Duane and Marlene Hada
Fund Raiser

Duane Hada is a well known and respected local guide and outdoor artist. His wife Marlene is a school teacher and talented fly fisher in her own right. They have a precious daughter, McKenzie. I have personally known them for over twenty years. Their art gallery — Rivertown Gallery — is four blocks from my home in down town Cotter. They are loving and generous people. I have not attended any fly fishing related fundraiser (such as Hooked on a Cure, Casting for Recovery, Southern Council Conclave or Sowbug Roundup) in the past two decades that did not include a Duane Hada print or donated guide trip in its auction. Duane has also shared his artistic gifts with others in the community. Whether it was designing the logo on the police cars in Cotter or teaching art at ASU to name a few, Duane was there.

This past year Marlene was severely stricken with advanced breast cancer. The treatment which included radical surgery, chemo therapy and radiation has left the family physically exhausted and financially strapped. The fly fishing community is now banding together to help one of its own. There is a grass roots organization of his many friends and colleagues that is developing a fund raiser to help provide some much needed monetary relief for Duane and Marlene. They are putting together a raffle of epic proportions.

The grand prize is something that should appeal to every angler, a guided fishing trip with Dave and Emily Whitlock on the White or Norfork Rivers. Dave is a living legend in fly fishing. He was one of the pioneering first fly fishers to discover the incredible fishery we have here in the White River. He is an international known author, lecturer, innovative fly tier, artist and teacher. Emily is also an internationally respected lecturer, teacher and conversationalist. They are nice people and a lot of fun to be with. A day with them would be the trip of a lifetime.

Two nights accommodations are provided at The White River Inn, a luxury bed and breakfast located high on a wooded ridge looking down on the White River. I have done a bit of guiding for them in the past and I can assure you that this is the nicest place to stay on the White River. In addition, a Sage fly rod, reel, and fly line of the winner’s choice are included. I recently acquired a Sage ZXL rod and have found it to be the best casting rod I have ever owned. If that is not enough to tempt the most jaded palate, they are throwing in a fly box containing one hundred flies tied by ten of the Ozarks top tiers.

It should be noted that, this is one of ten prizes with more coming in daily. Supreme Boats has donated a brand new boat and trailer. There is an original framed piece of Duane Hada art and guided fishing trips with area guides complete with lodging. There are Simms G3 waders (these are the waders favored by local guides like John Wilson and myself) and a Simms G3 jacket. There are other items too numerous to mention in this article. I want to point out that all of this stuff was donated and that all proceeds will go to Duane and Marlene.

The raffle tickets are only twenty dollars each or six for one hundred dollars. The roll out for the fund raising campaign will be at the Sowbug Roundup this week. The tickets will be on sale there or you can just make a direct donation. Tickets will also be for sale and donations can be made at Blue Ribbon Fly Shop, Mountain River Fly Shop and the Woodsman Fly Shop in Fort Smith, Arkansas. In addition, you will be able to purchase tickets or make donations on John Wilson’s web site, www.flyfishingarkansas.com. This is your chance to do something good for some people that have made a difference in this community.

John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished the local streams for over twenty five years. John can be reached at (870) 435-2169 or www.berrybrothersguides.com.

Tickets are also available from Mountain River Fly Shop. Sale of tickets ends on May 10, 2008.