Who Knew Lou?

[Don Kirk]

Does anyone here know anything about an old timer from Chattanooga named Lou Williams? Back in the 1930s & 1940's he was the outdoor writer for the Chattanooga Free Press. He was a founder of the Tennessee Conservation League and was instrumental in the passage of the original "Model Game & Fish Law" in the state.
Lou's was an ardent fly fishermen, and the maker of split cane bamboo rods that he made from scratch out of raw Tonkin. I have located one of his rods in Chattanooga, but the family of the man who got the rod from Lou does not know much about the story or about Lou.
One other tidbit. Lou was very instrumental in Tellico being developed into a trout fishery in the old days and for the building of the hatchery on headwaters of the Tellico. Until relatively recently there was a big bronze plaque located off of the road along the North River noting Lou's contributions to the restoration/preservation of what was known then as the Tellico WMA. Unfortunately, thieves who ply their trade in the semi-precious metal market stole the marker.
I have chatted a couple of times with Richard Simms, the current outdoor writer for the Chattanooga Free Press. He poked around a bit for me for contact points, but none were to be found. That reminds me, I need to pass along the story about Richard, Sissy Spacek and me on Lick Creek in Greene County back when she was here making the movie, "The River." A cute tail.
Anywho, if you knew or have a clue about Lou, would you tell me too?
dk

[Grumpy]

I noticed the plaque gone on my last trip there last month, here's hoping there's a judgement day.

Grumpy

[Drifter]

I need to pass along the story about Richard, Sissy Spacek and me on Lick Creek in Greene County back when she was here making the movie, "The River." A cute tail.
dk

Shouldn't it be a cute "tale" or was it a Freudian slip? :)

Don....I have an old bamboo flyrod I bought on the used market about 20 years ago. The inscription on the rod states:

Custom Built by Lou Williams
3315 Windsor Court
Chattanooga, Tenn.

I have some more info about Mr. Williams around here somewhere. I'll see what I can find.

[Don Kirk]

A heapin' heck of a big thanks to all who sent me info on Lou Williams. I have located three of his rods. With luck I will get to photograph them someday.
About Richard, me and Spacy Siscek, it happened like this (er that what my chocolate lab Chet called her after she scared him badly when he watched “Carrie”.) Anywho, Marc Sudheimer, Richard Simms and I decided to float hunt squirrels along Lick Creek in Greene County near the old Scoot Mill site. I’m not sure if it was a 100 percent legal trip, but insofar as Marc and Richard were TWRA officers at the time, the legality of the use of rimfire rifles on a creek bisecting private land did not come up in conversation. In those days I was in good stead with the TWRA, their lap dog so to speak as a newspaper outdoor writer, so things were sometimes sort of loosey goosy.

At the time Marc and I lived in Morristown, and I suppose we knew that the movie, “The River” was being filmed in Rogersville along the Holston and on Lick Creek in Greene County. The old Cooper farm had been rented for the film, designated as the HQ of the hated “corpo farm” out to get the farm of Sissy Spacek and Mel Gibson. (I know, this is a nutty story). The movie was not on our mind that morning.

Anywho, it as the last week in August and the fog along the lower reaches of the road along Lick Creek where it parallels the Nolichucky River was thick at thieves. Richard had brought a TWRA van over from Nashville (at the time he was the officially photographer for TWRA “Tennessee Wildlife” Magazine). We weren’t going that fast when as we reached the Cooper Farm (who could have known in such thick early morning fog), when without warning, Sissy Spacket walked right out in the road in front of our van.

Richard slammed on the brakes, making the tires scream. The entourage of make up people and other flunkies leapt backwards. Everyone except Sissy, who was wearing a loose fitting, ankle length white or pink night gown. I cannot forget the look on her face as she starred eyeball to eyeball with Richard. It was the same look she had in that movie before causing her high school prom to become a murderous inferno. Without stopping, Sissy continued across the road about three feet in front of the van.

Stunned, Richard turned and said, “Was that ….”

Of course Sud and I were as shocked as Richard, but Sud, who in those days prepared news releases for TWRA and was a consummate professional when it came to putting the proper spin on unanticipated happenings said, “Yeah, that’s her all right, out wandering around again…”
Not another word was said about it. The squirrel hunt was successful despite the fact we forgot to bring a landing net. They sink when dropped into the water.