Isn’t it great “when a bird comes home to roost!” This is a saying that many of us can relate to. Parents enjoy seeing their children actually listen to some advice. Teachers, Scout leaders, mentors, bosses and everyone that gives advice, love when something sticks.
Many articles and seminars ago, I talked about how to label your fly boxes, tackle, and gear boxes. “Place your name and phone number on them so if they are lost, they may find their way home.” Mailing labels covered with scotch tape is a quick and easy way to mark your special and expensive boxes.
We have all found fishing and hunting gear over the years that we would have returned had we known an address. Several of my friends, that have lost their labeled gear, have had it returned. Some are still waiting.
A year ago, I was fishing along a local trout stream and discovered that my cherished fly box was missing. A button on the vest pocket was missing too. Many of the flies were tied by my Brother and he was disappointed that I had lost his gift to me. The next day I returned and retraced my tracks looking for the labeled fly box. At the end of the day, I told my brother that a good Samaritan would find and return it. “Yea Right”, he said,” you can kiss that fly box goodbye!”
Today in the mail I received a package. In it was my complete and perfectly intact fly box. A note on a 3×5 index card said,” found this @ Deer Creek. Looks important.” My address label enabled a fellow fisherman, named William, to return my special fly box.
What is actually the most special part of this story is that Honesty is still alive. Without any direction, incentive, and at his expense, William, a stranger, sent my fly box home. He could have peeled off my label and just pocketed the valuable fly box. Instead, he returned it to its owner.
Since I have grown up, I rarely lose my toys anymore. The address labels are just in case. William also had a return label on his mailing package. I used this label to send him a letter of thanks and a restaurant gift card.
“What goes around comes around!”
Montana Grant
For more Montana Grant, visit his website at www.montanagrantfishing.com
