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[Dave]

I was just informed that John Mair died this morning.  John, 85 I believe, recently suffered a heart attack and did nor recover.  I first met him and his brother Dave in the late 60’s and we were good friends since. 
Lower mainland steelheaders will remember John from his days on the Vedder and Thompson; a big, quiet and very proud Scot with an accent nobody could understand, but who caught fish regularly and consistently and most often than not, behind people.  They started out fishing the Vedder with spinning reels, back then a sure sign of a beak, but they quickly lost that stigma when they began outfishing the locals.  When they took up centrepins they were arguably the best anglers on the river.  John had an uncanny memory, the best I have known.  Many times he reminded me of fish I had caught, and forgotten about, when we fished together 40 years ago.  But I remember one he caught right at my feet at Goldpan, sometime in the 70’s, a 24lb doe and I remember him losing the biggest steelhead I have ever seen, near 30 lbs, the same day.  A plumber by trade, he seemed to be laid off every winter, starting around steelhead time.   Funny how that worked...

R.I.P John, we will save your seat at the Long Table.

[chris gadsden]

So sorry to hear this Dave, you were always so good in helping John and his brother over the years.

He certainty was an excellent angler and an amazing memory to go along with his angling skill.

I only fished with him a couple of times including a bar fishing trip on the Fraser and we talked about that many times after as he hooked and lost a large chinook at Bowman's Bar that day. He was unable to fish the last few years but was always interested on how the fishing was on the Chilliwack Vedder, Fraser and of course his beloved Thompson River.

A true gentleman he was and many of us will carry our memories of him for the rest of our lives.

[Dave]

A true gentleman he was and many of us will carry our memories of him for the rest of our lives.

Well, I know I will Chris; he and brother Dave took me under their wings when I was a teenager and taught me how to fish for and catch steelhead in the C-V. They treated me with respect, took me fishing to interior lakes for the first time and, I like to think those early years helped form my eventual career and perhaps even my character.
 
Being able to assist these fine people in their later years was, and still is, an honour.

[Dennis.t]

You,(Dave) my sir are a true gentleman. I did not know John, but with each passing yr, the old timers, the pioneers of our great sport become fewer and fewer. R.I.P John.