deschutes. Remember those days? Also, those hand painted T-50 & 55 flat fish that we use to paint and wrap up on the Kenia. These guys dominated that time frame here in Oregon, know one could compete. :)

David, you are a amazing fisherman, I enjoy reading about your success. I know you and Steve were pretty tight and he would be excited about your success. That article on casting those coho spinners this year, AWESOME!

Sorry to bring up such a old thread, but for those of us that knew Steve, fished with him, or learned from him, FISH ON!
 
#47 ·
Don,

You know it must be karma. I haven't looked at this section of ifish since January of 2006 and this pops up tonight???? Go figure.

The Deschutes is in full swing, Tillamook is just around the corner, a November elk hunt all bring back lifetime memories with Steve.

Hope you and Gene are doing well! No BS this year. We need to rendezvous in Tillamook County next month.

Pearl
 
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